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“We have to.” I want to punch that guy so much that it's hard to keep control of my own voice, but I do it. Renee doesn't need another man losing his mind in front of her tonight. “That man was dangerous. He came here to bother you. We have to call the police.”
“Actually, we don't have to.” Renee says with that same look in her eyes. Her phone is still in her hand, and her chin is quivering. She clenches her teeth and relaxes them. “We don't have to call them, and if we did, the police wouldn't do anything.”
“Yes, they would. They would come here and take a statement?—”
“No, they wouldn't.” Renee lets out a laugh that sounds sad and bitter and angry. “They won’t come here.”
“Why not?”
“Because he was on the force.” She looks like she's going to laugh again, but no sound comes out. Her eyes are shiny and bright as her chest rises and falls harder and faster and I'm terrified for her. “The police aren't going to do anything because he knocked on my door. They never do, no matter what happens.”
“He didn’t knock on your door, he practically?—”
“Tell them that and they’ll look at you like you’re the problem.” She says like it’s a fact. Like she’s been through this before.
“He can't bang on your door like that. He can't threaten you.” I stress.
“It's his word against mine, and he didn't do anything I can press charges for.”
“The hell he didn't.” I take a big breath and let it out slowly, so I don't get loud with her. “He was threatening you. And I heard every word.”
“Your word matters about as much as mine does when it comes to something actually happening. It doesn't mean anything. They're not going to do anything. If you call them, you'll only make it worse,” she says.
She wipes at her face as I stare back at her.
“Is he an ex?” I ask. Trying to put the pieces together.
Before she can answer I try another solution. “You can get a restraining order.” I know people get those. “You can report this incident and use it to get a restraining order.”
Renee shakes her head and looks away. “Do you know how hard it is to get one approved?”
“I haven’t?—”
She cuts me off with that single, sharp word, her body trembling. “You don't know, Griffin. You have no idea.”
“I'm not pretending to have personal experience with it, but it's not nothing. If you can?—”
“There’s no way to fix this Griffin. You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Renee snaps. She paces around the living room again and whirls around to face me. Her eyes are so filled with tears that they’re about to spill over.
I’m left standing there not knowing what the fuck to do to make this better.
“You don’t have to do this alone,” I tell her because I don’t know what else to say.
I’ll deal with the police if that’s what she needs. I’ll be the one to make all the calls. I’ll go with her wherever she needs to go. I’ll sit by her while she makes a report. Anything.
She stares back at me and for the first time looks at me like I am not her savior. Like I’m not an escape. “You don't know because you have a perfect family and a perfect life, and you don't know what it's like to live in a world where this is what happens when your mom tries to leave.”
“Renee,” I try. “Your mom?—”
“I filed a police report once,” she says, almost shouting. “I've been through all that. I tried to get a restraining order. I jumped through all the hoops they wanted, and it didn't work. All it did was make him hit my mom harder.” My blood runs cold. I don’t understand what the hell she’s talking about.
“That guy hits your mom?” I thought he was after Renee but knowing that they have another connection beyond that he's out of control and knows her somehow is worse. It’s obvious the control and fear he has over her.
Renee laughs again, but there’s not an ounce of humor. She's spiraling, and I need to help her, but when I reach my hand toward her, she jerks away from it.
She seems to realize her state and then backs away, attempting to put herself back together.
“Leave,” she says. “Please leave.”
