could flag down, just in case.
“What? Do you own this street, Adeline?” She laughed.
“No, of course not.”
Her tone changed completely. “Are you sure you don’t own this street? Cuz I feel like you think you own everything else.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked, backing away.
She stepped toward me. “Oh, you know…Ezra…Cole…my house.” A tear cascaded down her face. “You have taken everything away from me. I was nothing but kind to you. I fuckin’ hate you.”
She lunged at me, knocking me to the ground. I covered my face with my hands as she punched me about the ribs and the chest. She stood up and began to kick me in the legs and at my arms.
Someone yelled, “Stop!”
The beating suddenly ceased, and when I pulled my hands away from my face, Catherine was gone and a strange man was standing over me.
“Are you okay, lady?” he asked.
I couldn’t reply. The wind had been knocked out of me, and all I could do was sob silently to myself.
The man turned to the crowd that had gathered. “Call the cops.”
The police arrived a few minutes later, along with an ambulance. The man helped me to my feet and walked me over to the first police officer that stepped out of his car. He handed me off to the cop, who walked me over to the paramedic.
“Ma’am, do you know who did this to you?”
I nodded.
“I need a name.”
“Catherine…” my voice cracked. “Catherine Dahl.”
He jotted down her name in his pad. “Do you know how we can find her?”
“Can you call Cole?” I asked in a broken voice, tightly hugging the itchy wool blanket the paramedic had covered me with.
“Who is Cole?”
“My friend.”
“Adeline! Adeline!” I heard Stella's voice call out from behind a police officer holding back the crowd.
“That’s my friend, can you let her through?” I asked.
The police officer whistled at the cop holding Stella back, and motioned for him to let her through. Stella ran over and threw her arms around me.
“Oh baby, who did this?”
“Catherine,” I whispered.
“That fuckin’ bitch,” she said, wiping the tears from my cheeks.
The cop looked at Stella. “Do you know this Catherine woman?”
“I sure do, and I’ll tell you all about her crazy ass,” Stella said, leaving me to walk with the cop.
I pulled my phone out of my purse, wanting to call the only person I felt safe with.
I listened as the phone rang a few times before Cole answered, “Hello?”
I couldn’t get a full sentence out, except for an intermittent word with a sob in between.
“Catherine…hit…kicked…”
“Where are you, Adeline?”
“On Fifth…by Stella’s.”
“I’m on my way. Don’t move.”
I dropped my phone back into my purse and panned the scene. So many people had crowded around, gawking at me like some animal in the zoo. I was so embarrassed. Stella walked back over, wrapping her arms around me.
“I told the cop everything. Don’t you worry about that bitch. They’re gonna get her.”
“Cole’s coming,” I said.
“Good. He’ll take care of you,” she said, rubbing my arm.
A few minutes later I heard, “Adeline!”
It was Cole, being held back by the same cop. Stella walked over and spoke with the police officer. Cole ran over, kneeling on the asphalt, wrapping his arms around me.
“I was so worried,” he said, backing away, cupping his palms against my cheeks.
Stella walked up. “That bitch, Catherine, did this to her.”
Cole rested his cheek against mine and whispered in my ear, “I got you, baby girl.”
His words alone filled me with an insatiable urge to kiss him, and at that moment, I knew. I knew what I had been denying inside was real. Funny how the strangest things cause feelings to bubble up to the surface.
I didn’t reply. I couldn’t deal with those feelings right now, my head was too clouded with fear. I closed my eyes, which had already begun to fill with tears. I could feel his breath flow down my neck as he
“What? Do you own this street, Adeline?” She laughed.
“No, of course not.”
Her tone changed completely. “Are you sure you don’t own this street? Cuz I feel like you think you own everything else.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked, backing away.
She stepped toward me. “Oh, you know…Ezra…Cole…my house.” A tear cascaded down her face. “You have taken everything away from me. I was nothing but kind to you. I fuckin’ hate you.”
She lunged at me, knocking me to the ground. I covered my face with my hands as she punched me about the ribs and the chest. She stood up and began to kick me in the legs and at my arms.
Someone yelled, “Stop!”
The beating suddenly ceased, and when I pulled my hands away from my face, Catherine was gone and a strange man was standing over me.
“Are you okay, lady?” he asked.
I couldn’t reply. The wind had been knocked out of me, and all I could do was sob silently to myself.
The man turned to the crowd that had gathered. “Call the cops.”
The police arrived a few minutes later, along with an ambulance. The man helped me to my feet and walked me over to the first police officer that stepped out of his car. He handed me off to the cop, who walked me over to the paramedic.
“Ma’am, do you know who did this to you?”
I nodded.
“I need a name.”
“Catherine…” my voice cracked. “Catherine Dahl.”
He jotted down her name in his pad. “Do you know how we can find her?”
“Can you call Cole?” I asked in a broken voice, tightly hugging the itchy wool blanket the paramedic had covered me with.
“Who is Cole?”
“My friend.”
“Adeline! Adeline!” I heard Stella's voice call out from behind a police officer holding back the crowd.
“That’s my friend, can you let her through?” I asked.
The police officer whistled at the cop holding Stella back, and motioned for him to let her through. Stella ran over and threw her arms around me.
“Oh baby, who did this?”
“Catherine,” I whispered.
“That fuckin’ bitch,” she said, wiping the tears from my cheeks.
The cop looked at Stella. “Do you know this Catherine woman?”
“I sure do, and I’ll tell you all about her crazy ass,” Stella said, leaving me to walk with the cop.
I pulled my phone out of my purse, wanting to call the only person I felt safe with.
I listened as the phone rang a few times before Cole answered, “Hello?”
I couldn’t get a full sentence out, except for an intermittent word with a sob in between.
“Catherine…hit…kicked…”
“Where are you, Adeline?”
“On Fifth…by Stella’s.”
“I’m on my way. Don’t move.”
I dropped my phone back into my purse and panned the scene. So many people had crowded around, gawking at me like some animal in the zoo. I was so embarrassed. Stella walked back over, wrapping her arms around me.
“I told the cop everything. Don’t you worry about that bitch. They’re gonna get her.”
“Cole’s coming,” I said.
“Good. He’ll take care of you,” she said, rubbing my arm.
A few minutes later I heard, “Adeline!”
It was Cole, being held back by the same cop. Stella walked over and spoke with the police officer. Cole ran over, kneeling on the asphalt, wrapping his arms around me.
“I was so worried,” he said, backing away, cupping his palms against my cheeks.
Stella walked up. “That bitch, Catherine, did this to her.”
Cole rested his cheek against mine and whispered in my ear, “I got you, baby girl.”
His words alone filled me with an insatiable urge to kiss him, and at that moment, I knew. I knew what I had been denying inside was real. Funny how the strangest things cause feelings to bubble up to the surface.
I didn’t reply. I couldn’t deal with those feelings right now, my head was too clouded with fear. I closed my eyes, which had already begun to fill with tears. I could feel his breath flow down my neck as he
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