A Long Time Coming

By Kylie Henry

Janice has escaped, she finally plucked up the courage to leave him and do something about her sorry excuse for an existence. Make a better life for herself. But has Gregg really let her get away that easily? Or is he just taking his time and making sure things are absolutely perfect……….

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Sep 19, 2018
• ISBN: 9781546296003

Kylie Henry

I am a 30yr old mother and part-time student from Northern Ireland, who is usually perceived as very imaginative and sometimes quite erratic. And so i feel that using my creativity to write is probably a much, much better way to vent these personal qualities for all parties involved. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it. Thank you for taking the time!

Book preview

Chapter One

When Janice couldn’t fade into the beige walls and bare floorboards she would hide in the closet. The smell of musty coats and sweaty shoes would envelop her to the point of nausea but she felt safer there than anywhere else in the house. Fear of her mother’s anger would drive her there and she would cower in wait until the storm had passed.

‘Where are you, you ungrateful little madam? You don’t deserve a place in this world. Everybody told me to get rid of you; that you would ruin my life; and if I hadn’t been so scared of burning in hell for a mortal sin, I would have done it.’

Janice had heard this tirade so often that she truly believed she was the cause of all her mother’s troubles, including, and especially, her drinking.

‘When I got caught with you, I knew I’d never find any man to take me with a brat in tow. I should have left you in an orphanage. Robert was the only one who’d put up with you.’

Robert had regularly beaten her mother black and blue in the horrors of drink but she seemed to be grateful to him for her very existence. Janice hated him and when she reached sixteen she had left school and home on the same day. She had never gone back, not even for her mother’s funeral.

She found work as a waitress and got a drab little bedsit. It wasn’t much of a life but at least she felt she had left those days of hiding in the closet behind her.

When she arrived into work one morning her crumbling life started to build itself back up again. A man that she considered to be quite handsome had become a regular in their little café. She had noticed Greg at the beginning, but didn’t pay much attention to him because he was in a police uniform. A man with his looks and a good honest job like that would never look twice at her, she had thought. Then that morning he arrived in jeans and a t-shirt, sat at his usual seat and waved for her to come and take his order, so she had grabbed her order pad and pen from her apron and made her way through the chairs to get to him.

Good Morning Greg, is it your usual again this morning?

Greg smiled and Janice swore she could see a faint blush to his cheeks.

Yes, please, Janice.

As she set the table for him she had dared to start a conversation.

Are you not working today then?

Nope, this is one of the few days I get off.

Wow, either you’re a diehard fan of our fry ups or you’re a terrible cook.

Greg chuckled and she immediately regretted opening her mouth. That was her problem these days. She didn’t seem to care about anything anymore, including the very important matter of thinking before speaking.

Oh, gosh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean it to sound like that! she apologised.

Greg shook his head.

Don’t be, he said, shrugging it off. I actually come here for a different reason altogether.

Janice was intrigued.

Really, what would that be? she asked.

Well, I do have to admit that I’m a pretty awful cook, but there’s this one waitress who works here, who I can’t seem to keep away from.

Janice snorted.

Yeah, well, when it comes to THAT one you’d better get in the queue. She has a different date every weekend.

Greg looked surprised.

Oh, really?

I’m afraid so. She has her pick alright.

Janice looked sympathetic; when it came to Stacey there wasn’t much hope of a good relationship, unless he didn’t really want one. Stacey was gorgeous, and didn’t leave much to the imagination when it came to clothing. Even when she was working, the compulsory black t-shirt and trouser combination consisted of a very low cut, tight top, and a very low rise trouser waist that barely clung on to her hips. Janice was secretly envious of her carefree, fun loving ways. She held the confidence Janice could only dream of when it came to men. No wonder Greg had his eye on her.

I would never have thought it of her. She seems like a very composed, and amazingly beautiful young lady, and as my grandmother would put it, ‘An old head on young shoulders’; that’s the sort of quality I look for in a girl.

Janice almost laughed out loud at his suggestion.

I would never have considered Stacey a lady, but I can see the attraction. She is pretty, if I don’t say so myself.

Greg had looked slightly horrified.

Oh God, not Stacey! he laughed.

It was Janice’s turn to look horrified, and slightly confused at the same time. Who on earth was he talking about? The other women who worked here were all in their forties or fifties, and, although Janice thought very highly of them, time and age hadn’t been particularly kind to them.

Oh, sorry she mumbled, deciding not to put the proverbial foot in any deeper.

Don’t you know who I’m referring to?

Janice had begun to fidget. She was getting embarrassed and she didn’t like it one bit.

Uh, no, sorry.

It’s you! he exclaimed.

Janice could barley believe her ears. Her? He thought she was beautiful? No-one thought she was beautiful. She didn’t think she was beautiful. She couldn’t remember the last time she had properly looked at herself in the mirror, but her memory recollected a picture of a pasty looking girl with frizzy brown hair. She stuck out like a sore thumb because of her height. She walked with her head down all the time just to try and make herself that tiny bit smaller.

JANICE!

She jumped as a shout came from the kitchen. Greg’s food must be ready. She excused herself and scurried away to hide behind the door for a second before entering the kitchen. Catch yourself on girl, he is playing a nasty trick on you. One of his police mates must have dared him to say that. That’s what they did, wasn’t it? Play silly games with the ugly girls, make them believe what they say and then poke fun at them when their mates are around. Janice shrugged it off and went to collect his fry from the service shelf. She wouldn’t be mean to him. That was just the way the world worked. It wasn’t really his fault.

She lifted the warm plate with one hand, and noticed Greg watching her walk towards him. She couldn’t help but blush.

Here you are, enjoy.

She had smiled warmly and went about re-stocking the soft drinks in the fridge. About twenty minutes later Greg had startled her when he placed a hand on her shoulder.

Listen, Janice, I’m sorry if I’ve offended you.

Janice stood and waved it off with her free hand.

You didn’t offend me, honestly. If your work colleagues put you up to it, tell them anything you like, I don’t mind.

Greg shook his head.

What are you talking about?

Janice began to get slightly agitated.

I don’t want to be poked fun at. You can tell your friends that I fell for it completely and have your fun. But please don’t patronise me.

She had put it a bit more bluntly than she had intended, but she wasn’t prepared to be the butt of their little joke. Greg shook his head once more.

I’m not laughing at you, I’m just being honest. And while we’re on the subject of honest, I don’t think you’re the one being patronised here.

With that, he had turned on his heel, and walked out. Janice felt shocked.

Over the next few days, she couldn’t help but notice that Greg hadn’t come in for his usual breakfast. She didn’t know what to think. Maybe he was being truthful after all and she had insulted him to the point where he could no longer bear her presence. She sighed inwardly. That was her problem, she couldn’t seem to see the best in people, and always looked for an ulterior motive to any sort of kindness toward her. That was just the way she was programmed to think, and if she was going to change her life for the better then she needed to start thinking a lot differently.

The following week, Janice was tying her half sized apron behind her back when she heard the door of the café opening. She hadn’t been sleeping well, so was still a bit groggy even though she had been awake three hours already. When she had lifted her order pad and pen which were kept in her pocket and walked around the counter she saw that the person who had just come in was Greg. She hesitated slightly before continuing over to him. She stood fidgeting with her pen trying to find the words to apologise, but her mind couldn’t seem to process a complete sentence. Greg spoke first.

Just the usual please, Janice.

She nodded and left him sitting there while she went about putting the order into the kitchen first, then fixing up some coffee for him. When she returned with the coffee she ate humble pie and said sorry.

I just didn’t think you would go for my type. Not when you could have someone like Stacey instead.

Greg nodded and clasped his hands in front of him on the table.

Maybe I’m not interested in people like Stacey. Maybe I don’t think she is as beautiful as you perceive her to be. Women who slap makeup on like paint, and chew gum with their mouth open are not my kind of beautiful. I like natural beauty, and a refined manner in a woman.

Janice began to blush.

Well, just so you know, I am sorry, I didn’t mean to insult you.

Okay then, if you’re so sorry you can make it up to me, can’t you.

Janice cleared her throat and shuffled her feet.

I suppose. It depends on what you have in mind though. Free coffees for a week I can manage, not the breakfasts though. That’s not something I could do.

Greg laughed.

How about I take you on a date instead then?

Janice sucked a breath in while she pondered this request.

You know what, why not?

The next three months of her life had flown by so fast she could hardly believe it. Greg was a gentleman, he opened doors, tucked in chairs and never asked her to pay for anything. A fresh bunch of flowers would be clutched in his hands every time he met up with her. Never once did she find him looking in another woman’s direction. She truly didn’t understand what she had done to deserve a man like him. He was also a traditionalist despite being only twenty-five. He believed women were best at home, and men were the bread winners. If anyone else had said that to her she imagined herself giving them a piece of her mind. What sort of sexist pig would utter such a thing these days? But, when he said it, it didn’t sound sexist. It sounded like a man who needed a good woman to take care of him, the cry of a man who wanted to be looked after by someone who would put his needs first and enjoy loving him as much as he loved her. Janice realised that it had only been a few months, but she had fallen completely in love with him, and she was terrified of the possibility that he would never feel the same.

***

It had been an exhausting day at work, and Janice just wanted to soak in a hot bubble bath and climb into bed. Work was getting harder and harder these days. Her boss had taken a dislike to her, and on the occasions where their shifts corresponded, Janice got all the horrible jobs. Cleaning toilets, polishing the bases of the tables, and scraping the chewing gum from underneath the tables and chairs. Any particularly laborious jobs were also put her way, and she had worked twelve hours that day. When she had pulled her uncooperative body up the flight of stairs to her front door she noticed that something was wrong. She had locked it, slammed it shut and then put her shoulder to it to make sure the safety lock had caught properly, the same as she did every time she left. But the door sat slightly ajar. She took her mobile phone out of her pocket and pressed 999, then let her finger hover over the call button as she pushed the door cautiously open. There was a flickering glow coming from her living room, the sort that you would see from an open fire. But she didn’t have an open fire. She had one of those electric heaters that she could never afford to run.

Hello!

She waited, but no-one replied.

I’m going to call the police!

She called again, inching her way gingerly down the hall. When she reached the living room and peered inside, all the breath left her lungs. What little furniture she had, had been pushed back against the walls, and in the middle of the floor ‘Marry me’ was spelled out using lots of tiny candles.

More candles, big and small, littered the room framing the question in a heart. She stood, unable to move or speak, her mouth gaping open at the sight before her eyes.

Well, what do you think? Greg said from behind her after what felt like an eternity.

She spun around to find him standing so close she nearly fell into him. She held his stare, the flicker from the candles lighting his eyes in the warm glow. She didn’t have to think about it. How could she say no?

Chapter Two

It was while they were on their honeymoon she began to notice the odd little things that she had considered to be cute habits, were turning into something entirely different. The same night that he had proposed, they had talked about her job and her flat. Greg didn’t like the way she was being treated, and insisted she hand in her notice and move in with him. Janice didn’t want to become dependent on anyone, but she did hate her work, so she obliged, only until she could find something better than waitressing. It hadn’t worried her at the start, for she couldn’t wait to move in with him and be a proper couple, but she had long given up the pursuit of a job. Every time she mentioned it Greg insisted that he could support them both very comfortably, and no wife of his would be forced to work. Not wanting to upset him, she had stopped mentioning it. As time went on she found him to be controlling and possessive. It started off with the small things. The bathroom had to have a bath sheet, a towel, a hand towel and a flannel all pressed, folded and stacked neatly on the corner unit. He said it looked homely. All the items in the kitchen cupboards had to be arranged in order of size and contents with their labels facing outward.

‘How else are you going to see what’s there or know where anything is?’ he had insisted.

Then he had demanded that she keep the kitchen table set at all times with the good cutlery and glasses.

‘It looks classy, like something out of one of those posh magazines. I like it kept like that.’

She hadn’t noticed how bad it had become until he suddenly turned violent and abusive two days before their first wedding anniversary. Janice’s chest had constricted as she heard the tell tale ‘click’ of his key in the lock. She had risen from the arm of the chair, ready to greet him pleasantly and anxious about what sort of mood he would be in. She hated it when he came home agitated. It made her feel uneasy and uncertain of where to put herself so as not to annoy him any further. He had walked in, smiling, and she had breathed a silent sigh of relief.

Hi honey, can you have dinner set out for when I finish getting cleaned up? I’ll be five minutes.

He had kissed her on the cheek and stalked off down the hall. As usual, Janice had dinner already prepared. But she never dished it out until he asked. Sometimes he wasn’t ready to eat straight away. She had just lifted the warm plate from the oven and had begun to dish the food on to it when he returned to the kitchen, his face contorted with rage and his jaw set.

Is everything okay? she asked, confused. The next thing she knew he had slapped her across the face, grabbed her by the hair and dragged her towards the bathroom. The plate she’d been holding smashed onto the tiles, splashing food everywhere. He thrust her through the bathroom door, still with a firm grip on her hair in spite of her cries. Menacingly he pointed to where the towels were stacked. He had used the bath sheet that morning and she had forgotten to replace it.

How fucking hard is it to remember to set clean towels in the bathroom? Are you that fucking stupid? he had roared, spit flying from his mouth. He flung her from him.

Get it fucking fixed, you useless piece of shit!

He stormed out, leaving her lying on the floor, clutching her stinging cheek, her head throbbing where he had gripped her so tightly. That was her first taste of real fear in his presence.

Echoes of her mother’s closet crowded in on her as she lay, numbed by the ferocity of his attack on her, particularly the cruel, heartless words. She thought of her mother and Robert. Surely she wasn’t going down that road? She gave herself a shake. No, of course she wasn’t. Greg was nothing like Robert. Greg was a good man. He had given her a nice home and he had rescued her from a dead end job. He loved her. She had brought this on herself and she would be more careful in future not to do it again. She struggled up and cleared the mess of dinner off the floor. She was in the bath when he returned.

‘Janice, honey, where are you? I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me.’

She flinched as he threw open the bathroom door and stood there with a bottle of wine and a huge bunch of roses. He set them down, grabbed a towel and gathered her up in it, lavishing her with kisses and apologies.

‘Please forgive me, honey. I promise that will never happen again. I love you, Janice, and I would die rather than hurt you. Let me make it up to you.’

His eyes pleaded and she so wanted to believe him.

After that, every time he behaved badly toward her he always tried to make it up to her the next day with romantic gestures, apologies and promises. He would disappear early in the morning, come back as early as he could if he was working that day and shower her with flowers and chocolates. He would swear to her that he would change; he knew how hurtful he had been to her and he told her how much it ‘killed’ him that he could make her feel so scared and upset. He would cry because he hated himself for treating her so badly. Then he would make her promise that she would give him time to overcome and deal with these emotions that made him lash out like he had done so many times, and in return he promised to be the husband she deserved. And in those moments she always believed what he was saying. She believed that he wanted to change, and that it would be a difficult journey. And she would forgive him for his moment of weakness and vow to do everything in her power to make sure that she didn’t give him a reason to be angry.

This pattern repeated itself frequently over the next ten years. Eventually she realised that although he said he loved her deeply, it wasn’t enough for him to stop taking his anger out on her. Why had she not left him? There were three very good reasons;

She had nowhere to go and nothing to go with. Greg had quashed any hopes of her having a job, so she didn’t have any of her own income, and what money she did get was for the shopping. Greg gave her only what he thought necessary, and asked for the receipt and change that was left. She didn’t have any friends she could call on, only a few acquaintances and former work colleagues. It had been years since she had seen any of them, and she had no idea of how to contact them.

She didn’t want to face the awful reality that her marriage was a lie; that would mean the man she had so willingly married and fell so deeply in love with, didn’t really exist.

And Greg had only said this once, but she knew in her heart that he had meant every word when he told her he would find and kill her.

That particular night she had managed to get out of the flat when he began to lose his temper. She knew what was coming, and she didn’t want to stand for it any longer. So when he went to the bathroom she grabbed a small holdall that she had put a few pieces of clothing in and hidden under her side of the bed, and let herself out of the flat quietly. She had slept rough that night, on a nearby park bench. She had no money to buy food. It was the worst experience of her life. Cold, dark and raining with strange people walking around at all hours of the morning. She wasn’t accustomed to being out in the world and didn’t feel safe. All things considered, she thought that she would rather take her chances with Greg than stay out another night by herself. As the sun rose she forced herself to walk back toward home. The best time to catch Greg was in the morning before