Chapter 13

Weeks went by now and things were pretty much routine. Raven didn't see Rick very often. He was always at the garage or at the tattoo parlor. Or worse, out drinking with Justin. She had been after Rick to get Justin a place of his own. She was getting tired of him living with them. It was just too small for the 3 of them. And tension would arise. But Rick always seemed to take for Justin's side. It was very frustrating for her. Those two seemed to be attached at the hip.

She was lonely. Linda offered to give her one of the new kittens her cats just had to keep her company but Rick wouldn't hear of it. He said the place was too small and they couldn't afford to feed and take care of another living thing. This hurt Raven a lot. He was showing a side of himself she never knew, a selfish side and she didn't like what she saw. He knew how lonely she was getting but he stayed out late a lot of nights during the weekends with Justin. Then they would come home drunk and loud and Rick would want rough sex with her.

One night he came in. She had been asleep for a couple of hours and he woke her up smelling only booze and cigarettes. He was so drunk, he could barely stand up. "Baby wake up... baby, wake up. " "What is it? It's late, I was sound asleep. "I said. "Look, me and Justin had a long talk tonight, he's my best buddy in all the world you know. "His words slurring, he could just about talk. "And ya how much he likes you, baby... don't cha? " "He's always had the hots for ya. "he slurred his words. "Of anyone in the whole world, I would trust ya with, it would be him!"

I was half asleep but this woke me up. "What are you talking about Rick? "I looked puzzled and slightly perturbed by this conversation. An uneasy feeling, too. "Look, come to bed Rick, you've had too much to drink and it's very late. " "Raven. "He shook me by my shoulders, "I told Justin we'd have a threesome tonight!" "What?? " "You've gotta be kidding me. "Right then and there my heart sank to my stomach. I could not believe what I was hearing. I truly thought he had loved me.

"No baby, ya got it all wrong. What's mine is his, we're buddies, ya know that. "And then Justin who had been right outside the door listening to everything came in drunk as a skunk, too. "C'mon, let us on. "Rick said. I went to get up quickly off the bed but he grabbed my arm and pulled me down. "Leave me alone Rick, you're drunk!"

I freed myself from his grasp and ran into the bathroom and locked the door. I was scared and shaking. Rick was yelling and threatening to break the door down. I didn't care. I would sleep in here tonight, in the tub if I had to. He was threatening to kill me if I didn't open the door. I was afraid the neighbors would hear all the commotion and call the cops. "Justin, get him calmed down!" I called from the door.

"Awe, shut up!" Rick slurred. "Leave me alone!"And I heard scuffling and muffled words and then after awhile I heard them both pass out on the bed.

"Finally. I'd be able to get some sleep tonight. Hopefully. It wouldn't be easy to sleep in that tub! I grabbed some towels from the linen closet and 2 blankets and made myself a little bed. I remembered the 2 sleeping pills that Linda had given me one day that I had never taken so I went into the medicine cabinet and took one with a glass of water.

After 2 fitful hours of trying to get to sleep without any success, I quietly cracked opened the bathroom door and snuck out with my blanket and went to sleep on the couch. I could hear only snoring from the bedroom. "Good, they're out like lights. "I thought. I'll just curl up on the couch to get some well needed sleep.