Chapter 17
1040 Words
Thanksgiving is here. The house smells amazing.
Sawyer seasoned and stuffed the turkey earlier this morning.
It's hard to believe that over the last few months my life has changed so much.
I got the potatoes peeled and on the stove, I have a green bean casserole ready to go. Dinner smells amazing.
"Is the turkey ready yet?" I asked as Sawyer checked the temperature.
"Almost." He smiles but it doesn't reach his eyes. Something is wrong.
I go sit on the couch as I wait for dinner.
Jason comes in covered head to toe in snow.
"Mm something smells good." he said completely avoiding me.
I stand up, I need to know what the hell is going on. I waddled into the kitchen as Sawyer pulls the turkey out of the oven.
"What is going on?" I asked looking at the both of them.
Jason and Sawyer both sighed.
"James has been spotted in town. The cops are hunting him down now." Sawyer said walking over to me.
"What?" I backed up. "I'm going to lie down. I lost my appetite." I said turning around to head upstairs.
"Alison!" Jason called after me. I continued to make my way up the stairs. Knowing Sawyer he'd bring me something to eat.
I decided I needed to take a shower. I opened the closet and pulled out Sawyer's Montana sweater and one of my maternity sweatpants. I grabbed a towel and headed for the shower.
Just as I was washing my hair I heard a commotion downstairs. I finished my hair quickly and put my hair up in the towel, and got dressed. I opened the bathroom door when I heard a gunshot.
I had no idea what happened. I was too afraid to move. I heard the sirens outside. I heard footprints coming up the stairs. I locked the bathroom door.
I should've locked the bedroom door as well. I slid down to the floor in fear. I couldn't bring my knees to my chest like I used to.
I started crying.
"Alison?" I heard Sawyer's scared voice call from the other side. "Alison open the door please." but I couldn't move. I was frozen in fear. "Alison please open the door."
I used the sink to pull myself from the floor. I unlocked the door and I saw Sawyer's scared face.
"Sawyer." I whispered.
"They got him. He's incompacitated at the moment, but they got him." he said shaking.
I was wrecked with sobs, Sawyer held me as my body shook in his arms.
"It's over Alison. It's over. You're safe now." He whispered.
"Sawyer! The cops would like to speak with you." Jason called from the stairs. Sawyer held me close as we walked down the stairs.
While Sawyer answered all the questions from the police, I sat at the table holding my tea Jason made for me.
I watched in shock as they took James in cuffs out of the house. He made eye contact with me.
"Wait," James said. The cops stopped. "Alison, I know that baby inside of you is mine. I couldn't let you go. I hurt you badly. Physically and emotionally for that I am sorry."
Everyone watched in horror as I got up from the table and walked towards him.
"James you are a terrible person. I don't know what I ever saw in you. I should've read the signs in the beginning. They were there, but I ignored them. I never want to see you again." Then I slapped him hard across the face.
The cops took him out of the house and shoved him in the back of the police car.
I sighed in relief as they drove down the driveway.
"Alison do you want to eat something?" Sawyer asked as he put the food on a plate for me. I smiled and nodded.
We ate dinner in a comfortable silence.
After the food was put away and the dishes were done, I got bundled up and headed out to the barn to visit with Phoenix. Sawyer watched from a distance. I sat down in Phoenix's stall and she laid down next to me. I cried in her neck. She whinnied angrily at Sawyer when he tried to come into the stall.
"Alison, talk to me please." Sawyer pleaded. I looked up from Phoenix's neck.
"What do you want me to say? I'm upset and angry at myself that even though I convinced myself that I was happy he still beat me every day, or the fact that I was too afraid to leave, but yet I got pregnant with his children. I convinced myself that he loved me, when in fact he never did."
"But he apologized." Sawyer said. I laughed.
"That's funny, those were the exact words he used the last time I tried to leave. He convinced me to come back and that he's a changed man. Then guess what happened after that? He started to r**e me every single day." I spat. "That is why I slapped him." I said using Phoenix's neck to stand up.
"Alison I didn't know," Sawyer said sadly.
"I know you didn't, I just needed some space." I said turning to Phoenix. "She's the only one who gets what I've been through. She understands what it's like to live in fear. She attacks people out of fear, as for me I shut people out."
Phoenix rubs her head on my chest.
"Please don't shut me out, Alison. I need you with me." Sawyer said opening the stall door. Phoenix looked at him then looked at me.
"It's a bad habit. I lost a lot of people from it. My best friend never understood why I could never go out with her back in Boston. She eventually got a new group of friends and left me behind. I haven't talked to her in a while." I said walking out of the stall.
"Why don't you call her and explain?" Sawyer asked turning the lights to the barn off.
"I don't know. She's busy with her life." I sighed deeply.
Sawyer suggested that I try calling Louise. I decided that I'd call her in the morning.
I choose to get some sleep first.
- Writer
