Don’t Cry Baby novel Chapter 16

With Ty away at work in construction, pretending to be Nate all day; he comes home quite tired. I try and have the house clean by the time he comes home, so that he can come home and relax. Today was a bit of an off day, I had so much on my mind. That call with Damien just really freaked me out yesterday, I have been scared to answer calls all day out of fear that he might be on the other line.

All day I have been sitting in the living room staring at last nights supper dishes on the island in the kitchen. The dishes just seemed so far away in the kitchen. I know I should clean them, I know it will make him happy and then he'll be happy with me. I don't want him to be angry with me. It is just the worst when he is mad.

As I sit on the couch alone thinking to myself about how much I should be cleaning those dishes, I hear a knock at the door that that makes me jump in my seat. I shake off the jitters I get and stand up walking towards the door. I peek through the small peephole , standing on my front porch is our neighbor Darcy.

"Hey Darcy, how are the boys?"

"Oh they're rowdier then ever, do not have four kids, especially if the first two pop out boys ...just stop there." Her eyes crinkle with humor and I smile and move aside so that she can come in.

"So sorry for the mess, it's just one of those days."

"Alaska, that's two plates and some potts, you should see the cyclone I have at home. Don't you even worry, this is heaven compared to my house." I smile warmly at her and make room for us to sit down at the dining room table. I grab some wine out of the cupboard because obviously, we can't have girl talk without some wine.

"God how do you stay looking so damn young, you could pass for eighteen years old."

"Oh hush, I don't look that young." Darcy rolls her eyes and takes a large sip from her wine glass. I wouldn't say she's a heavy drinker but she can finish a full glass of red wine in three sips. Having four boys at home really get's to her. Her husband also lost his job and I have been telling her to go talk to "Nate" because I'm sure he can set him up with something. I think they're a little embarrassed and don't want to take handouts.

"Has Charles had any luck finding a new job?"

"He's had a few interviews but, nothing has stuck. We're getting a little bit desperate to be perfectly honest. Charles is gonna call Nate later tonight and ask him about a job. I can see it on his face when he talks about that he really doesn't want to but we really need it."

"I completely understand Darcy." I smile reassuringly at her and we continue talking and laughing for the rest of the afternoon.

She finally goes back home to her "cyclone" as she calls it and I turn to get ready to clean up. Just as I'm about the turn the water on to fill our sink because Ty decided not to install the dishwasher, I hear his keys rattling in the lock. A shiver goes down my spine and I bite my bottom lip hard enough I taste blood in my mouth.

"Hey baby doll how was your...you haven't cleaned up?" The tone of his voice changes at the end my breath catches in my throat, I feel my palms get sweaty.

"I...it was just a weird day and Darcy just came over and we had a little chat. I was just about to do them babe I swear." he walks towards me, his work clothes covered in all sorts of things, drywall dust clings to his hair and face. The closer her gets the more I can smell the wood and plaster on his skin. He gets in my face, so close I can see the pupils in his eyes darken.

"Ashley...I did not find this beautiful house, work my hands to the bone every day just so you can leave it looking like this. You can't just sit around doing nothing all day." He grabs a fist full of hair as I try to look away and pulls my face towards him so that I am forced to look him in the eyes.

"Clean this up and make me dinner, don't ever look away from me when I am speaking to you again."

With that he lets go of me and stalks off to our bedroom. He doesn't hit me anymore but sometimes he gets a little bit angry. I flinch if he moves too fast, I am ust waiting for him to get angry enough to hurt me again.

I brush my hair down and start doing the dishes before I start to cook supper. A tear rolls down my cheek as I'm filling the sink and I wipe it away with my forearm. Not able to wipe my eyes with my hands because I have gloves on. I reach for one of the plates to put it in the sink and it slips form my gloved fingers and falls to the floor with a crash. The glass shatters , flying across the floor.

"Shit." God this is just great, he's already pissed at me for not doing the dishes and now I'm breaking them. I pull off my gloves and set them down on the counter. I bend down to pick the glass up and feel some of it slice into my skin.

"Fuck." The blood seeps from my finger dropping down my wrist and tangle around my forearm. I hold my finger trying to stop the blood and I stand up and step towards the skin. I turn the water on and rinse my arm, watching the red swirl around and down the drain. I back away from the sink and walk towards the stairs, I walk up the stairs and turn into the guest bathroom. I bend over and rummage through the cupboard to find the first first aid kit we keep in here. I pull out the first aid kit and find the bandages, after wrapping my fingers up I put the first aid kit back into the cupboard. I take a slow breath to calm myself down and walk out of the bathroom. I stop dead in my tracks as I run into Ty standing outside the bathroom.

"Jesus , you scared me."

"What did you do?" He grabs my hand, his voice changing from the anger it was filled only moments ago.

"It's nothing I just dropped a plate and cut myself with the glass. I'm fine." He let's my finger drop and caresses my face. He bends down and places a kiss gently on my lips twice before standing back upright still looking deeply in my eyes.

"Come on baby doll, I'll help you finish dishes and then we can just order in."

I grin and take his hand. We walk downstairs and into the kitchen. He helps me clean up the glass and we finish the dishes. He leaves the room and calls to order us a pizza, he comes back into view with a grin.