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“I don’t want that,” I cut in, frowning in disbelief at how stupid he sounded.
“It’s the least of what he deserves,” Andy said.
“He’s the violent one, not you,” I countered. “I just want him to stay away from me, not beat him up.”
“Andrea, seriously, you –”
“No,” I cut him short. “You’re not going to stoop down to his level. Neither of you is. I’ll stay with Andy, and Bobby, you’ll ignore him if he comes back to the house. Let the police deal with this, and just make sure Jeremy hurries up with the restraining order.”
“The voice of reason?” Bobby asked, raising an eyebrow at me.
“Whatever,” I said. “Promise me. Both of you.”
Bobby and Andy looked at each other. “Fine,” Bobby said. “I’ll try not to kill him the next time I see him.”
I looked at Andy, and he sighed and shook his head in frustration. “Fine by me,” he said. “I’ll keep my fists to myself.”
“Thank you,” I said.
Andy looked at me, shook his head again and said, “So what are we eating?”
***
Andy didn’t keep that promise.
We finished lunch, keeping the conversation light. Both Andy and Bobby were trying to get my mind off Dennis, and it worked. Until we paid the check and walked out of the coffee shop.
Dennis was waiting outside, leaning against Bobby’s truck, smoking a cigarette that he snubbed out on the truck hood when he saw us. His smile was far from charming, and for some reason, he looked a lot more confident. As if he were sure that neither Andy nor Bobby would put up much of a fight.
“Now, if I had known this was a family reunion, I would have joined you for lunch,” Dennis said.
Bobby’s hands balled into fists and he took a step forward before I stopped him. If Dennis was feeling confident, I was definitely not going to give him the satisfaction of seeing me scared. If there was one thing I knew he hated the most, it was knowing that I wouldn’t cringe under his gaze.
He looked at me, his smiled widening, and winked at me. “Your brother’s suddenly grown a pair, sweetheart,” he chuckled. “Yesterday he was hiding inside the house like a pussy.”
“I’m here now,” Bobby countered, making to move again. I squeezed his arm, urging him to stay put.
People walking past us had begun to hurry up, sensing that something was happening. From inside the coffee shop, I could see some of the guests watching us intently. If a fist fight broke out, I doubted anyone would do more than film the whole debacle and post it on YouTube. I wondered if anyone would have the decency to at least call the police.
“How about we avoid a spectacle, and you just let me take my wife home?” Dennis said, taking a few steps towards us, but still making sure he was far enough to avoid any surprises.
“I don’t think so, asshole,” Andy said, stepping between Dennis and us. “Bobby, take your sister home. He won’t do anything stupid, will you?”
Dennis chuckled and looked past Andy at me. “Is this who you’ve been fucking while I was looking for you? Can’t keep your knees together, can you?”
“Watch it,” Andy warned.
“Fuck you,” Dennis said, his smile fading. “I don’t take lightly to men who go after married women.”
“And I don’t take lightly to men who need to prove themselves by beating their wives,” Andy shot back.
People started to gather, a small crowd mostly of college students, standing behind the parked cars and out of the way. The tension in the air was heavy, and everyone was just waiting for the first punch to be thrown. I prayed to God it didn’t happen.
“Andy, he isn’t worth it,” Bobby said through clenched teeth, not believing a word he was saying. I could tell he was only trying to cal
m the situation down for my sake. “We’re leaving, Dennis. Go back to Manchester if you know what’s good for you.”
Bobby grabbed my hand and pulled me along, past Andy and towards his truck. Dennis reached out and grabbed my arm, his fingers digging into it so hard that it hurt.
