Chapter 1 – Leaving L.A.
Stepping outside of the bus terminal, waiting to board the bus back to her hometown, Karen keeps her head down. She is desperately trying to avoid making eye contact with anyone. She's wearing jeans, her black boots, and an old Dodgers hoodie. Her blonde locks are carefully tucked under a Dodgers baseball cap, her light brown eyes hiding behind aviator sun glasses. To those who notice her, she looks like any other passenger gearing up for a long ride out of Los Angeles. On the surface she looks calm, but inside she's a nervous wreck. Karen isn't the typical passenger; she's a woman on the run. She's running away from the most miserable 8 years of her life. She's running away from her so-called perfect life, perfect girlfriend and perfect job. At least that's how everyone around her believed it to be. To her friends, colleagues, and neighbors, Dr. Beattie had it all. She was the envy of all those around her. She was the youngest attending physician in the emergency room downtown; she drove a brand new Jaguar, lived in the coveted Calabasas area of Los Angeles, and had a doting, beautiful girlfriend who worked in the Narcotics division as a Lead detective for the LAPD. Yes, to John Q. Public she had the perfect life.
"Ticket please." The bus driver held his hand out, waiting to inspect the ticket to confirm that Karen was indeed a passenger of bus #227 to Seattle, the first stop on her journey back to Quebec. "Thank you, please take a seat."
Karen makes her way toward the back of the bus, settling into a seat next to a window. She sits quietly, gazing out of the window, wishing that the bus would pull out already. No sooner than the thought crosses her mind, the driver announces that the bus is ready for departure. As the bus pulls out and heads for the interstate, Karen lets out a sigh of relief. She's heading home and away from the hell that was her life for far too long. The only thing she's taking with her is a backpack with two changes of clothes, her iPod, a few thousand dollars in cash that she's secretly saved up over the past year, and her new identity. As of today, Dr. Karen Beattie is no more. Today is the first day of a brand new life, a fresh start, and the birth of Lauren Lewis.
Lauren tries to relax, but the seat isn't all that comfortable. She decides she needs a distraction; she pulls out her iPod and hits play. Not being able to find a song she wants to hear, she sets the iPod on shuffle and lets the device select for her. The first song she hears is Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance." That is the song that she was dancing to when she met Nadia.
-Flashback-
Karen was out on the dance floor with her friends, Natasha and Nikki, dancing without a care in the world. She was in her final year at Yale and was on her way to becoming a doctor. Tonight the ladies were out celebrating the end of another grueling week of tests and lectures. As Lady Gaga's hit, "Bad Romance" began to blare over the speakers, Karen felt a hand on her hip. She turned around coming face to face with a beautiful, caramel skinned woman with long dark curly hair. As they locked eyes, she felt a flutter in her belly. The woman smiled at her and moved a little closer, pushing her body against Karen's as the song reached its first chorus. As the song played on, the dancing became more heated. Karen was getting flushed and knew she'd have to stop soon or she'd let the beautiful stranger take her home and have her way with her. A few moments later the song ended, much to Karen's relief.
"Hi, I'm Nadia"
"Karen" Karen extends her hand to Nadia, smiling from ear to ear.
Nadia takes her hand and holds on as she asks, "Can I buy you a drink Karen?"
"Sure, I'll never turn down an offer from a beautiful woman." Karen immediately blushed realizing how her comment may have come across. "I didn't mean an offer like that, I meant a drink offer….you offering to purchase me an alcoholic beverage, not you know…." Karen rolled her eyes.
"Relax Karen, I knew what you meant." Nadia stated with a huge grin on her face. "Shall we?" Nadia took Karen by the hand and lead her to the bar. Once the women received their drinks they made their way to the quieter lounge section of the club. They took a seat next to each other on the leather sofa near the back wall.
"So, Karen, I'd like to apologize for coming on strong back there on the dance floor. I'm usually not that bold. But I was completely drawn to you."
"Don't apologize, I liked it." Karen blushed as she sipped her drink.
"Good to know." Nadia winked at her, making Karen blush even more.
Karen cleared her throat, willing the pink on her cheeks to dissipate. "Being that this is a popular college hangout, am I right in assuming that you're a student?"
"Actually, I'm a police officer. I am taking a couple classes online, I'm working on a Bachelors, I'm trying to move up and become a detective."
"Really?" Karen's eyes widen upon hearing that Nadia was a cop. "This isn't the place I'd expect to meet a cop, what brings you here tonight?"
Nadia chuckles and says, "I'm here with my cousin, she is a college student and new to the area. She invited me to come out tonight and this is where she wanted to come."
"I'm sorry if I sounded judgmental, I was just surprised." Karen blushes again.
"No, that's okay, don't apologize. You're right; I am definitely out of place here. I almost didn't come once she told me where we'd be going. But, I'm glad I came. If I hadn't, I would've missed out on meeting a gorgeous woman named Karen."
The women spent the next couple of hours getting to know each other. Karen found Nadia to be confident and easy to talk to. Nadia was also a smooth talker. She knew all the right things to say and when to say them. Karen was definitely smitten with the aspiring detective. By the end of the night the pair exchanged numbers and parted ways with the promise of a date the following weekend.
-End of flashback-
Nadia kept her promise and took Lauren out that following weekend, in fact, they texted back and forth throughout the week. Simple, "hey how are you today," texts, quickly escalated into flirtatious banter that set the tone for the first date. Nadia took Lauren to the movies on their first date. As soon as the theater went dark, Nadia's hands were all over her. Soon the pair were making out like a couple of horny teenagers. They were supposed to go to dinner after the movie, but they never made it. Nadia took Lauren to a more secluded area where they had sex in the backseat of her beat up Toyota 4 runner. After they finished up and straightened their clothes out Nadia took Lauren home.
Over the course of the next 3 months the pair was inseparable. Nadia met Lauren after her classes to drive her home, she was at Lauren's apartment whenever she wasn't working, and when Nadia wasn't with her she'd be on the phone or texting her. Lauren's roommates quickly grew tired of Nadia. To them Nadia was aggressive, controlling, possessive of Lauren, and just an overall bitch. They tried to tell Lauren what they saw, but Lauren accused them of being jealous of their relationship. The truth was this was Lauren's first real adult relationship. She dated in high school, had her first sexual experience in high school, but love had eluded her until now. She was falling in love with Nadia and was too blind to see Nadia's controlling ways, brushing it off as Nadia being protective of her.
By the time Lauren and Nadia hit the 6 month mark, Nadia had convinced Lauren to dump most of her friends and her roommates, insisting that they were trying to break them up. Lauren did just that, moving out and into a studio apartment closer to Nadia's place. The only friends that Lauren held onto were Natasha and Nikki. But it wasn't long before they became the topic of most of the couple's arguments. Nadia hated that Lauren studied with them during the week, or hung out with them when Nadia was working. She constantly accused Lauren of cheating, claiming that her two friends were bad influences who encouraged her to cheat. One night during a heated argument Nadia grabbed Lauren and shoved her into a wall. Lauren had never seen Nadia so angry. Lauren was terrified and shaking. She spent the next 2 days refusing to speak to Nadia. Lauren had bruises where Nadia had grabbed her, along with a pretty good bump on the head. Nadia apologized over and over again, claiming that she was stressed out at work and that she never meant to hurt her. She sent Lauren a dozen roses and a teddy bear holding a heart, and a note promising to never do that again. Lauren took her back and after a night of makeup sex, Nadia noticed the bruises, and begged Lauren not to tell anyone what happened.
Lauren was brought out of her thoughts as the bus driver made his announcement, "Attention passengers, we will be making a stop in about 5 minutes. You are welcome to exit the bus at that time to purchase snacks, use the facilities, or just stretch you limbs. You will have about 15 minutes to do what you need to do before the bus departs once again. Please be on time, I will not wait for anyone. Thank you, and welcome to San Francisco."
As the bus came to a stop Lauren followed the passengers and exited the bus. She walked over to the bus station convenience store, purchasing bottled water and a couple of granola bars. As soon as she exited the store she set her bag down and stretched her body a bit before returning to her seat on the bus, waiting to depart once again. A few moments later everyone was loaded up and the bus was once again heading north on the interstate. Lauren sighed heavily as she leaned her head against the window, closing her eyes and getting lost in her thoughts once again. She thinking about the year she graduated from Yale. It should have been the best night of her life, but once again Nadia found a way to ruin it for her.
The couple had been together a year when Lauren finally graduated from Yale. Her friends planned a graduation party for her at a local bar to celebrate. Nadia had to work but agreed to stop by on her lunch break. During the party Lauren was out the dance floor with her classmate Jeff when Nadia walked in. When she spotted Lauren dancing with Jeff and was livid. She pushed her way through the dance floor yanking Lauren by the arm. When Jeff tried to intervene, Nadia punched him in the face, knocking him to the floor. She began kicking him over and over until the bouncer pulled her off. The manager threatened to call the cops until Nadia flashed him her badge. She claimed that Jeff was groping her girlfriend and that's why she took action. The manager asked her to leave and they wouldn't involve the authorities. Nadia dragged Lauren out of the bar. When they got home they had another epic fight, Nadia accusing Lauren of cheating once again. It was also the first night Nadia ever hit Lauren.
-Flashback-
Lauren exited the vehicle and hurried inside, Nadia following suit. As soon as the front door to the apartment shut, Nadia erupted.
"WHAT THE FUCK KAREN! ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE ME LOOK LIKE A FOOL!?" Nadia screamed at her.
"Calm down Nadia, we were just dancing." Lauren voice trembled.
"Dancing!? He was all over you!"
"No he wasn't, he barely even touched me, if at all. Jeff is just a friend." Lauren tried to explain.
"What do you take me for, huh, a fucking fool!?" Nadia closed the distance between them grabbing Lauren by the throat pushing her up against the wall. "You're nothing but a fucking little whore, aren't you!? Are you fucking him behind my back!?"
"N-n-no baby, I wouldn't do that to you. I don't even like guys, I'm gay remember?" Lauren choked out, tears streaming down her face.
Nadia released the hold she had on Lauren's throat, but continued to keep her pinned against the wall. "So now I'm stupid? I imagined that mother fucker with his hands all over you? And to top it all off you insult me by reminding me that you're gay!?"
Before Lauren could respond Nadia slapped Lauren across the face, with enough force to bust Lauren's lip. Lauren fell to the floor, her hands clasped over her mouth. Her eyes widened with fear and disbelief, as she looked up Nadia.
"Do you see what you made me do? I didn't want to hurt you, but you have to go out and cheat on me! You just don't know when to shut up." Nadia began pacing, running her hands through her hair. "Stand up." Nadia reached down and pulled Lauren to her feet. She led her to the bathroom and sat her on the toilet. Nadia grabbed a wash cloth, wetting it, and proceeded to clean Lauren's bloodied lip. "There, all clean. Take a shower, wash that asshole's scent off of you, it's repulsive. I have to get back to work I'll call you in the morning." Nadia kissed Lauren's forehead and turned to exit the bathroom. Just before she crossed the threshold she looked back at Lauren with tears in her eyes, "Please don't ever make me do that again Karen, I hate myself for it."
Lauren sat there, frozen, unable to move. She was in shock, how could Nadia do this. As soon as she heard the front door close, she broke down, sobbing for the next hour, before taking a shower and crawling into bed.
-End of flashback-
After a few days, a ton of tearful apologies, and promise to change, Lauren once again took Nadia back. Things went well for a little while after that incident. Lauren felt like maybe Nadia did change, maybe it was just the stress of the job. Lauren was on cloud nine, Nadia was so attentive, and loving during that time.
Once Nadia earned her Bachelor's degree she began to apply all over the U.S. for a position as a detective. She had some offers, but was holding out for a spot in the narcotics division. During this time Lauren was completing her residency at the local hospital. The couple had moved in together and things were looking up. Or so Lauren thought. Nadia hadn't been physically abusive towards Lauren, but she was emotionally abusive. She belittled Lauren any chance she got. Nadia had begun to tell Lauren how ugly and unattractive she was. On many occasions Nadia claimed that the only way she could have sex with her, is if she was picturing someone else. She would tell Lauren to shut the fuck up when Lauren would have one of her geek outs, claiming that it was such a turn off that Lauren was a huge nerd. Through all of that Lauren just tried to ignore it and bury herself in her work. She learned to turn off her emotions, thus earning herself the nickname "Dr. Freeze." Lauren thought she could live with Nadia's name calling and belittling as long as Nadia wasn't getting physically abusive. After all, words don't hurt, right, at least physically anyway.
When the couple reached their 3rd year together, Nadia got accepted into the LAPD's narcotics division. So the couple picked up and moved to California. Lauren thought that maybe now that Nadia got the job she's been wanting, her stress level would go down and they could get back to a happy place in their relationship. Also, a new city would give them both a fresh start and hopefully bring them closer together.
Shortly after settling into their new apartment and new city, Lauren was hired on as a doctor in the E.R. of Cedars-Sinai Hospital, in the heart of L.A. Over the course of the next 2 years Lauren excelled and quickly became one of the hospital's best physicians. Lauren also began to get involved in the hospital's research clinic, dedicating long hours in the lab. Lauren always had a knack for all things science, and it didn't hurt that she was a certified genius, a fact that she kept to herself most of the time.
During those 2 years Nadia also found success in her new job. She received accolades for having the highest arrest percentage for a rookie in her department. She loved her job, and got along great with her coworkers. Nadia was always so happy and fun when she was around them. When she would get together with them for barbecue's she would bring Lauren and would play the part of the doting girlfriend. Lauren found herself on many occasions irritated by Nadia's act. Often times she'd sit back and wish that everyone could see Nadia for what she really was a devil in disguise. But like a good little girlfriend Lauren would play along or suffer the consequences when they returned home. Sometimes no matter what Lauren did, or how well she put up a front in front of Nadia's coworkers, Nadia would still find a reason to slap Lauren around or give her a verbal tongue lashing. One night after a small get together at a local bar, things got really bad.
-Flashback-
Nadia was drunk as usual when they finally left the bar. When they finally got home Lauren helped Nadia inside and led her to the bedroom, sitting her on the edge of the bed. Lauren knelt down in front of Nadia, unlacing her boots in an effort to help her get ready for bed. As Lauren unlaced her left boot, Nadia stared at her hard. Lauren finally looked up at Nadia, nervous as to what Nadia was thinking. Finally Nadia broke the silence.
"I saw you checking her out." Nadia said in a low dangerous voice. "And I saw here checking you out too."
"I wasn't checking anyone out babe and I didn't notice anyone checking me out. Besides, I was right next to you the whole night."
"I know where the fuck you were Karen, but that doesn't mean you didn't let your eyes wonder." Nadia stated through a clenched jaw. "Now I have to make sure you understand that you're mine and you shouldn't be looking at anyone but me."
Before Lauren could respond Nadia kicked her in the face with her heavy boot. Lauren fell back in a daze holding her nose that was bleeding profusely. Lauren was trying to wrap her mind around what happened when Nadia began to kick her repeatedly in the abdomen. Lauren tried her best to protect herself as she curled up in the fetal position, before passing out from the pain.
