I knock on the door the same way that others might punch a pillow. It’s a way to get my frustration and anger out. But, instead of making me feel weaker, the pounding on the door makes me feel stronger than ever.
I feel myself punching air as the door swings open, and Owen stands in the doorway, looking at me.
“I want my cat and stuff back,” I say before Owen has a chance to say anything.
I look him up and down while I wait for him to speak to me. I no longer feel embarrassed by how I look because Owen looks worse. It’s clear he just woke up, and while I have the excuse of being sick with a migraine, Owen just looks hungover and pathetic.
Owen rubs his head, like my voice was too loud for him. “What are you doing here, Olive? We already had this conversation.”
“We are going to have it again and again until I get what I need, Owen.”
“What you need? What about what I need, Olive? You can’t just break up with a man over a misunderstanding, Olive. That’s not fair!”
I laugh. “Fair? You want to talk fair? How about how, in our entire year together, you never once treated me well? We did everything your way, never mine. How fair is that? I’m not sorry that I broke up with you, Owen. I don’t have to have a fair reason or any reason to break up with you. I broke up with you. Find someone else to fuck or not. I don’t care. But, most importantly, give me back my cat!”
My face is red, and I’m completely out of breath. But my body is steady. I don’t feel dizzy anymore. I don’t feel like I’m about to faint or fall over. I feel strong.
I search Owen’s eyes, but I know that he is so much of a dick that he isn’t ever going to give in to me. And I know, if I involve the police, I’m going to lose. I only see one option left at getting my cat back. So, I take it.
I run as hard as I can, trying to fit between the tiny gap that Owen has left between his body and the opening to his apartment. I run and think that I’ve made it inside when I feel his hands come around me, pushing me back. His hands go around my neck as he pushes me back out of his apartment, and his eyes are dark with rage. I’ve never seen Owen so pissed off before. Not even when he was drunk and thrown out of a bar.
“You don’t get to do this to me, bitch. I propose, and you marry me. I didn’t throw the last year away on you to have you say no. Do you understand me?” Owen asks, his hands still firmly around my neck.
He isn’t really trying to choke me, more just to contain me.
I kick him hard in the balls, and his hands immediately let go of my neck. I feel Sean walk up behind me. I look up at Sean and see an even darker rage in his eyes as he peers down at Owen.
“You’re lucky that Olive got to you before I could. If you ever touch her again, I will tear your body into pieces before burying each body part on a different continent to make sure you are never found or thought of ever again,” Sean says, his voice full of fury.
I look up at him, but his eyes don’t soften.
“Let’s get your stuff, Olive, and then get out of here,” Sean says, guiding me away from where Owen is crumpled on the floor.
I step back inside Owen’s apartment, and my heart is pounding so fast that I can’t even think.
“Olive, where is your stuff?” Sean asks.
“Bedroom. The cat is probably also under the bed.”
Sean grabs my hand and leads me that way as Owen stumbles back into the apartment. Sean pulls me into the bedroom and then locks the door behind us. He stops and strokes my face as I look up at him.
“Are you okay?” I ask, looking at the anger still in his eyes, afraid he is going to go kill Owen if we don’t get out of here soon.
He laughs gently. “I should be asking you that.”
I smile weakly. “I’m fine because of you.”
He shakes his head. “No. You’re more than fine because of you.”
His lips gently find mine again, like he’s afraid to