Phase 6
I woke up to a freezing cold room. I stood slowly, placing my bare feet onto the icy floor, and I walked to the thermostat. It read 58 degrees. I opened the lid and started bumping the heat up. 60… 64… 70… 72 seemed fine. Anything better than this. Down the hall, I walked into my room and shut the door behind me. I leaned my back against the wall and I screamed at the top of my lungs. I screamed for Denzel and I said, “Was that real?! Stop doing this to me!”
The phone began to ring.
Ring.
I opened the cold door and peeked my head out from it. The phone on the kitchen island was sitting still in its holder, the cord hanging off the edge like a noose. The cord was wavering, slowly and faintly swinging back and forth. My fingers tightened on the door as I waited for the next ring.
Ring.
I stepped out from the door, leaving it ajar. I took two more steps on the cold floor. My goose bumps were getting goose bumps and my palms were the only things working up a cold sweat. My breath became heavier as I anticipated the call. It was frightening. I was frightened.
Ring.
Just a few more steps and I was in the kitchen near the island. I wrapped my fingers around the cold phone, and jerked it up from the holder. I held it to my ear and, with staggered breath, asked, “…he-hello?”
“Did I just wake you up?” Jillian’s voice calmed me, although I knew this wasn’t going to be a good call anyway. “It’s Friday, hello! Where are you? My secretary isn’t here to make this call so I had to do it myself. I don’t want another not here for work today! What is going on, Roslyn!”
“I- I’m sorry.” I managed to say. I began to feel warmer, “I’m not doing good today.”
“Are you going to take today off?” Jillian knew my answer and I heard her long, annoyed sigh. “Fine, Monday, you’re going to finish editing Mr. Braren’s work! We can’t afford to lose another client, Roslyn… Get well.” With that, I heard the click and she was gone. I took my fingers and stroked them through my greasy hair.
…..
The water was warm against my back as I stepped into the shower. The beads of water streamed over my shoulders then down my chest, and they swirled around then into the drain. The shower felt so nice, it was a warm escape all to myself when I was surrounded by coldness.
…..
The whole evening, I remained on the couch. In front of the broken coffee table that I would never fix. I sipped hot chocolate, and ocassionally turned on the tv when I felt there was something worth watching on.
As I sat on the couch with just my towel wrapped around my waste, a strange feeling overcame me. I felt his hands on my bare shoulders. He started to massage me. I enjoyed it. I shut my eyes and rolled my head around slowly. Then, his fingernails dug into my shoulders and as I clenched my fists and looked at my shoulders, I saw invisible fingers creating cresent shaped cuts in my arm, and they began to bleed. I then cried, “No, stop, Denzel!” I began to bring my arms up in reflex from the pain. I was going to swat away his hands when he then said, “DO NOT TOUCH ME, ROSLYN.” I felt instantly restrained and my arms fell back to my sides, fists clences, muscles tight and uncomfortable. I grinded my teeth, squinted my eyes and yelled as I endured the pain. “Stop!” I yelled again. Denzel immediately stopped. Why?
A knock on the door was heard from behind me. Without thinking, I quickly ran to it and opened it up, holding onto my towel wrapped around me. Standing in the door was a tall, handsome man. He was wearing a nice suit but his tie was ruffled and just hanging around his neck. His chocolately hair was short and spiked and his brown eyes stared at me awkwardly.
“Roslyn.” Lucas said. “Roslyn… Oh my God.” His eyes fell to my shoulders, “what the hell happened to you?” He took a step forward, was about to put his hand onto my shoulder, but I stepped back and said, “it was nothing.”
“Roslyn.” Lucas insisted, “I heard you yell!”
“It was the tv!” I said. I then stopped myself and asked the obvious question, “What are you doing here?”
“You missed our date.” He said, “at the night club? I waited for an hour, Roslyn.”
“Oh my God…” I said, “I completely forgot, I feel terrible.” I turned and began walking to my bedroom and told him, “Come in, sit down, let me get dressed.” I walked into my bedroom, shut the door to my room, and my eyes began to fill with tears. What am I going to do with these bloody cuts on my shoulders?! What will I tell Lucas about all this? What does he think now?! I pulled a buttoned shirt over my head and patted some of the ruffles out.
When I came back to Lucas, I was wearing my purple and black buffalo check dress shirt and my black sweat pants. I walked to the kitchen counter and looked to where he was sitting on the couch. Being a polite host, I asked “would you like anything to drink?” He could sense that I felt rushed and he replied with a no. Then he said, “what happened to your coffee table?”
“It was just old.” I walked to him and sat next to him on the couch. “Look.” I got serious and down to Earth, “I’m really sorry about bailing on our night. Gosh, I feel terrible, I haven’t seen you in years and then I just bail on you like that, I’m really sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it.” He said, “I understand.” This didn’t seem like Lucas. He would be the one to push and push until he found out why I couldn’t come. He’d want me to get down on my knees and apologize to him on the spot. Seems he had really changed.
The room then got cold, there wasn’t any question in my mind that Denzel was standing over me. Terrible timing moth.
“I’m so sorry.” I said again, “let me check my thermostat. It’s been doing this for a few months now…” I directed that towards Denzel, Lucas couldn’t tell what I really meant, of course.
“Don’t worry about it.” He continued, “it’s fine, cold is fine, if you’re ok, that is.” I shook my head, stood and said, “No, no, let me check it. It’ll only be a moment.” I walked out of his view to the hallway and I whispered, “Denzel?! Not now!!” There wasn’t an answer, but the room was still cold. I said again, “damnit, Denzel?!” Again, nothing.
I returned to Lucas on the couch after setting the thermostat up a few degrees. What is Denzel thinking!? Why won’t he go the hell away. I then noticed that Lucas was feeling tense. Strangely tense; his shoulders were raised and he was biting his lower lip with wider eyes than before. It seemed awfully strange, but I didn’t question him. He then seemed more relaxed after I got more comfortable sitting next to him. I leaned back and we started taking again. Normally.
…..
Lucas stayed for an hour, then left around eleven o’clock. We set up another time for us to meet and I told him I’d make it this time. The room was still cold…
“Why did you bring that man here?” Denzel said, forcefully.
“I didn’t think it was such a big deal.” I glared at nothing…
“Didn’t you see him tense up?” Denzel hissed.
“Yeah, so?” I said, “Leave me alone Denzel.”
“I will not!” He yelled. I felt his hands tightly grab onto my arms. I wanted to push him away, but I knew that’d be a terrible, terrible idea. I felt paralyzed, I couldn’t even speak. Denzel continued by saying, “I don’t want him back. I don’t want him near us.” My shoulders dropped and I gasped as Denzel’s hands were removed from my cold shoulders.
“What is your problem with him all of the sudden?!” He never replied.
The phone began to ring.
Ring.
I opened the cold door and peeked my head out from it. The phone on the kitchen island was sitting still in its holder, the cord hanging off the edge like a noose. The cord was wavering, slowly and faintly swinging back and forth. My fingers tightened on the door as I waited for the next ring.
Ring.
I stepped out from the door, leaving it ajar. I took two more steps on the cold floor. My goose bumps were getting goose bumps and my palms were the only things working up a cold sweat. My breath became heavier as I anticipated the call. It was frightening. I was frightened.
Ring.
Just a few more steps and I was in the kitchen near the island. I wrapped my fingers around the cold phone, and jerked it up from the holder. I held it to my ear and, with staggered breath, asked, “…he-hello?”
“Did I just wake you up?” Jillian’s voice calmed me, although I knew this wasn’t going to be a good call anyway. “It’s Friday, hello! Where are you? My secretary isn’t here to make this call so I had to do it myself. I don’t want another not here for work today! What is going on, Roslyn!”
“I- I’m sorry.” I managed to say. I began to feel warmer, “I’m not doing good today.”
“Are you going to take today off?” Jillian knew my answer and I heard her long, annoyed sigh. “Fine, Monday, you’re going to finish editing Mr. Braren’s work! We can’t afford to lose another client, Roslyn… Get well.” With that, I heard the click and she was gone. I took my fingers and stroked them through my greasy hair.
…..
The water was warm against my back as I stepped into the shower. The beads of water streamed over my shoulders then down my chest, and they swirled around then into the drain. The shower felt so nice, it was a warm escape all to myself when I was surrounded by coldness.
…..
The whole evening, I remained on the couch. In front of the broken coffee table that I would never fix. I sipped hot chocolate, and ocassionally turned on the tv when I felt there was something worth watching on.
As I sat on the couch with just my towel wrapped around my waste, a strange feeling overcame me. I felt his hands on my bare shoulders. He started to massage me. I enjoyed it. I shut my eyes and rolled my head around slowly. Then, his fingernails dug into my shoulders and as I clenched my fists and looked at my shoulders, I saw invisible fingers creating cresent shaped cuts in my arm, and they began to bleed. I then cried, “No, stop, Denzel!” I began to bring my arms up in reflex from the pain. I was going to swat away his hands when he then said, “DO NOT TOUCH ME, ROSLYN.” I felt instantly restrained and my arms fell back to my sides, fists clences, muscles tight and uncomfortable. I grinded my teeth, squinted my eyes and yelled as I endured the pain. “Stop!” I yelled again. Denzel immediately stopped. Why?
A knock on the door was heard from behind me. Without thinking, I quickly ran to it and opened it up, holding onto my towel wrapped around me. Standing in the door was a tall, handsome man. He was wearing a nice suit but his tie was ruffled and just hanging around his neck. His chocolately hair was short and spiked and his brown eyes stared at me awkwardly.
“Roslyn.” Lucas said. “Roslyn… Oh my God.” His eyes fell to my shoulders, “what the hell happened to you?” He took a step forward, was about to put his hand onto my shoulder, but I stepped back and said, “it was nothing.”
“Roslyn.” Lucas insisted, “I heard you yell!”
“It was the tv!” I said. I then stopped myself and asked the obvious question, “What are you doing here?”
“You missed our date.” He said, “at the night club? I waited for an hour, Roslyn.”
“Oh my God…” I said, “I completely forgot, I feel terrible.” I turned and began walking to my bedroom and told him, “Come in, sit down, let me get dressed.” I walked into my bedroom, shut the door to my room, and my eyes began to fill with tears. What am I going to do with these bloody cuts on my shoulders?! What will I tell Lucas about all this? What does he think now?! I pulled a buttoned shirt over my head and patted some of the ruffles out.
When I came back to Lucas, I was wearing my purple and black buffalo check dress shirt and my black sweat pants. I walked to the kitchen counter and looked to where he was sitting on the couch. Being a polite host, I asked “would you like anything to drink?” He could sense that I felt rushed and he replied with a no. Then he said, “what happened to your coffee table?”
“It was just old.” I walked to him and sat next to him on the couch. “Look.” I got serious and down to Earth, “I’m really sorry about bailing on our night. Gosh, I feel terrible, I haven’t seen you in years and then I just bail on you like that, I’m really sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it.” He said, “I understand.” This didn’t seem like Lucas. He would be the one to push and push until he found out why I couldn’t come. He’d want me to get down on my knees and apologize to him on the spot. Seems he had really changed.
The room then got cold, there wasn’t any question in my mind that Denzel was standing over me. Terrible timing moth.
“I’m so sorry.” I said again, “let me check my thermostat. It’s been doing this for a few months now…” I directed that towards Denzel, Lucas couldn’t tell what I really meant, of course.
“Don’t worry about it.” He continued, “it’s fine, cold is fine, if you’re ok, that is.” I shook my head, stood and said, “No, no, let me check it. It’ll only be a moment.” I walked out of his view to the hallway and I whispered, “Denzel?! Not now!!” There wasn’t an answer, but the room was still cold. I said again, “damnit, Denzel?!” Again, nothing.
I returned to Lucas on the couch after setting the thermostat up a few degrees. What is Denzel thinking!? Why won’t he go the hell away. I then noticed that Lucas was feeling tense. Strangely tense; his shoulders were raised and he was biting his lower lip with wider eyes than before. It seemed awfully strange, but I didn’t question him. He then seemed more relaxed after I got more comfortable sitting next to him. I leaned back and we started taking again. Normally.
…..
Lucas stayed for an hour, then left around eleven o’clock. We set up another time for us to meet and I told him I’d make it this time. The room was still cold…
“Why did you bring that man here?” Denzel said, forcefully.
“I didn’t think it was such a big deal.” I glared at nothing…
“Didn’t you see him tense up?” Denzel hissed.
“Yeah, so?” I said, “Leave me alone Denzel.”
“I will not!” He yelled. I felt his hands tightly grab onto my arms. I wanted to push him away, but I knew that’d be a terrible, terrible idea. I felt paralyzed, I couldn’t even speak. Denzel continued by saying, “I don’t want him back. I don’t want him near us.” My shoulders dropped and I gasped as Denzel’s hands were removed from my cold shoulders.
“What is your problem with him all of the sudden?!” He never replied.
