Cat paced back and forth across the kitchen floor. “Are you sure you heard correctly?” She stopped and looked at the silver-haired woman sitting at the table, watching her with sympathetic eyes.
Romina nodded, a solemn expression on her lined face. “Juanita Garza saw Drew at the diner with another woman.” She motioned with her hands. “The woman had big blonde hair and a tight red dress that left little to the imagination.”
Her face colored as she shook her head slowly back and forth. “I knew that Drew O’Hannon was trouble. You should’ve never gotten involved with him. If your mother saw you now, she’d roll over in her grave.” She made a cross over her chest.
Romina had told Cat about the other woman a couple of hours ago, but Cat had been too upset to get the details, which was why she was asking Romina to repeat the story.
Cat ran a hand through her hair, swallowing down the lump in her throat. “I can’t believe Drew would do this to me.”
Actually, it wasn’t so hard to believe. Ever since Cat had started dating Drew in her sophomore year in high school, she’d caught whispers of Drew’s infidelity off and on. She’d confronted Drew about it, but he adamantly denied it.
Midway through her junior year, Cat and Drew started fighting a lot. Drew was growing increasingly possessive and began cutting Cat down, chipping away at her confidence. Cat had planned to break up with Drew, but then her mom suddenly got sick with breast cancer and died. The house where Cat and her mother lived was a rental. There was no life insurance, no nest egg. Cat was a high school student without a penny to her name. She’d hadn’t seen hide nor hair of her dad since he was deported.
She’d been eight years old at the time.
With no money, Cat was afraid she’d have to give up dance, but her instructor Mrs. Patterson insisted that she keep coming to class. Cat paid her tuition by teaching junior classes.
A few days after her mother’s funeral, Cat moved in with her next-door neighbor Romina Castaneda, a widow who’d been her mom’s best friend. It was just easier at that point to let things with Drew ride. Also, Cat had felt so alone that she needed someone to cling to.
Drew played the part of the doting boyfriend so well that Cat assumed they’d moved past the rocky phase of their relationship and were on their way to building something lasting. Then, the rumors started up again.
“Sit down,” Romina encouraged. “You’re making me nervous with all that pacing.”
Huffing out a breath, she pulled out a chair and slumped down. Cat let out a harsh laugh. “You know what? I’m not shattered by Drew’s infidelity.” She gritted her teeth. “I’m mad enough to chew nails, but I’m not shattered.” She sucked in a quick breath. “I guess I’m just mad at myself for letting it go on for so long.”
Maybe a part of her had wanted to believe that Drew really was the hero he pretended to be in his notes. The knothole, those notes … they’d meant something to Cat. She’d even kept them. Remembering the notes made her think of a softer, kinder Drew. “I guess it’s time I grew up and realized that Hero really is dead,” she sighed.
Romina looked puzzled. “I’m sorry?”
She offered a wistful smile. “Never mind.” Tears rose in her eyes as she fidgeted with her hands. “What am I gonna do?” She’d graduated from high school three months prior. Mrs. Patterson had asked her if she wanted to come on as a full-time dance instructor at the studio. While that was tempting, Cat was starting to feel like this neighborhood was suffocating her. Every time she looked at her former house, a deep sadness filled her.
She thought of Mami … how quickly the cancer took her life. Mami’s life had been hard and sad. She’d worked three jobs to keep a roof over her and Cat’s heads. Was it wrong to want something more?
In a strange way, Drew’s notes in the knothole had kindled a fire in Cat. They’d opened a space inside her that allowed her to dream of a new life with the possibility of a bright future with a hero who loved her for who she was. Not one who constantly tried to make her into something else.
Her brow furrowed as she thought of Drew. All he cared about was being a jock. He craved the admiration of prominent people. Nothing Cat ever did was good enough for him. If she wore her hair a certain way, he wanted it another. If she wore a particular dress, he found something wrong with it.
Romina gave her a perceptive look. “You already know what you need to do. You’re just trying to muster up the courage to do it.”
Cat’s head snapped up. “What do you mean?”
“You need to get away from here … away from Drew. You need to find your own life.”
Tears welled in her eyes. “It’s true,” she croaked. “It’s just …” Her words lost air as she tried again. She balled her fist, her fingernails digging into her palm. “I’m scared.” There it was. She’d admitted it out loud.
Romina nodded. “I know.” A tender smile spread over her thin lips. “But your mother will be watching over you from above. Never forget that.”
Tears dribbled down Cat’s cheeks as she nodded. She thought of something else. “How can I leave you?”
Romina patted her hand. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. I’ve got my kids close by.”
A feeling of excitement trickled over Cat. Where would she go? Someplace warm. Florida. Mami had always talked of going to Florida but never got the chance. A new thought took hold, bringing back the gloom. “I don’t have enough money.” She’d squirreled away some, but it wasn’t near enough to move.
Romina used her hands to heave herself to her feet. She shuffled over and opened a door to the cupboard. Pushing her flour and cornmeal canisters aside, she retrieved a jelly jar. Her arthritic fingers worked to unscrew the lid. She reached in and pulled out a wad of cash. A large, gleeful smile filled her face as she turned to Cat. “How much do you need?”
“Thank you,” Cat breathed, tears running rivers down her cheeks. Her heart was filled to overflowing for this stooped, unassuming woman. “I’ll leave in the morning,” she sniffed, mopping her eyes.
A second later, Cat about jumped out of her skin at the loud pounding on the door. She looked at Romina, whose face was carved with worry. “It’s probably Drew,” Cat said unnecessarily. They both knew it was him.
Less than an hour prior, Cat had called Drew and told him it was over. He’d yelled, screamed, and called her every name in the book until finally, she hung up on him.
“Don’t answer the door,” Romina warned, clutching the jar tightly in her hands.
More banging.
A white-hot anger rose in Cat’s breast. “I’ll not be bullied by Drew,” she seethed. “Don’t worry,” she assured Romina, “it’s really over this time.” Running a hand through her hair and adjusting her clothes, she went to the door, trying to slow her erratic pulse.
“Open up, Cat,” Drew demanded, pounding on the door with his fist. “We need to talk.”
She flung it open, causing him to fall in. He caught himself and closed the door behind him. Then he got a good look at her tear-stained face. He swore under his breath. “I don’t know what you’ve heard, but it’s a lie. Baby,” he began, touching her cheek.
She pushed his hand away. “Don’t.”
“Will you just listen to me?” he demanded.
Cat thought of Romina in the kitchen. Romina was frightened by Drew and his outbursts. “Let’s go outside and talk on the front steps.”
Before he could protest, she opened the door and went outside, leaving him no alternative but to follow. It was a dark night with only hints of the fingernail of a moon showing through the fast-moving clouds. Cat sat down on the steps, pulling her knees to her chest as she hugged them with her arms. Drew plopped beside her. She could feel him watching her. He trailed his fingers over the naked skin of her arm.
“Cat,” he began in a sultry tone that was probably supposed to be sexy, but it came across as grating.
She jerked her arm away. “Don’t you dare touch me!”
Drew scowled. “You’re being ridiculous. I told you there was no one else.”
“People saw you in the diner,” she snapped, the anger returning full force. “You were with a big-haired blonde with a skimpy red dress.”
He blinked a few times in surprise, and she could see the guilt written all over his face. It made her sick to her stomach. She couldn’t believe she’d wasted so much time on Drew.
His words rushed out in a heap. “It’s not what you think. Monica works at the dealership. We were getting lunch for everyone.”
A hard amusement tickled Cat’s insides. Drew’s dad owned a string of car dealerships. Drew’s wealth had made him a big man on campus, making Drew think he could buy anything he wanted … including her. Well, those days were over.
Cat had thought him so handsome with his muscular build and thick crop of wavy, blonde hair. His quick smile and hazel eyes had turned many a head in high school. Drew was a bully when they were kids. If it hadn’t been for his notes, Cat never would’ve given him the time of day. However, she’d started to view Drew differently. And even though no further notes were exchanged between them in the knothole, she took note of him. Then, when Drew asked her out, she accepted and the two fast became the it couple in school.
Now, however, Cat was becoming disenchanted with Drew’s looks. She wanted more than a good-looking face and monster-sized ego. She wanted a partner in life—someone to build her up and share her dreams. Drew was not that person. He cared nothing for her dance or the movies and books she enjoyed. Furthermore, Cat didn’t fit in with Drew’s country club life and fast friends.
“Drew, I’m tired of your lies. I’m not an idiot. I know there have been others. It’s over.”
His eyes narrowed. “Don’t say that.”
The fight had drained out of her. Drew’s infidelity didn’t matter. She was moving on. She ran her hands through her hair, feeling weary to the bone. “It’s late, Drew. I need to get some rest.”
“No,” he countered, his jaw hard. “You’re not going to bed until we work this out.”
She grunted. “Get it through your thick skull. We’re through.” She stood. He sprang to his feet and caught her arm, his fingers digging into her flesh. “Let go of me,” she growled.
He smirked. “Or what?”
“You’re hurting me, Drew.” She glanced around, wishing there were other people outside. It was just the two of them, however.
A mask of anger twisted Drew’s face, and then she saw something that struck fear into the center of her heart—a smug look that let her know that Drew liked that she was afraid of him. It gave him some sick feeling of power. “I trusted you,” she heaved through gritted teeth, tears rising in her eyes. “You took that trust and stomped it into the ground.”
“Don’t you talk to me like that, you little tramp.” His breath seethed through his teeth as he spit out the angry words.
She winced at the stench of beer on his breath. “You’re drunk,” she said, disgust twisting her gut. His words stung, and she wasn’t going to take it … not anymore. “Go home, Drew.” She grunted. “I never should’ve let you into my life. You’re a low-down, cheating jerk!” Her voice escalated. “We’re done!”
The hard slap took her by surprise. Pain wrenched through her as her head snapped back. The breath left her lungs, her mind reeling to process what had just happened. Drew had hit her! She wasn’t one of those women. This couldn’t be happening! Tears burned her eyes. “I hate you!”
He punched her in the jaw.
She toppled backwards, holding her jaw. “Just leave,” she cried.
Grabbing her hair, he yanked her to her feet and began dragging her down the steps.
“Stop!” she screamed, hitting his hand, but it was useless. “Where are you taking me?”
“You belong to me, and it’s about time you acted like it.”
Panic engulfed her, her legs wobbling uncontrollably. Drew had been pushing her to be intimate with him, but she’d put him off. It was with a sickening dread that she realized he intended to rape her.
“Stop right there!” Romina’s thin, raspy voice filled the night air, bringing Cat a swift relief that left her dizzy.
“Go back inside, old woman,” Drew roared.
Romina stood in a battle stance, holding up the phone. “I called the police.”
Cat sensed Drew’s hesitation and felt the tide shift. He released her, giving her a look filled with such hatred that it shriveled her insides. “This is not over,” he sneered as he stormed down the walkway, got in his Mustang, and squealed off.
Cat’s legs were so weak she feared they might give way. She stumbled towards Romina, a sob trembling from her lips. Frail, meek Romina was her angel.
“Are the police coming?” Cat stammered as they rushed inside and locked the door. She dreaded having to talk to the police but knew it was inevitable.
Romina winced. “About that … I might’ve fudged the truth a little.”
Cat’s eyes rounded as she hiccuped a laugh. “You were bluffing?” Her hand went to her mouth. She realized she was shaking all over.
Romina nodded. Her features pulled into taut lines, eyes darting towards the door, as if she feared Drew might break through it at any moment. “You need to leave … tonight.”
“Tonight?” Terror streaked through Cat. Her jaw throbbed with pain. Gingerly, she touched it, thinking she needed to put an ice pack on it.
Romina looked her in the eye. “You need to get as far away from this place and Drew O’Hannon as you can. Go someplace where he’ll never find you.” She placed a hand on Cat’s arm, eyes cutting into hers. “Promise me.”
“I promise,” she croaked.
The future was a dark pool of muddy water. Facing it alone terrified Cat. Yet, staying here at Drew’s mercy was even worse.
She straightened her shoulders, trying to calm her pounding heart. Before she even consciously realized what she was doing, her silent plea lifted to heaven.
Help me, she prayed. Please, help me find my way.
