Drowning in the East River Read Online Free Page B
Author: Kimberly Pierce
up at her and ran his fingers through his hair as he dropped to his knees to pick up the knife.
His eyes shot towards the living room. Thomas was fast asleep in his crib. He kicked his legs and shuffled on the mattress at the sudden noise in the living room, but he didn't wake up. "Look Anna, I'm sorry. Is there any way you can keep Tommy for the night?”
"All night?" Anna asked; her eyes scrutinizing him harshly. She turned up her nose at him, judgement dripping from her expression. She unhooked the top button on her blouse, fanning herself with the back of her hand. She took two steps toward him. "You've been drinking, haven't you?”
"I'll be back in the morning," David added quickly, anticipating her next question. He looked down at his hands; he could feel them trembling violently as he held them at his side. He plunged them deep into his pockets, as he looked up at her. "I just need a little more time-“
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Anna moved across the room to meet him. She took off her apron and draped it over one of the chairs as she moved into the kitchen. "I've been here all day watching your son, and you've been out drinking? You were with that whore, weren't you? Do you think Jessica didn't know about that slut you kept?”
David took off his glasses and painfully rubbed the bridge of his nose. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to bring relief to his aching eyes. His tear ducts felt dry and they burned. "She isn't..." His voice was quiet, exhausted. He stopped, not wanting to justify anything to her. He continued, speaking slowly in a fight to keep his voice even. "Can you watch him, or can't you?”
"I suppose the boy needs some kind of guardian," Anna said, simply. She turned and looked toward Thomas. The baby was in his crib, sleeping in his own world. When she turned back to face David, her eyes were harsh as she looked him over quickly, her words cutting. "If it's not going to be his father." She stopped, tucking a strand of her dark hair into her prim up-do.
"I'll be back in the morning," David said. He didn't meet her eyes as he turned to leave the apartment. As he put his hand on the doorknob, he turned around a final time to speak to her. He thought for a moment more, simplicity was better. He coughed, keeping his voice even. "Thank you, Anna.”
He didn't stop to wait for a reply as he exited the room, the think wooden door slamming behind him.
He took the stairs two at a time as he moved back towards the front entrance of the building. An embarrassed flush was spreading over his face as he moved, his cheeks starting to burn.
CHAPTER TWO
Stepping out onto the pavement, David pulled his cap off, and wiped the layer of greasy sweat off his forehead. Strands of hair stuck to his forehead in the humid night air. He ran a tired hand through his hair, pushing the annoying strands away from his eyes.
Heavy darkness fell over New York as David trudged uptown along Second Avenue. This part of the city was largely residential, and an uneasy restlessness hung over large stretches of the sleepy, brownstone lined blocks.
David paused long enough to step around the open cellar door of Santino's Deli on the corner of 46th Street and Second Avenue.
Ever since coming back from Europe, David constantly heard how brave he was. Instead of feeling like the returning hero, he felt like a failure.
Closing his eyes, David forced his breathing to be steady as he drifted further away from the apartment. The weight sitting on his chest gradually dissipated as David wallowed in the pulsating silence in his ears. He slid his hands deep into his pockets, toying with the book of matches and pack of cigarettes weighing down his pants.
Occasionally the sound of fights drifted out of the buildings as David passed under the wide open widows. Up and down the block, windows and doors were propped wide open in hopes of catching any breeze in the still
His eyes shot towards the living room. Thomas was fast asleep in his crib. He kicked his legs and shuffled on the mattress at the sudden noise in the living room, but he didn't wake up. "Look Anna, I'm sorry. Is there any way you can keep Tommy for the night?”
"All night?" Anna asked; her eyes scrutinizing him harshly. She turned up her nose at him, judgement dripping from her expression. She unhooked the top button on her blouse, fanning herself with the back of her hand. She took two steps toward him. "You've been drinking, haven't you?”
"I'll be back in the morning," David added quickly, anticipating her next question. He looked down at his hands; he could feel them trembling violently as he held them at his side. He plunged them deep into his pockets, as he looked up at her. "I just need a little more time-“
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Anna moved across the room to meet him. She took off her apron and draped it over one of the chairs as she moved into the kitchen. "I've been here all day watching your son, and you've been out drinking? You were with that whore, weren't you? Do you think Jessica didn't know about that slut you kept?”
David took off his glasses and painfully rubbed the bridge of his nose. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to bring relief to his aching eyes. His tear ducts felt dry and they burned. "She isn't..." His voice was quiet, exhausted. He stopped, not wanting to justify anything to her. He continued, speaking slowly in a fight to keep his voice even. "Can you watch him, or can't you?”
"I suppose the boy needs some kind of guardian," Anna said, simply. She turned and looked toward Thomas. The baby was in his crib, sleeping in his own world. When she turned back to face David, her eyes were harsh as she looked him over quickly, her words cutting. "If it's not going to be his father." She stopped, tucking a strand of her dark hair into her prim up-do.
"I'll be back in the morning," David said. He didn't meet her eyes as he turned to leave the apartment. As he put his hand on the doorknob, he turned around a final time to speak to her. He thought for a moment more, simplicity was better. He coughed, keeping his voice even. "Thank you, Anna.”
He didn't stop to wait for a reply as he exited the room, the think wooden door slamming behind him.
He took the stairs two at a time as he moved back towards the front entrance of the building. An embarrassed flush was spreading over his face as he moved, his cheeks starting to burn.
CHAPTER TWO
Stepping out onto the pavement, David pulled his cap off, and wiped the layer of greasy sweat off his forehead. Strands of hair stuck to his forehead in the humid night air. He ran a tired hand through his hair, pushing the annoying strands away from his eyes.
Heavy darkness fell over New York as David trudged uptown along Second Avenue. This part of the city was largely residential, and an uneasy restlessness hung over large stretches of the sleepy, brownstone lined blocks.
David paused long enough to step around the open cellar door of Santino's Deli on the corner of 46th Street and Second Avenue.
Ever since coming back from Europe, David constantly heard how brave he was. Instead of feeling like the returning hero, he felt like a failure.
Closing his eyes, David forced his breathing to be steady as he drifted further away from the apartment. The weight sitting on his chest gradually dissipated as David wallowed in the pulsating silence in his ears. He slid his hands deep into his pockets, toying with the book of matches and pack of cigarettes weighing down his pants.
Occasionally the sound of fights drifted out of the buildings as David passed under the wide open widows. Up and down the block, windows and doors were propped wide open in hopes of catching any breeze in the still
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