Disclaimer: Hey guys! It's been a while since I wrote anything here. The thing is that I don't have that much time and usually my stories are updated very irregularly. Also, I'm not an English native speaker, so correcting each chapter is a hard job! But I'm going to take the TOEFL exam son and I need to improve my writting, so I thought this was a nice way to do so. I hope that you enjoy the twist of my OC and I want to be clear: I have no idea where this fits into the timeline of the show, so i might twist a bit into the AU world.
Let me know what you think and IF YOU FIND ANY MISTAKE, OR WANT TO BETA THIS, please let me know! It would be really helpful to have somone who knows what he's doing on my side.
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It's funny how we go back to the comforts of our childhood when we are desperate. I remember my mom loosing his nerves every time I came home from school with the sleeve of my sweater torn up by my constant biting. After a while, she got tired of buying new ones and simply sewed the tears, just to have them re- opened by my teeth a few days later. It was a nasty habit and I tried to give it up many times. Eventually I just stopped wearing sweaters. Ten years later, sitting at a table that looked and felt sticky and sipping on the best coffee Margo's could offer (and the worst I had in my life) I felt the yarn of my sweater coming undone in my mouth. The bell of the entrance announced a new client and I just knew it was him. Call it survivors instinct.
It took every bit of will I had to tear off my eyes from the milky brown contents of my cup to face him. As soon as I laid my eyes on him, I knew this whole thing was a bad idea. He hadn't changed much and I think that made me feel worse for some reason. He wore the same beaten up sweatshirt of some sports team I've never learned to show an interest in. He had gained some weight and his face was swollen, probably because of his drinking problem.
The only thing that was still captivating about him were his eyes. When he grinned, the green orbs sparkled and suddenly I thought I caught a glimpse of the boyish jock I'd dated though most of my highschool years.
"My God, Audrey", he said with a warm tone filled with what I guess was sincere nostalgia. "Still the prettiest girl I know"
"Please, take a seat" I thought my smile was too forced but he didn't seem to notice. "It's good to see you again Mike"
"I gotta say Audrey, your call took me by surprise, " Mike began as he signals the waitress to come and write down while we exchanged uncomfortable and polite smiles. When the waitress walked away, Mike grinned. "Here I was, sitting in my workshop when little Audrey Cooper rings me up. I've never thought I'd see you again after you moved to New York and got that big job... where was it? At some magazine?"
"Yeah" I nodded, trying to shut up the small voice in my head telling me maybe Mike didn't deservewhat I was about to do to him. "I came across some old photos while I clean up my closet and I guess that stirred up some memories. How you' ve been? Did you ever got married?"
Me? Nah" Mike lied through his teeth without missing a beat. That shut up the voice in my head really quickly. "I've never gotten over you, I guess"
That right there shot down all my doubts. I sat there for another fifteen minutes, watching as Mike began shifting into the disgusting waste of humanity I knew he was. I heard him lie about his wife Barbara and his two little boys, the same ones smiling at his profile picture on Facebook, while he talked about how lonely he had been after I broke up with him.
I sat there and smiled when he ordered a beer, even thought the waitress frowned, thinking it was a weird choice to accompany a breakfast. I played shy and coy when he moved to my side of the table and slipped his hands in between my tights as he started rambling about how much he hated his job, his life and this town. Finally, when he leaned in and I felt his warm breath on my mouth, I closed my eyes and let him kiss me, even thought a wave of nausea climbed right through my throat at the taste of his tongue.
After ten more minutes of excruciating making out, he finally pulled away and said the magic words.
"What do you say if we take this to the parking lot?"
Good old Mike, always up for a quick fuck in the back of his truck.
"I think I should go now..." I stammered a little and Mike's expression showed his surprise. "This was a mistake Mike"
The shocked look on his face shifted to something darker in the blink of an eye. That was my cue to try to stand up. Mike's hand fled to my shoulder and he shoved me back to my seat. I let out a small yelp of pain, loud enough so that the older couple in the booth in front of us interrupted their conversation.
"Mike, I know you're married", I whisper. He looks a bit startled but he's got his eyes on the prize and he's not willing to let go that easy.
"And you still came for the D huh? You little slut", Mike's tone is menancing now and I have to remind myself to stay on the moment instead of being carried away by the flashbacks floating in my head. "Now you'll give me what I came for" Mike digs his nails into my wrist and violently forced me to stand up.
I let out a sob "Please Mike, please"
I feel the eyes of the rest of the dinner, watching the scene but no one intervenes. Then, as I pass the couple's boot an older woman with dark black hair and heavy makeup locks her eyes with me.
"Move your ass bitch" Mike snarls close to my ear and the tears flow freely on my face as we exit the restaurant.
I have to close my eyes for a few seconds to adapt to the sunlight outside. Mike keeps dragging me and I know that if I don't act soon, we'll reach his truck soon. I throw all my weight back, making him lose his balance.
"Fucking bitch!" Mike hollers, frustrated at what he thought would be a quick fuck. He yanks me upwards with a hand and his fist connects with my cheek. I feel the skin tearing and my vision floods with dark spots. I have to stay awake if I'm gonna make it.
Suddenly I felt a hand on my back, pulling me away from Mike. Mike's grip looses and I fall back into someone. A tight and delicate embrace surrounds me as I start sobbing. Though my tear filled gaze I see the man that was with the older woman hit Mike. He doesn't hit just one time and soon enough, Mike's begging for mercy. I can only see the back of my savior and my eyes are glued to the reaper figure sewn into the vest of the gray haired man. The woman holding me turns my head around to hide the view from me and holds me even tighter as I cry.
"Clay, enough!" The woman yells. For a few minutes I hear nothing but my own cries and then, an engine starts as Mike leaves the scene after what I can only assume, was a pretty good beating. I dare to look up for the first time.
"Are you okay, sweetheart?" The woman asks and now that I'm closer I can distinguish better her defined features.
I nod weakly. She gives me a tight lipped smile. " It's okay, sweetie. That asshole's gone. What's your name?"
"Thank you so much. I'm Audrey..." I turn around to see her companion looking at his blood stained knuckles with fascination. "Oh my god! I'm so sorry! You were just trying to help me...and you got hurt" I try to stop my tears but soon I'm sobbing again.
"It's okay, doll. You should have seen his face" the man with gray hair gives me a wide grin and I can help to chuckle a bit.
"Again, I'm so sorry. I can't believe how stupid I was thinking he had changed…" I start mixing some embarrassment into my voice and it blends in nicely. "I don't even know your names!"
The woman smiles warmly "I'm Gemma and that meatloaf over there is my husband Clay" Gemma scans me up and down before suggesting "Why don't we all go back inside so you two can get cleaned up while we get to know each other"
"Oh, I know exactly who you are Gemma Monrrow. And I'm sure you'll regret this moment for the rest of your life". I think, while I smile shyly and let Gemma and Clay escort me back to the restaurant.