Ava Comes Home (42 page)

“Then call the police,” Harold suggested.

“And tell them what?” Maurice frowned. “They're making a movie and the actress wants to do it but we don't want her to?”

Harold was puzzled. “We don't?”

“Never mind,” Lola yelled. “I don't understand it myself. All I know is that Seamus asked me to stay with her and I'm not up there.” She looked up and down the street. “I don't know what to do.”

“Who's Seamus?” Harold wondered aloud.

“I'll tell you later,” Maurice said before turning to Lola. “Maybe you should call him.”

“And upset him? He's trying to get here as fast as he can.”

“How's he going to get past the guard?”

Lola, her chest still heaving, said, “I don't think that'll be a problem. Not by the sound of his voice.”

It was Seamus's first view of New York and he didn't see anything, only the cars in front of the taxi as it sped towards the city. He jumped in the first one he saw as he ran out the door of the airport and gave the address to the driver, who nodded his head and turned on his meter.

“I'll give you one hundred bucks if you can get me there as fast as you can.”

“No problem.” The driver stepped on the gas.

They zoomed around cars and went though yellow lights and Seamus had to hang on to the door as they went around corners. He tried not to think about what he was racing towards. His Libby, at the mercy of movie makers. A rape scene? Who does this kind of shit? And who would even want to watch it? But someone with millions had financed it. Someone knew they'd make a profit. It made him sick.

The only thing that gave him comfort was knowing Lola was with her. She'd protect her till he arrived. He was sure of it, but he couldn't take any chances either. It was imperative that he get to Libby as soon as he could—she needed him. She must be losing her mind, to put herself in that scene and relive the whole ordeal over again. The thought of it made his skin crawl.

The taxi started to slow down.

“Can we hurry, please?”

“Mister, believe me, I want my hundred bucks. If I could get you there faster, I would. But look at the traffic.”

Seamus hit his fist on the armrest. “Shit.”

The crew finally figured out which way they wanted to approach the scene. Nigel sat on the bed. “You're sure you're okay, Ava?”

She nodded.

“Great. I don't want to be the big bad wolf, here. I'm sorry about your friends, but I'm trying to get this picture made and it's a lot of pressure. You understand?”

“Yes, I understand.”

“You're a doll, but you should get a new assistant.”

“Can we hurry this along?”

“Okay, in this scene the couple's arguing. They're lovers. It's not a stranger raping you. It's your boyfriend.”

“That makes a difference?”

He hesitated. “Well no, of course not. Rape is rape, or sexual assault, whatever you call it.”

“I think rape is a better word. More direct.”

“Are you sure you're okay?”

“I'm fine. Let's do this.”

He consulted his notes. “Okay. Hayden, or should I say Damian, is going to take you, Vanessa, and push you into the bedroom. You stand in front of him, indignant. You can't believe he's being such a bully. You slap his face and when you do, Damian's going to grab you by your wrists and shake you. Then he's going to throw you on the bed.” He pointed at the upper right hand corner of the bed. “Now your job is to fall with your head in this corner, on your back. You'll get up on your elbows and ask him what he thinks he's doing. Then Hayden, Damian, will pull you across the bed by your ankles. Hayden may have his own improv moves. I like to give my actors some freedom. Then he's going to say a bunch of stuff and after that he'll jump on you. Have you got that? That's as much as we'll do and we'll see how it looks. Then we can decide which camera angle to use for the actual rape itself. I think about three cameras should do it. We have to cut away, get the close up shots, etcetera. You know the drill.”

“Yes. I know the drill.”

“Good.” He got up and clapped his hands. “Okay, people. Let's do this thing.”

Seamus was nearly out of his mind. They weren't moving at all. He checked his watch. It was nearly an hour since he called Lola. And then suddenly his cell phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Seamus, it's Lola. I'm sorry, I don't want to worry you, but I can't wait any more.”

“What?”

“I couldn't stay with her. They made me get out.”

“What does that mean?”

“They threw us off the set. I tried to get her to come with me, I really tried, but she's inside with them. You have to hurry.”

“I'm stuck in traffic!”

“Where are you? If you're not that far, maybe you can run. You'd get here faster.”

He asked the cabbie.

“You're about ten blocks away.”

“I'm only ten blocks away. I'm coming.”

He shut the phone off and put it in his pocket, then took out his wallet and gave it to the taxi driver. “There's about two hundred bucks in there. I'm going to run, so I'm leaving my bag. I want you to drive to the address and stay there until I come out. Do you understand?”

“Okay, man. I'll be there. Go straight down this street. You can't miss it.”

Seamus got out of the taxi and dodged the cars surrounding it. A few were moving and he had to jump out of the way. As soon as he hit the sidewalk, he ran. He ran as if his life depended on it. Because it did.

Hayden had his arms wrapped around her as they waited to start the scene. They were behind the door they had to burst out of.

“Okay?”

Ava nodded.

“You're shivering.”

“I'm cold.”

“I won't rip your sweater off. I don't care what he says. Fuck the Nigels of the world.”

She nodded again.

They heard Nigel say, “Okay. When you're ready…and action!”

Hayden opened the door and pushed her into the room. She stumbled and righted herself. “How dare you.” She reached out and slapped him. “That's for what you said downstairs in front of all those people.” She marched over to the bed.

He followed her. “Well, it's true, isn't it?”

She faced him. “Who do you think you are?”

“I'm the guy who shares your bed, but lately that's been off limits too and I'm sick and tired of it.”

“Well, get used to it because that's how it's going to be from now on.” She turned away but he grabbed her upper arm and forced her to look at him. It was Seamus's father. He took her by the wrists and shook her and then he threw her on the bed.

“Please. Don't hurt me.”

“I'm not going to hurt you. I'm going to love you.”

“Seamus! Help me!” she screamed.

He reached across the bed and slapped her face. “I am so fucking sick of hearing about your fucking Seamus!”

He pulled her hair and brought her face close to his. “You little slut. I'm gonna show you how a real man does it.” He grabbed the back of her neck and covered her mouth with his own. He kept it there even as he ripped off her skirt and tore off her panties. Then he pushed her back on the bed.

Seamus's heart beat so fast he thought it would burst. He was almost there. He saw the trailers and the people, and then he saw a young woman with black spiky hair gesturing for him to hurry up. Lola. She pointed at the door. Libby was on the other side of that door. He ran up the stairs and pushed aside the man who tried to stop him. He heard her scream, “Leave me alone! Stop it!”

“I'm coming, Libby!”

He ran up the stairs two at a time, blind to the people coming at him. He didn't see the cameras or the lights or the equipment all over the floor. He saw her on the bed, hitting and punching his father as he touched her with his filthy hands.

Seamus yelled and kept yelling. Hands grabbed him. People screamed and ran but he didn't stop. He leapt around things, knocked down light stands and chairs. He reached over and grabbed his father by the back of the shirt. He pulled him off and punched him so hard he landed at the foot of the bed and was still.

He reached down and picked her up. “I'm here, Libby. I'm right here.” He felt her arms go around his neck and she held on to him as Sarah did when she was hurt. He wrapped his arms around her and took her off the bed. Then he turned and faced the people who ran up to them.

“Keep away from us!” he screamed. “All of you! Don't you dare touch us. Leave us alone!”

He saw Lola rush towards them. “Please, do as he says. Just let him be with her. Let him talk to her.”

That's when Hayden sat up with a bloody nose. “What happened?”

Lola pointed at the two men beside her. “Go get him.” Maurice and Harold went over and led Hayden away. “What happened?” he kept saying.

“Everyone, please. Take a break and give them some time to be alone,” Lola cried. “This is real life. It's not a movie.”

People started to back up and mill about and eventually drift to the farthest corner of the room or downstairs. Lola asked one of the crew to turn off the bright lights. She looked back at Seamus as he stood there with Libby clasped tightly in his arms. “It's okay now, Seamus. I'll keep them away.”

“Thank you.”

“You're welcome.” She started to walk away.

“Lola?”

She turned around.

“It's nice to meet you.”

“And you,” she cried before running down the stairs.

He finally moved. He wanted to get her away from that bed. There was a couch off to one side of the room so Seamus put his hands under her knees and carried her there. He sat down with her on his lap. Her head stayed on his shoulder. He hugged her closer.

“It's okay, Libby. I've got you now. You're going to be all right. I won't ever let anyone hurt you again. I promise.”

She whispered something.

“What, sweetheart?”

He could still hardly hear her.

“Is it really you?”

“Yes, it's really me.”

“Seamus?”

“Yes. It's Seamus.”

She kept her head down. “You're not a dream?”

“No. I'm real.” He kissed her hair. “I'm very real.”

“You came after me.”

“Yes, finally. Like I should've done ten years ago, and I didn't. I'm sorry.”

She lifted her head and looked at him before touching his face. He grabbed her hand and kissed her palm. “I love you, Libby. If only you knew how much.”

“I do know. I've always known.”

“I know the truth. You don't have to keep it from me anymore. The secret you've been carrying inside.”

“You know?”

He choked on his words. “I know it was…my father.”

He felt her body go limp as she let out a big sigh and leaned into him. He held her tight. They sat like that for a long time. There was no need for words. They needed time to absorb the truth together. When she finally spoke her voice was stronger. “I know how much that must hurt you.”

“Hurt me? It's you he hurt and I want to kill him, the lousy drunk. I almost killed him last night.”

“Oh, Seamus.”

“I can't believe it.”

“I know.”

He entwined her hands in his own. She rubbed her thumb over his skin.

“Why didn't you tell me? You could have told me.”

She shook her head. “No.”

“But you were alone. When I think of it I want to scream. I should've been there for you.”

She sat up and touched his face again, as if recording it to memory. She brushed his hair away from his eyes. “No. We'd never have made it.”

“We'd have been together.”

“No, Seamus. We wouldn't have been together for long.” She looked away. “If I'd told you, you would've killed your father.”

“He'd have deserved it.”

“But your life would be ruined. You'd have gone to jail and we couldn't be together. Or one of my brothers would have killed him and met the same fate. It would've destroyed your mother and mine. Your sister wouldn't be able to hold her head up in her own community. People would have whispered behind my back.”

She looked at him then. “But worst of all, when you'd be with me, you'd be thinking of him and I'd be thinking of him. That would have poisoned our love for each other. We were too young to handle it, Seamus. Much too young.”

He didn't say anything.

“You know I'm right.”

“You've always been told that you weren't a strong person and look what happened. You were stronger than all of us put together.” He hid his eyes with his hand.

She got off his lap and knelt on the floor between his legs, taking his hand away. “Look at me.”

He lifted his head. “I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you.”

She reached out and touched his cheek. “No. That's one thing you won't do.”

“What do you mean?”

“I refuse to spend one more day of my life in that bed. It happened. It's over. It can't be undone. We've survived it and now it's time to bury it and let it die. I want to live. Now kiss me.”

Seamus kissed her and kissed her and kissed her.

Then he put his arms around her. “Come home with me.”

Libby nuzzled his ear. “My sweet boy, I am home. You're here.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

The wedding took place three weeks later on a gorgeous September afternoon.

Seamus wanted her to marry him the next day, but Libby knew in her heart that they needed a little time to get over their trauma. They needed to be with their families and be allowed to rest and have the excitement of anticipation. A wedding wasn't just the wedding day, it was a celebration weeks in the making.

“We've waited this long,” she said. “We can wait a little longer.”