Battle Lines. by Abigail Anderson

him. It was her only defence. Her only weapon. Her only way to keep him at arm’s length.
    Amanda sighed wistfully as she turned into the street where her home was situated at the bottom of a small cul-de-sac.
    With any luck she would have at least a couple of days in which to come up with something, anything. Right now though, her mind drew a complete blank. Maybe when she wasn’t so tired and drained, she would be able to think much more clearly.
    By the time Amanda put her key in her lock and opened her front door of her small, modest, rented home she was cold and exhausted. She almost had to drag herself through to the tiny living room.
    She turned on the light and sank gratefully into the comfortable sofa. Leaning back on its soft welcoming cushions she closed her eyes sighing with relief. She was safe at last.
    Amanda woke with a start. Slowly her mind wandered out of her slumber and she began sitting up trying to clear her head of the sleep she had just been enjoying.
    She looked down at her watch on her wrist. She had been asleep for just twenty minutes. She groaned loudly and cursed an expletive that no lady should ever know. What had woken her up?
    The loud peel of the doorbell made her jump, answering her question. Who the hell was that at this time of night? Sighing heavily, she got up reluctantly from the sofa and slowly made her way to the front door.
    It had to be Harry. He was the only one who knew her address, apart from Marsha. What did he want at midnight that could not have waited until the morning in the office? The office better be burning down or something otherwise she would kill him.
    “Harry you had better have a damn good reason for calling so late.” She began as she flung open the door. Then all words froze on her lips as she exclaimed, startled, as she looked into piercing steel blue eyes. “Jake.” She gasped in absolute horror.
    “It would seem that I do indeed know you better than you think.” The look of triumph was clearly evident in his eyes.
    “How.” She whispered but could not say anything further as her throat constricted painfully and her mouth went dry.
    “You were far too forthcoming with handing over your hotel address, without any kind of fight or protest.” He told her.
    “I…” he was right, she fought him on every point and she hadn’t on that.
    “I would have expected much more of an argument from you and when I did not get it, I knew you were lying.” He knew she had lied even before they had reached the hotel. She had accomplished nothing.
    Jake looked angry, large thunder clouds were forming in his eyes. Oh, what did she care anyway? Long gone were the days when she cowered from his anger. “Well are you just going to stand there gawping at me as if I were an alien or are you going to be gracious enough to invite me in.” He drawled sarcastically.
    “It’s late.” She mumbled ineffectively. Well done Amanda that sure told him she derided herself.
    “Midnight.” He agreed. “But I wasn’t asking you for the damn time.”
    “I’m tired.” She tried again.
    “So am I.” she was promptly informed.
    “Go away then and leave me alone.”
    “We need to talk.” He told her seriously, and alarm bells clanged restlessly inside her head.
    “No we really don’t.”
    “Yes we do.” He told her more firmly.
    “No.” She shouted and then took a breath and held it. “No, we do not. There is nothing we need to say to one another.” She finished in a quieter tone.
    “Wrong. There is a lot we need to talk about.” Jake said firmly. She could hear the determination in his voice. It was obvious that he had no intention of going anywhere until he got his way.
    “Look Jake I just want to go to sleep. I am tired and I have a headache. Please go away and leave me alone.” Her eyes drifted down to her feet and she noticed that they were shuffling from one to the other.
    “Just ten minutes.” He tried again.
    “No. good night.”
    “That is all I need,