“No… No, don’t,” she pleaded. I continued to dab and wipe the blood away. We sat there until her cries fell silent and I knew she was ready to talk. I brought her a glass of scotch and refilled mine. It was going to be a long night. I sat beside her, holding her, trying to reassure her that everything was going to be all right.

“He’s never going to stop,” she finally said, slicing through the silence.

“Who?”

“Scott… my husband.”

I pulled her in a little closer. I knew she was married. But I had assumed her marriage was like mine, loveless, boring, inattentive, and extinguished… not like this. I thought I had it bad—but Kelly had it worse, far worse. I may be bored, but she was in danger.

“Have you gone to the cops?” I took a gulp of scotch.

“I can’t.” She shook her head.

“Why?”

“I just can’t.” She sounded exasperated. She finished off her drink, and I didn’t push it any further. Her look told me to stop.

“What can I do?” I asked. I got up and refilled both our drinks. I set them on the coffee table and retook my place on the couch. Pulling her into my lap, I stroked her hair and the side of her face. I had been seeing Kelly for the past year. I cared about this woman. I loved this woman. I wanted to save this woman. This couldn’t be how our lives played out. This couldn’t be it.

“You can’t do anything. He’ll never stop.” Her eyes were glazed over, and there was no hope in them. She truly believed what she was saying.

I couldn’t let her give up. “I can help you get away.”

“I can’t run. He’ll always find me.”

“We’ll run away together… you and I,” I said, and I think I meant it.

“Sometimes, I think the only way I’ll ever get away from him is in death.”

“Don’t say that. Why would you say that?”

“There are things you don’t know about me.” She looked at me intently. Then she looked away as if she regretted what she had just said.

“What don’t I know about you? I love you, Kelly. That’s all I need to know. I love you, and I want to help you. Tell me how I can help you.”

“I don’t think you can help me. Scott has a hold on me.”

“What is it? Tell me.” I squeezed her hand tightly.

She took a deep breath and sat up. She picked up her drink and downed the whole thing in one gulp. She turned to me, and she let everything out, everything Scott had been holding over her.