The Last Party

I shivered as the sea spray misted onto my skin. Though it was mid-August, the air so thick you can almost drink it, the sun had started to set, and the air seemed to finally cool off. I reached for my hoodie to throw on over my bikini top. Thankfully, Mike had decided to slow down the pontoon boat, deciding that he’d found the perfect spot to anchor and get the party started. It was the summer between high school graduation and the start of our new lives as “adults”. Soon, we would all say goodbye and move to our respective universities, scattering throughout the country. This night was our last party together, and we were going to make it count.

“What do you want to drink?” Kayla asked me, reaching into the cooler.

“Do you really need to ask?” I laughed as Kayla threw me a High Noon. Kayla sat down, putting her arm around me protectively.

“So, how did he take the news? Please tell me he didn’t put his hands on you.” Kayla asked, as she rubbed my back.

“Well, I told him while we were at the Dairy Barn. I made sure there were a lot of people around, and I asked my Lily to be in the parking lot waiting so I could tell him and quickly leave. He’s called me about 100 times and has texted me endlessly. I haven’t responded. I’m so scared, I just can’t wait to get out of here and start school.” I explained.

“What did you say, exactly?” Kayla asked.

“I told him that we were over, outright. I said that I did not want a boyfriend going into college, especially a long-distance one and that I need this opportunity to have a fresh start. I could see the rage move through his body and the shadow fall over his eyes. I’m just so thankful we were in public, and that I could leave right away. I really, really hope that this is the end of it. I just can’t live like this anymore. He is so controlling; I can’t imagine how he could even handle not living in the same state as me.” I said, my eyes welling with tears.

“It’s over now.” Kayla said. “You’re safe. I just really wish you would tell someone other than me and your sister; your parents, the authorities, someone needs to know how violent Luke is.”

Just as Kayla reached over to hug me the sound of an air horn echoed through the night. In the distance, strings over Edison lightbulbs cut through the ocean mist. The thumping of Jayz could be heard before the boat was seen. I squinted to see whose boat was anchoring alongside ours, hoping to join the party. To my horror, the words The Sea Witch came into my view and my stomach sank like the anchor that was already being dropped. The Sea Witch belonged to Luke’s dad. I had no doubts that Mike would be thrilled to welcome Luke and teammates aboard to join the celebration. Mike was a good friend, but he had no idea about Luke’s anger and abuse toward me. Had he known, had I said something to him, to anyone, I wouldn’t currently be in this situation. I felt like such an idiot. Why had I protected him for so long?

“Welcome aboard!” Mike cheered, tossing Luke a beer.

“You know I wouldn’t miss a party!” Luke said, patting Mike on the back. “Especially one where the love of my life is at.” he said, locking his dark eyes on mine.

Kayla took a step closer to me and grabbed my shaking hand. She pulled me to the other side of the boat and into a crowd of friends. Thankfully, Luke had turned the other way. He was the most popular and talented athlete in school. He had adoring fans to greet and have a shot with.

As an hour passed, without Luke approaching me, I was able to relax slightly and chat with my friends. I cautiously remained as far from Luke as I could be. But the feeling of ice-cold terror in my gut of being stuck on a boat in the middle of the ocean with him remained. Kayla stuck close to my side the whole time.

At around midnight, and after a few drinks, I desperately needed to find the bathroom. I told Kayla I’d be right back. She grabbed my hand.

“Do you want me to come with” she asked.

“No, I’ll be fine. I just need to pee. Be right back.” I assured her and headed inside.

I quickly found the restroom and headed inside. In the quiet, my ears rang from the music, and I realized just how tipsy I truly was. I finished up, washing my hands and headed out. Turning left to join back up with Kayla, I felt a hand clamp around my wrist. Terror shot through me, and I desperately tried to yank my hand away. Luke pulled me into him and whispered in my ear,

“We’re going outside to have a chat. Just you and me. Don’t make a scene. That would be a very bad idea on your part.”

His hot breath on my ear and neck sent chills through me and I weakly complied. I berated myself silently. How could I let him do this to me? I could just scream now, and everyone would come running. Why was I doing this?

Luke and I quickly and quietly walked to the back of the boat. The other partygoers already there scattered, thinking that Luke and I wanted a little romantic private time. Luke squeezed my wrist until I saw stars and looked down at me.

“So, you think you can just decide to leave me? That you can break things off and run away? Honestly, did you think I would just lay down and take that? That I would accept that?” he growled.

“Luke, please” I begged, choking down a sob.

“Shut up!” he snarled through gritted teeth. “You are mine. You will always be mine. You do not get to decide that you are going to leave me. You may think that you can just move away and that you’ll never see me again, but you are very wrong. I’ve already put a down payment on a lease less than a mile from your dorm. That’s right baby, I’m moving with you! That way we can stay together, and I can be with you all the time.”

He sneered at me, waiting for my reaction. My head spun; my stomach churned. I can’t do this! I can’t keep doing this. My brain screamed for air as I started to hyperventilate. I felt like a caged animal. I needed to put a stop to this right now.

I yanked my arm from his grasp.

“No!” I screamed. “No, this is ove”-I couldn’t get the last word out before his hand clamped onto my mouth, silencing me.

Luke pushed me back. He had one hand wrapped over my mouth and slid his other hand up around my neck. Panic coursed through my veins as his fingers started to squeeze. He was going to kill me. Right here on this boat and I would never get away. Never go to school, never meet a man who loved me, never see my parents again. No. No more.

Just as my vision started to tunnel, a surge of adrenaline washed over me. I quickly and sharply raised my knee landing a straight shot to his balls. He screamed and doubled over. He released his grip on my neck just long enough for me to push him away. Luke, drunk from shots with his buddies, stumbled backward and fell off the back of the boat. I heard a loud cry of surprise followed by a dull thud when his head struck the motor. I watched in horror as blood swirled through the water and Luke’s body started to sink.

“Jesus Christ, Molly!” Mike screamed. “What have you done?”

Shaking, I turned around to see Mike standing there as everyone else came running to see what happened.

“Molly just pushed Luke overboard! His head hit the motor. I think he’s dead!” Mike yelled to the crowd.

Everyone came rushing toward the back of the boat looking for Luke, calling his name, trying to catch sight of him in the dark water. But he was already gone. I stood there, in a daze as people piled in around me, shouting questions at me. It wasn’t until I saw Kayla that I cried out and fell to my knees. Kayla covered my body with hers and held tight.

“I’m calling 911” Mike cried. “Molly, I can’t believe you killed him!”

“What do you mean, killed him?” Kayla shouted at Mike.

“I heard shouting and came to see what was wrong. When I got here, I saw Luke doubled over and Molly pushed him backward.” He yelled.

Cries erupted among the other party guests. These were Luke’s closest friends. They were stricken with grief and couldn’t wrap their heads around why Luke’s girlfriend would push him over the back of the boat. They had no idea that everything I did was in self-defense. Why didn’t I tell anyone sooner? No one is going to believe me.

Kayla stood up blocking me from the crowd.

“Molly did not do this! She did not kill Luke! Kayla screamed. “Luke has been abusing Molly for a year! She broke up with him last week. He must have come tonight to confront her. Whatever happened here, I know was self-defense.”

The frantic crowd seemed to calm for a moment while they processed this information, but only for a moment.

“There is no way Luke was abusive!” One of his friends yelled. “He’s the nicest guy around!”

“Yeah, he’s like a golden retriever!” Rebecca shouted. “If Mike saw Molly push him, maybe she’s the abusive one.”

Just as I stood up to defend myself, Sam started to walk down from the upper deck.

“I saw the whole thing from up top.” Sam explained. “Molly tried to scream, but Luke covered her mouth and then tried to strangle her with his other hand. Molly kneed him and pushed him back to get him away from her. She didn’t mean to push him off the boat.”

“That’s exactly what happened!” I cried. “I didn’t mean to push him off! He was trying to kill me! I was just trying to get him off me!”

A silence fell over the crowd before utter chaos erupted. Everyone was overwhelmed. No one knew what to believe. Friends of Luke were trying to imagine their buddy as an abuser. Kayla and Sam pleaded with people begging them to believe that I was defending myself. Mike was shouting that he saw what he saw. This chaos continued until the blue lights of the harbor patrol came into view.

I started to shake as they came on board. I didn’t know if they would believe me or everyone on the boat who believed I killed Luke.

Tears streamed down my eyes as I looked into the water one last time, praying that the note I wrote to Luke, inviting him to this party, had sunk to the bottom of the ocean with him. He wasn’t going to hurt anyone else ever again.