We make it inside my apartment and make sure to lock the door. My phone vibrates and the light is flashing blue again. I just stare at it at first. I take a deep breath and press play.
“I told you not to do something stupid. You won’t like the outcome Callie. It won’t end well for your little bartender.”
I feel my body starting to shake. I need to go to the bathroom, but I don’t think I could go that low in front of Josh. I’m already a charity case, I don’t need to make it any worse.
“Hey, he isn’t going to hurt you, okay?”
“I’m not the one I’m worried about.”
“Seriously? I can take care of myself. Besides, I think this guy is all talk.”
“He’s not.”
“Has he hurt you?”
“Not physically, and not directly. But he did beat up a guy one time when I was only talking to him for work. The guy was in the ICU for a month.”
“Doesn’t make me scared of him.”
My phone vibrates again, but Josh takes it from me before I can read it.
“What is he talking about?”
He shows the text to me.
"Did you tell your bartender about your little problem? If the cops won’t believe a mentally unstable person, why should he?"
I race to the bathroom and throw up. I forget to shut the door behind me, and now Josh is standing in the door way. That stupid thing is still sitting in the sink. Covered in blood.
“Callie...”
I wipe my mouth and stand in front of him. Trying to block his view of the sink. He looks at my arms and seems confused.
“I don’t do it there.”
“Is this because…?”
“I have no control over my life. I’ve had to move every time the messages start. You can’t even begin to know what that does to a person. Fear. All the time.”
“Then take control back.”
“It’s not that simple!”
“Why can’t it be Callie? You don’t have to keep living your life in fear and letting him have all the power.”
“Because-”
The door bangs open and we turn to look. Eric is standing in my doorway, but he doesn’t look like Eric. His eyes are darting around until they land on us. His shirt isn’t buttoned up and his hair is sticking up. He looks like a strung out junkie.
“What do you think you’re doing, Callie?”
He starts to make his way towards me, but Josh blocks his view.
“You don’t want to do that, my friend. She’s mine.”
“No man, she’s not.”
Eric lunges at Josh, but Josh forces us further in the bathroom so Eric runs into the wall. Eric falls back on the floor and Josh pulls me around him. Keeping himself between us.
“Callie, I want you to run. Go!”
He shoves me towards the door and turns back to Eric. I yank on his arm.
“No, we can both go.”
He turns and grabs my face. He kisses me, not for long but a deep, intimate kiss. He pulls back. He hands me his keys and my phone.
“Callie go. Take my bike and get out of here.”
Silent tears fall as I sprint out the door. I hear a groan and look back. Josh is still standing there to make sure I actually leave. Eric is starting to get up. Josh looks back at him, but doesn’t move. He’s still waiting on me to go. I run down the steps and open the door to go outside, but I don’t go outside. I can hear them going at it upstairs, and I get my phone out. I dial 911.
