"Burning Anger and Broken Bones"

Esme poured another round of drinks for the rowdy group of men at the end of the bar, her movements swift and practiced. But despite her professionalism, she couldn't shake off the feeling of being watched. She had been aware of the stares all night, and it made her skin crawl. She recalled her conversation with Joel the night before, and how he had expressed his concerns about her working at the bar. She had tried to brush it off, but now she couldn't help but wonder if he had been right. As she worked, Esme's mind wandered back to Joel's words, and she felt a twinge of guilt for not listening to him. She had always been confident in her ability to handle herself, but tonight, she wasn't so sure. The stares and catcalls had been uncomfortable, but she had dealt with them before. But as she served the last few drinks to the group of men, she felt a sense of unease. Just as she was about to walk away, one of them reached out and smacked her ass, his hand making a loud slapping sound. "I'd love a piece of that," he slurred, his eyes leering at her. Esme was shocked, her body freezing for a moment as she processed what had just happened. But then, anger took over. She spun around, her hand closing around a bottle of gin. With a swift motion, she poured the contents of the bottle into the man's face, the liquid splashing across his cheek. He yelped in surprise, clutching at his face. Esme didn't stop there. She raised her fist and punched him, her knuckles connecting with a satisfying crunch. The man stumbled backward, his eyes wide with pain and shock. The bar fell silent, all eyes on Esme as she stood tall, her chest heaving with anger. Rachel rushed over, her face worried. "Esme, oh my god, are you okay?" Esme's anger began to dissipate, replaced by a growing sense of unease. "I'm done," she said, her voice firm. "I'm out of here." She grabbed her things and walked out of the bar, the cool night air a welcome respite from the tension inside. As she walked quickly to her car, she locked the doors behind her, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. But it wasn't until she was driving home that she noticed her hand was throbbing in pain. She glanced down and saw that her knuckles were swelling, a faint bruise beginning to form. She pulled into her driveway and parked, her movements cautious. As she sat on the couch, she let out a soft cry, her hand aching. She grabbed an ice pack from the freezer and pressed it against her hand, wincing as she moved. Twenty minutes later, Joel walked through the door, his face etched with concern. "Esme, what's wrong? You look like you've been crying." Esme sniffled, her eyes welling up with tears again. Joel rushed over, sitting beside her on the couch. "What happened?" he asked, his voice soft. Esme took a deep breath, recounting the events at the bar. Joel's face darkened, his eyes flashing with anger. When she finished, he was silent for a moment, his chest heaving. Then, he exploded. "That fucking monster," he muttered, his eyes scanning her body as if searching for injuries. "Let me see your hand." Esme hesitated, but Joel gently took her hand in his, his fingers probing her knuckles. Esme winced as he applied pressure, and Joel's face went white. "We need to get you to the hospital," he said, his voice firm. Esme shook her head, trying to calm him down. "It's fine, Joel. I just need to ice it." But Joel was having none of it. "You're not listening to me," he said, his voice rising. "You could have broken your hand. What if it's more serious than that?" Esme tried to placate him, but Joel was too far gone. He was furious, his anger and worry boiling over. As he helped her to her feet, Esme felt a pang of guilt. "It was my own fault," she said, her voice soft. "I punched him. I shouldn't have done that." Joel's face turned red with anger. "Your fault?" he repeated, his voice exploding. "Are you kidding me? That man had no right to touch you, to speak to you like that. You did what you had to do to protect yourself." Esme tried to calm him down, but Joel was beyond reason. He pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly as he whispered curses under his breath. Esme felt a sense of relief wash over her, knowing that Joel was there for her, that he cared. As they stood there, wrapped in each other's arms, Esme knew that she was safe, that Joel would protect her from harm. And in that moment, she realized that maybe, just maybe, Joel had been right all along.