Dare To Run

"And where did you go after work, today?" Chris shot Bella an accusing look as he yelled up the stairs of their 2-story brick brownstone.

Bella hung over the beautiful antique banister and shouted back, "I went for a drink with Kathy, it was no big deal! Why do you have to be so controlling? Is it because you know you can't keep yourself from cheating on me, so now I must be doing something wrong, too?"

The argument was getting more heated as Bella descended the grand staircase in the center of the home, to meet Chris face to face.

"I mean, really, Chris, who is it this time? That secretary at the front desk at the office or maybe the barely legal young thing from the mail room?"

She had lowered her voice and looked him straight in the eye, with a moment of irrational strength and fearlessness. He silently reached up and slapped her across the face so hard that she fell, crumpled up on the tile floor, in front of the big bay window that faced the sidewalk. Chris was quick to grab both ends of the heavy, custom drapes and throw them shut before any of the neighbors could see or hear their fighting, again.

Chris went over to where Bella now sat on the cherry hardwood floor, holding her cheek.

"Just who do you think you are speaking to me like that?" Chris scolded as he grabbed her by the arm and tossed her onto the tufted velvet sofa.

"I'm sorry!" She cried, her big round tears leaving watermarks on the arm of the sofa.

"But you aren't really sorry, are you?" Chris continued to push the issue.

"Because you don't really love me at all, do you?"

He began walking over to the beveled glass curio cabinet that stood, floor to ceiling, in the dining room. He placed one hand on the Victorian rose wallpaper, beside the cabinet, one hand on the nob to open the curio doors, then paused and hung his head, almost as if his heart were breaking. But with a sudden burst of energy, threw open the curio door and began grabbing beautiful collectibles from the case.

"But clearly I love you enough to buy you all of these beautiful and expensive things!" He yelled as he began throwing the glass and porcelain treasures at Bella.

She was sobbing, uncontrollably, now. Glass trinket boxes and crystal vase's whizzing past her head before they hit the floor, shattering into a million tiny pieces.

"Stop it, Chris! Just Stop it!" Bella screamed, jumping up from the sofa.

She ran over to the curio cabinet and shut the door before he could grab another thing.

"I do! I do love you! More than anything!" She sobbed.

Chris wrapped his arms around her, so tightly as to squeeze her in a way that suggested he would never let her go. She dropped her head on his shoulder, exhausted from the fight.

"I'm sorry I upset you." She said.

"I just can't bear the thought of losing you, Bell's"

He lifted her chin with his finger, so he was eye to eye with her.

"You know how upset I get when I think about you being out there, in some bar or club, hanging around other men. None of them would ever be good enough for you, Bell's."

The tone in his voice had changed as if a switch had been flipped. Suddenly he was tender and endearing.

"I tell you what," He grabbed both of her hands in his.

"You clean up this mess while I'm at work, today, and when I get done, we will go out to a nice dinner. You can wear that pretty new dress I got you, with the slit up the side. A night out is just what we need."

He kissed her on the cheek where he had slapped her, before releasing her from his grip to head up to the master bedroom so that he could shower and dress for the office.

Bella sat down in the oak armchair at the end of their massive dining room table. She looked into the living room to assess the damage. Shards of broken glass were scattered everywhere and one of the lamps had been knocked off of the end table beside Chris's recliner. The shade was cracked, but the brass lamp sculpture seemed no worse for the wear. Bella was sitting there, still trying to make sense of what had happened to their relationship. When they first met, Chris was the perfect gentleman. He was the kind of guy who would drape his coat around her shoulders on a chilly night and hold open the car door while she got in. When they were dating, they were the kind of couple that other people aspired to be like. Always smiling, laughing, in perfect sync at all times. There were flowers sent to the hospital where Bella worked, after date nights, together and cute little love notes left stuck to her car in the driveway. Bella had been happier with Chris than she ever would have imagined. She felt like Cinderella at the ball, every time they went out. When Chris asked her to move in with him, she hardly had to think about it before squeaking out a very excited "Yes!" But that is when things really started to change. As Bella started to move her things into the immaculate 2 story brick brownstone, on Second Street, it became clear that Chris wanted Bella there, but none of her old things were welcome. He talked her into donating or giving away almost everything she owned, with the exception of a few outfits that he was fond of seeing her wear. He promised that the two of them would go out together and pick out all new furnishings for their new life together so that the home would be comfortable for both of them. But that never really happened. The same dining room table she was sitting at now was Chris's grandmother's and had been there since before Bella moved in. The same with the curio cabinet that she displayed all of Chris's extravagant gifts in, and the tufted sofa and the end tables, lamps, recliner, china dishes that they ate off of and even the dressers in their bedroom. The pictures on the walls were Chris's Mother's artwork, except for a few photos the couple had taken together, of happier days. There was almost no trace of Bella's presence in that house, at all. But still, the stately walk up was quite stunning both outside and in. She was lucky to have such a beautiful home to live in. With that thought in her mind, Bella grabbed the broom, picked up the lamp and began the task of sweeping up the mess that Chris had left when his rage got the best of him. As she swept, she thought about the countless other fights that had unfolded in that living room, lately. Fights over who Bella was talking to on the phone and Chris's delusions about how everyone in Bella's life was talking badly about him, behind his back. She thought about how she had given up talking to nearly all of her friends from school and even her own parents only heard from her on Holidays or when Chris had decided to throw a party to celebrate some new deal at work, that he could show off. But that was how everything was beginning to feel, for Bella. Like it was just a big show for the public because when they were at home Chris's entire demeanor changed. He controlled nearly every aspect of her life; from what clothing she was to wear to what was being served for dinner that night. Sometimes he would even become so possessive that he would not let Bella drive herself to work. Instead, she would drop her off before her shift and pick her up afterward, almost as if he expected to catch her doing something she shouldn't or to send a message to the other staff that Bella was his girl and was off limits! Chris came down the stairs, dressed for the office, in his suit with ties in hand. "Which one do you think, Babe, Red or Blue?" He asked Bella as he held each one up to the collar of his shirt, looking in the mirror on the wall of the entryway.

"Which one do you like best?" Bella asked as she continued sweeping under the furniture in the living room.

"The red one." He stated with confidence as if no argument had ever taken place.

"Thanks, Babe. Nice choice!" His patronizing tone suggested to Bella that even if she would have made a suggestion, he would not have respected her opinion, anyway.

He kissed Bella good-bye, reminding her of their agreement for a nice dinner date, later. Then Chris headed out the door for work. With Chris gone for the day, Bella could finally breathe again. She finished the clean-up and then enjoyed a nice hot shower. Her cheek did not appear to bruise, too bad, so a little make-up and no one would ever notice.