Page 9 of Smoke
“She’s not supposed to be here,” I said, not sure how else to say the hard words. “I have an order of protection.” My tongue stuck to the roof of my dry mouth.
“No worries, babe. We’ll get her out of here. Why don’t you call your ride and leave early just to be safe, okay?”
“Yes, sir,” I agreed, trying to get my shaking fingers to unzip my purse.
“Let me help you,” my co-worker Lennon said. She grabbed my phone out of my bag and found Dawson’s number for me. I looked at her in wonder and she shrugged. “Blade does my work and I’ve met Smoke a few times.”
Thanking her, I took my phone and waited for Smoke to answer.
“Hey, Ash. Are you off already?”
“Mom’s here,” I blurted out. My teeth chattered against each other and shivers took over.
“Okay, baby. Are you safe in the store? Are you away from her?”
“Y-yes. In the b-back.”
“I’m on my way, okay? Don’t leave the back. You wait until I get there.”
“O-okay.”
“It’s going to be okay, Ash. You’re safe. I’m not going to let anything happen to you, baby. I promise. Bash is calling the police now, okay?”
I nodded into the phone before I realized he couldn’t see me. “O-okay.”
Tires squealed into the line and I knew he really was doing everything in his power to get to me.
“I’m okay,” I said, not sure if I was talking to him or me.
“You tell that bitch to get out here and face me like a woman!” My mother’s shrill voice pierced the air like a needle to a balloon.
“Don’t listen to her, okay, baby? Don’t let her get to you,” he soothed into the phone.
Could he hear her yelling from the front of the store?
I swallowed. Not letting her get to me was harder than it sounded.
A crash sounded from the front, followed by the sound of glass shattering.Oh no.Someone was going to get hurt and it was going to be all my fault.
Setting my phone down on a table, I walked back to the front. My mother was holding a chair and bashing in the display windows.
“Stop!” I yelled, running toward her. “Stop! These people didn’t do anything to you and you’re ruining their shop!”
“Fuck you, you little bitch. I was just trying to talk to you and you walked away from me!”
“Ashley, go back to the back, sweetheart. We’ll let the police handle her, okay?” Edison said. He was on the phone with the police. “Yes, 102 Main Street.”
“This is my fault, I don’t want her to mess up anything else.” I tried to explain, turning to look at him. “I’ll get her out of here. I’m so sorry, Edison.”
“Mess up? Mess up?” she shrieked. “That’s all I am to you, huh? A mess-up! God forbid a woman make a mistake. Your kids will remember it for the rest of their lives. Fuck you and your high and mighty attitude,” she yelled.
I turned back to her, my hands raised trying to placate her, only I wasn’t prepared for her to hit me with the chair she’d been holding. The base of the chair hit me in the corner of myeye and immediately I doubled over in pain. She took advantage of my position and brought the seat down a second time. The throbbing pain was so intense, I had no choice but to fall on the ground and cover my head with my hands to protect it. Unable to think or move, I was a victim to her anger. The chair came down a third time, crushing my forearm and filling my ears with a sickening crunch and my body with white hot throbbing. I closed my eyes, waiting for the next blow, only it never came.
Big hands rubbed my back and I lifted my head to see Kay, one of Dawson’s co-workers, kneeling in front of me.
Looking around for my mom, I saw her and the sight made me freeze. Dawson had her pinned to the wall, his face was various shades of red and purple as he screamed at her. I couldn’t make out what he was saying over the buzzing in my head, but by the way the veins in his face and neck were popping out, I knew it wasn’t being said softly.
He had one hand wrapped around her neck and he was squeezing. He was going to kill her.
