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My anxiety climbs, but I force myself to sound as strong as iron.
I spit my words out with venom, “I’m not afraid of you anymore,”
Tony laughs on the other end of the line. “You should be afraid. I’m not the same man you left high and dry in Chicago, dear. I’ve changed. Fuck, I’ve grown.”
Tony and I keep going back and forth.
He threatens me, says how he’s coming, and then I tell him I’m not scared, how he’s not going to get away with this bullshit again.
I snarl at him as the door to my café swings open. “Leave me the fuck alone, Tony!”
Python rushes in on alert, scanning the entire place, obviously looking for the threat at hand.
Tony snickers on the other end, “Who’s that? Your new boyfriend? Don’t worry, I have something special planned for him too.”
His words only aggravate me even more and I snap. “Yeah, it is, and he’ll kick your fucking ass.”
Python’s checked every perimeter and comes up in front of me.
I put the phone on speaker and Tony continues with his threats, “He can try, but I’ve been waiting for you, Astra. I’m not letting you slip away ever again.”
Python grabs the phone from my hand and grits out every word with malice, “You can’t let somethin’ slip away that’s already gone, man. What the fuck is your problem? Leave her the hell alone.”
Tony continues with his trend of malicious laughter, “She’s never been gone. Only out of reach, and I’ve come to take what belongs to me.”
Python’s eyes go wide at Tony’s blatant audacity.
I’m not some thing he owns. I’m a person.
Python grits out every word, “Go ahead and try, buddy, but I’ll stop you any chance I get.”
Python hangs up the phone, and his expression is grim. “What the fuck was that about?”
Taking a shaky breath, I wrap my arms around myself. “That was my ex, Tony. I . . ,” I pause for a moment and briefly close my eyes. “I know he’s known where I am. I’ve been getting these unknown calls and have had the worst feeling. This is the first time I’ve actually spoken to him since I left Chicago. He’s my husband.”
I swallow hard and wait for Python to respond.
His eyebrows shoot up. “Don’t you mean ex-husband?”
I shake my head, fearing every bit of judgment I know he’s going to give me. “No, I never divorced him. I was too afraid to stay in Chicago after he hurt me. As soon as I was able, I gathered some of my things and ran.”
He licks his lips and presses them together firmly, “Is there anything else you haven’t told me, Astra?”
Shaking my head, I tell him everything as I sink into a nearby chair. “No, that’s it. I never divorced him because I knew it meant he’d know where I was. So, I just ran. I disappeared and got as far away from him as I could.”
Python nods in understanding, “You ran because he hurt you.”
Exactly. “Yes, that’s why.”
I’m about to tell him more when Python speaks up. “I overheard you the night you were talking to Oakleigh and Rosa, so I know about the dumpster and the scar. I don’t blame you for leaving.”
I swallow hard, pushing back the old memories that threaten to resurface. “He was abusive and I didn’t even realize it. It started off as love-bombing, and then he became possessive, controlling, didn’t want me to leave the house after a certain point. I didn’t realize what he was doing until the day he gave me this scar.”
Python breathes in and out slowly. “Some hide it until they’re ready for their true self to come out. Others don’t, and trap you from the beginning. Did you try to press charges against him?”
God, I’d almost forgotten about that part. “Yes, but there were no cameras around where he attacked me, so the police told me it would be hard to prove.”
Python scoffs, “That’s a load of shit if I’ve ever heard one.”
