"Samantha...."
"No, Henry, you take care of it on your own; I'm going to put down the phone so you can get in touch with them. You shouldn't even risk coming here by yourself!" I hushed my voice, working hard to appear authoritative.
"Don't hang up!" Henry yelled in a frantic manner. "Please, Samantha, leave the connection open so I can check in on you and make sure everything is fine. I am still at the school, so I will phone the police from here; however, if you do hang up on me, it would be really appreciated "he inquired.
I swallowed, "Ok baby."
I lowered myself to the ground and closed my eyes as I listened to him speak to someone over the phone; he sounded like he was in such a desperate situation. I was also able to hear the voice of the Principle, which meant that I knew he was complying with my request and that he was not coming here on his own initiative; I silently praised God for this blessing.
Henry got back on the phone after a couple of minutes and started talking to me in a reassuring manner about what we were going to do over the weekend. I understood that he was attempting to distract my thoughts from the situation and keep me calm, and I was grateful for the modest effort. I was startled when I became aware that the voice of the Principle was no longer there, and that in the distance I could hear the sound of a motor engine. Were you expecting Henry to show up?
My breath completely stopped, and I desperately did not want him to get anywhere near Blake. It's not that I didn't believe he could take care of himself since I knew he could; rather, it's that I couldn't stand the idea of him suffering even a minor injury or getting in trouble for some kind of altercation because of it.
Henry continued to talk to me in a cool and collected manner about how his football practice had gone, how they were going to kick the other team's ass in the final game, and how coach had requested him to talk to Andy. I was aware that he was attempting to divert my attention away from the current circumstance by doing that.
"Henry, do I have it right that you're going to be here by yourself?" I said in a low voice, hoping against hope that he would refuse. Because he didn't respond, I interpreted his lack of activity as an affirmative response. Because he did not enjoy deceiving me, he would, in most cases, either change the subject or sidestep the question that he did not wish to answer.
I experienced a pit in my stomach, "I beg you, don't. Henry, I beg you to please cooperate with the police and let them handle this situation." I pleaded with the person to take a wad of tissue to wipe the continual stream of tears that was falling down my face.
I was startled when there was a loud banging on the door that caused it to shake, and I let out a shriek in response. This, of course, caused Henry to start freaking out over the phone and yelling at me to tell him what had happened, but I was unable to talk. My attention was completely focused on the door as it shook once more on its hinges.
"Jailbait, unlock the f***ing door!" shouted the inmate. Blake yelled loudly from the opposite side of the room.
I pushed myself up onto my feet and stood in the corner, pressing my cell phone too firmly against my ear, causing it to feel a little numb and causing my eardrums to ring from Henry's constant steam of panic that was blasting through the earpiece. I was standing in the corner because I felt like I had no other choice.
What do I do? Do I risk going out there and attempting to keep him talking, or do I just keep my door shut and keep my fingers crossed that he won't be able to get in? What if I didn't answer the door, and he got in anyway? He'd be even more angry, and I didn't want to get hurt again. What if that happened?
"Jailbait, I solemnly vow to God, you have got to open this f***ing door right this second!" Blake yelled while vigorously pounding on the door once more.
Before making my choice, I decided to turn around and take another look at the window to see whether it was open, but the darn thing was absolutely locked. I took a deep breath and realized I had no choice but to open the door; how much longer would they remain here? If only I could keep him chatting till they arrived, I'd be in good shape.
"Henry, I need you to hang up the phone and get out of here before he destroys the door!" As I was almost about to end the call, I growled into the receiver of the phone.
"NO! Do not hang up, Samantha; instead, tuck your phone into your pocket and maintain an open channel of communication. Please? I'll be quiet, please just don't!" He sobbed loudly and inconsolably.
"JAILBAIT!" Blake let out a furious yell.
"I'll be there in a moment!" I tried to force myself to be brave by pressing my palms together and closing my eyes. The banging stopped almost immediately, but I could still hear it in my ears; it was an honestly terrible sound, and I knew that I'd be hearing it in my dreams as well. After this, there is no way in hell that I will ever be able to successfully lock a restroom door again!
"Don't hang up." Henry begged.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I can't. I had to leave right away." I mumbled something while dabbing at my face in an effort to stop crying, but it was pointless. "Henry, I love you so much."
"I love you, too, Samantha bear. I'll see you soon, and please don't worry about a thing. Everything is going to be alright." He spoke in a low voice. I heaved a sigh and stuffed my phone deeper into the pocket of my trousers, praying that it wouldn't turn off on its own or for some other reason, since if that happened, Henry would be completely freaked out.
Again, Blake gave the door a sharp rap, which caused me to jerk in response. As I took the first three steps towards the door, I felt my heart sinking with every inch that brought me closer to it. I gasped and clenched my hands together, holding my wedding ring securely as I felt my heart sink. As I turned the key in the lock, I held my breath.
The moment the key turned in the lock, the door was flung open, and Blake appeared before me, staring at me in a suspicious manner. Because he appeared to be so angry, the hairs on the back of my neck began to stand on edge.
"Sorry." I mumbled as I looked down at the ground. How did he arrive to be in such a sorry state? What in the name of all that is holy was wrong with that man that he would do such a thing to me? He didn't know me very well at all, but he acted like we'd been dating for years or something crazy like that. He was completely out of his mind.
I couldn't bring myself to look him in the eye, so I gazed at his lip ring instead, trying not to break down into frantic sobbing for my husband to come and take me away. He moved closer to me and placed his finger under my chin, forcing my face up.
"Have you been crying for Jailbait?" you've been asked. After seeing how stern his face had been when he opened the door, I was taken aback by how gentle and caring his voice was when he posed the question. I gave a slight nod and bit the inside of my mouth since I was nervous about using my voice. He asked me why as he gently ruffled the hair that was behind my ear.
"Blake I have the want to go back home. Will you just drive me to my parent's house? I really need to get home. I'm not supposed to be here because of the authorities and everything; I'm not supposed to get in contact with you." I mumbled while looking at him in a begging manner.
He made a miserable face and shook his head, "What a ridiculous statement to make. The significance of this whole situation has been grossly exaggerated. I have already expressed my regret for the pain I have caused you, so perhaps you could just lift the restraining order or do something else in that regard. After that, there would be nothing standing in our way, and we will be able to proceed." he suggested shrugging. Did he genuinely believe that the restraining order was the only thing standing in our way? Wow, just wow.