Linda smiled as she laughed at something Oliver said. It had been a few weeks since the fair and she had taken to spending more and more time with Oliver.
She had started lying to Adrian. When she was spending time with Oliver she would tell him she was going out with Caitlin and Felicity. She knew that her friends would cover for her.
She knew it was wrong to lie but it was the only time she got to spend with Oliver and spending time with him had become so important to her. It wasn't something she was willing to give up.
"You seem happy," Oliver commented, enjoying seeing her laugh.
"I just have really enjoyed spending time with you lately." Linda smiled. "I feel at ease when I'm with you."
Oliver smiled. "I'm happy you can relax and be yourself with me."
Linda bit her lip. "If I'm being honest, it's the only time I feel like I can be my self."
Oliver reached out for her hand curling his fingers around hers in a show of support.
Linda started to smile but she felt, the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end and that only happened when she felt someone was watching, she looked around slowly at first she saw nothing but then he looked out the window and she nearly jumped out of her skin.
Adrian stood on the other side of the glass, his expression dark and angry. A shiver ran through her entire body, she snapped her gaze back to Oliver, yanking her hand away from him.
Oliver's eyes flashed with pain before he registered her look of fear. "What's wrong?"
"Adrian." She looked back out the window but he was gone like he was never there to begin with.
Oliver followed her gaze. "Where?"
"I could have sworn he was there." Linda shook her head. "Maybe, I just imagine it."
Oliver took her hand back in his, squeezing. "Your safe with me."
Linda's shoulders sagged in relief at that, his words weren't just a sentiment of comfort because she truly felt safe whenever she was with him.
Linda shut the door shut softly behind her, she walked into the living room and dropped her bag in the chair, she turned to walk into the kitchen and froze up, Adrian stood in the doorway with a familiar dark look in his eyes."
"Hey," Linda smiled. "How was your day?" She moved into the kitchen and got her a glass of water.
"It certainly had its surprises," Adrian followed her into the kitchen. "What did you do today?"
"Nothing special." Linda shrugged. "The girls and I got together for a group study session."
She lifted the glass to her lips, missing his hand shooting out, smacking roughly against her wrist. The glass crashed into the wall, shattering on impact shards of glass scattering across the floor.
"Don't lie to me!" Adrian snapped.
Linda jumped, fear spiking in her chest. "I wasn't-"
"Yes, you were. I saw you today with him." Adrian sneered.
Linda took a step back, fighting the urge to look away from him, knowing it would only piss him off more. "What? Him, who?"
"Don't play dumb with me, bitch!" Adrian's hand struck out again, this time catching her across the cheek, she cried out at the pain her head snapping to the side.
Adrian gripped her jaw, his fingers digging in sharply, forcing her to look back at him. "I saw you with Oliver, laughing with him, touching, flirting, you fucking slut!"
"It wasn't," she winced at his tight grip, fighting back a cry of pain. "It wasn't like that!"
"Don't lie to me!" he roared releasing his grip on her chin, he grabbed her roughly by the arm and swung her face first into the fridge.
Her head cracked against the steel and she cried out, her temple throbbing, she placed her hands against the fridge to steady herself and turned back around, her eyes widened. Adrian was right there, his fist coming at her quickly, she had no time to react as he punched her in the face, she stumbled back into the refrigerator, her eye throbbing.
Adrian wasn't done however he wrapped one hand around her throat, and brought his fist back, punching her two more times across the jaw.
She cried out, her face throbbing with pain, and she felt something wet trickling down her temple. "Stop! Stop!" She cried. "Adria, please! You're hurting me!"
Adrian wrapped both hands around her throat. "Good." he tightened his grip, choking her.
Linda's eyes went wide, she couldn't breathe, she scratched and clawed at his hand trying to get free, her face turning red with the lack of oxygen. "Ple-ase." she choked out.
It was only once her surroundings started to blur and dark spots danced across her vision did he let go of her throat.
Linda slid to the floor, grasping her throat, tears streaming down her face.
She was in so much pain, her throat and face aching she didn't even see the kick coming until pain rippled across her abdomen, she fell to the floor on her side, a cry of pain ripped from her lips as she curled her arm around herself.
Adrain stood over her, lips pulled back into an angry scowl, his eyes dark and filled with malice, he kicked her two more times, she tried to curl herself into a ball in an attempt to make herself a smaller target but it only made him kick her harder.
She sobbed in agony. "Please, stop! It hurts!"
Adrian sneered down at her and crouched low, he grabbed her jaw roughly and tilted her head up at him. "You are going to stay away from Queen or so help me God, this will get a whole lot worse for you. Do you understand?"
Linda whimpered, overwhelmed with pain and the devastating feeling of being helpless.
Adrian let go of her jaw and backhanded her across the face, snapping her head to the side from the force. "I said do you understand?"
"I..I understand." She said brokenly. "Please stop hurting me. I understand."
"Good." Adrian smiled then ran his hand through her hair. "Go get yourself cleaned up. You look like shit." He straightened up and walked out of the room.
Linda dropped her head to the floor, a sob wracking through her body as she curled in on herself. The pain overtaking her.
This was her life and it was never going to change and she hated it.
Linda was hesitant to meet with Oliver for their regular lunch but she needed to cut ties with him, she feared if she didn't Adrian really would kill her.
And she liked Oliver, she had deep feelings for him but she didn't want to die at her boyfriend's hands.
She walked into Jitters in a high collar buttoned up top, doing her best to hide the dark bruises covering the column of her throat she wore a baseball cap, using it to cast her face in shadows and large sunglasses.
She walked up to the counter where Oliver was working the register.
"Hi, what can I get you?" Oliver flashed his charming grin.
"Nothing but I really need to talk to you." She whispered, her voice coming out low and throaty from her abused vocal cords.
Oliver's eyes widened, concerned clouding his features. "Linda?"
Linda nodded, sharply. "Do you have a minute?"
"Beth, I'm taking my break now, cover for me." He didn't wait for his female co-worker to respond before he was walking out from behind the counter, he walked around to Linda taking her by the hand and leading her outside and around the building to the back alley so they could speak privately.
He turned toward her. "What's wrong?"
"I think it's best we don't see each other anymore," Linda whispered, her heart aching at the thought of him no longer being apart of her life.
Oliver sighed. "Haven't we had this talk before? I'm here for you. Don't push me away."
"I don't want to." her breath hitched in her throat. "But I can't be friends with you anymore."
"What are you talking about?" Oliver's forehead creased in honest confusion. "I thought things were good between us."
"They are." The last thing Linda wanted was for him to think he was at fault. "This has nothing to do with you."
Oliver's eyes narrowed. "This is about him, isn't it? It's about Adrian? He said something." his eyes took her in, from the glasses to the shirt she wore, the cap. "He did something, didn't he? He hurt you again."
"I'm sorry." Linda apologized, regret welling up inside her. "I wish things were different but their not and I have to go. This is goodbye, Oliver."
"No, it's not." Oliver shook his head and reached for her but she took a step back out of his reach. "I told you I would fight for you. Let me."
Tears filled Linda's eyes and she stepped back until her back was pressed up against the brick wall behind her. "I'm not worth it."
Oliver jaw clenched and he stepped forward till his body was brushing against hers and gently took her hands in his. "Don't ever say that. You're worth it."
Oliver's hands released hers, moving up her arms he reached for her baseball cap, pushing it off the top of her head and pushed her hair back, seeing the swelling and the cut at her temple, his jaw clenched eyes darkening.
He reached for her sunglasses gently removing them before dropping them to the ground, taking in her black eye, bruises and the swollen and discoloring of her jaw.
His blood boiled and he clenched his hands into fist. "Why?"
"He saw us together," Anna whispered, her heart pounding in her chest at his closeness the anger she could see in his eyes but unlike when Adrian got angry she wasn't scared. She knew without a shadow of a doubt Oliver would never lay one violent hand on her. "He thinks I'm sleeping with you."
God, she didn't deserve this. Adrian was a fucking scumbag and he didn't deserve one single moment with her.
His eyes drifted down to her high collar shirt and his instincts told him she was hiding more bruises. He unbuttoned her shirt, one button at a time, reveal a white cami tank top beneath. Dark bruises covered her neck in the shape of fingers wrapping around the column of her throat.
"Where else did he hurt you?" Oliver demanded in concern.
Linda slowly lifted her shirt to just beneath her ribs, her skin was colored a violent red-ish purple.
Oliver felt his body vibrating with unexpressed anger.
The sight of the bruises littering Linda's perfect skin, the pain she must have suffered at Adrian's hands, how much it much still hurt.
Adrian was a piece of garbage that didn't even deserve to breathe the same air as Linda.
Oliver's jaw clenched, letting out a harsh breath. "I'm going to make him pay for this!"
"Oliver, no, please!" Linda pleaded. "You're just going to make things worse and I can't do worse."
"You won't" Oliver vowed, he stepped forward, placing one hand on her hip and the other against her unbruised cheek and leaned his forehead gently against her. "I'm never going to let anyone lay a hand on you again. I will keep you safe from this moment on, okay?
Linda nodded slowly. "Okay," her eyes filled with tears and she lifted her arms, throwing them around him, pressing her body against his chest.
Oliver wrapped his arms around her, holding her in the safety of his arms where he knew no one could hurt her and Linda had never felt safer.
Oliver swore he saw red when he walked into the high scale restaurant and saw Adrian sitting with some of his law school colleagues, laughing it up, enjoying himself like he didn't beat the crap out of his girlfriend last night because he was a controlling jealous asshole.
Adrian's laugh cut off when he caught sight of Oliver storming over to him, he stood quickly. "Queen, what the hell ar-"
Oliver slammed his fist into Adrian's face causing a commotion inside the restaurant, startled screams, and gasp cutting through the air.
"You laid your hands on Linda for the last time, Chase." Oliver spat.
Adrian shoved back at him and the second he was on his feet he ran at Oliver tackling him through a glass window.
The glass shattered around them on impact, Oliver kicked Adrian away from him and got back to his feet. Ignoring shards of glass cutting through the skin of his palm.
Adrian scrambled back to his feet, the glass cutting into his arms. "That bitch actually went to you to defend her?" Adrian sneered. "Do you actually think you can protect her from me?"
Oliver's fist clenched. "I'll protect her from you and anyone else who tries to hurt her," Oliver vowed.
He was determined that Linda never had to suffer at the hands of Adrian again even if he had to give Adrain a taste of his own medicine.
He was done hurting Linda someone Oliver cared for very deeply and would rather die than see anyone hurt her again.
A/N: Thanks for reading. Reviews are encouraged.
