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Chapter Six
Lena
Ihadn’t been expecting the gallantry. I intended to come in, sit alone, and have a cup of coffee; no questions asked. That guy seemed friendly and harmless, though. He had a kind, handsome face. But then, Troy had had a kind face, too, at one time.
The man in this bar seemed to possess something Troy didn’t. Compassion. It showed in his soft green eyes. And really, how could you not want to trust someone wearing a dark purple T-shirt that read “When words fail, music speaks.” The T-shirt was fitted to his torso and revealed part of a tattoo on his well-sculpted upper arm, the only part of which I could make out was a series of music notes trailing down.
It was probably not a good idea to trust anyone right now, but it had been such a long time since a man was nice to me. Troy hadn’t allowed me to socialize after we’d gotten married. He said if he caught me talking to any of my friends, he’d punish me. I knew firsthand what those punishments were like. Two weeks after we eloped, he showed me how things would be, how he could punish me. It didn’t take long for that friendly, lovable charm to turn nasty. I tried my best to please him, but I was never good enough. There was never any warning of what might set him off. By the end of our first month of marriage, I realized I’d made the biggest mistake of my life, and I feared he might kill me the way that monster had killed my mother.
Standing before the mirror, I tried to smooth down my hair again, but it was no use. “God, I do look pathetic. That bartender must think I’m a case.”
I rinsed my hands under the warm water, closing my eyes as the cold tingling in my fingers subsided. I dried my hands and noticed a little bit of blood under my short fingernails. I always kept them short because of the guitar, even though it had been a while since they even touched any strings.
After seeing the beautiful wooden instrument on the stage, my fingers itched to play again. I wished I still had mine. Another thing Troy had gotten rid of. He said I didn’t need any reminders of that wild and promiscuous life. He said I was better off now—secure with him—that he would give me all I would ever need.
I sighed, leaving the bathroom with an overwhelming need to play that guitar.
