This one is much longer to help make up for the shortness of the last chapter! Thank you for getting this far! 3
The following days went by faster than Kolhara had imagined, Tony had gone to her apartment and installed the best cameras she could have, the apartment had been cleaned, and furniture was being delivered today. Kolhara stood in the middle of her new living room as the guy from her new internet provider installed her new router and made sure everything was working. As he was finishing up a knock came at the door and the delivery guys were there for her bed and couch and other things. She thanked them as they finished and tipped them before they left, turning around as she closed the door locking it behind the movers, she scanned the living room, it looked like she had imagined, the couch and the love seat had fit in her living room perfectly, the tv mounted on the wall with the floating shelves she had surrounded it for Knick knacks and collectibles she had always enjoyed keeping her eyes out for, now empty but she had plans for going to a thrift store soon, probably this weekend, and she was sure she would find a few things to put on the shelves.
Her eyes scanned the room again, pride filled her chest. These were her things, her things she had bought with her money. She didn't have to fight with Cyrus about what she bought, or where to put it. Her eyes looked out her sliding glass door at the "church" across the street, the man from before wasn't on the roof this time. It honestly looked like it was going to rain. Shaking her head clearing her mind she sat on the couch tucking her feet under her butt, it was soft enough she felt herself sink into the couch just enough to be comfortable. Looking at her phone she checked the time, almost 4PM. It had been a fairly long day, yet it felt like it was only noon. Her stomach grumbled and she realized she had everything but food in the apartment. Thinking about what sounded good, perhaps delivery, she scrolled through her phone seeing what was close by. The Deli across the street popped up, the memory of the Ruben she had the day she met Wong flashed on her taste buds and she stood up. Why wait for delivery when she could just walk across the street? Slipping on her sandals she grabbed her keys and wallet, she was just going across the street, she wouldn't be gone long.
Hitting the sidewalk outside she felt the cooler air hit her face, she thought about making the trip back upstairs to grab a jacket, but she decided against it, the deli was only a five minute walk, she could take five minutes of cool air. The deli welcomed her with it's wonderful smells and warmth, she went up to the corner and made her order. She waited at a table near the door looking out the window and people watched. The flow of peopled seemed to slow as the sky darkened, her guess on the rain seemed to be coming true. Her food was ready and she ate in the deli, not ready to feel the cool air on an empty stomach again, she ate slowly, enjoying every bite, she had no need to rush, even if it did start raining, she was five minutes away, what was five minutes of rain?
She finished her food and stood clearing the table of the basket her food came in and the cup, the garbage was near the deli counter, a little place for the baskets near the check out register. The little bell attached to the door gave a small rang and she turned to leave, but her feet and heart stopped, her food felt like it was going to come back up. Standing just inside the door was Cyrus.
He hadn't seen her yet, his head was turned talking to the bodyguard she had seen with him at Tony and Pepper's a few days ago. Clutching her hands to her chest she quickly turned around, acting like she was looking at the menu again. the mana t the counter looked at her confused but greeted Cyrus and his bodyguard, bringing his attention to him. She slowly backed away, keeping her face away from Cyrus, but always in the corner of her eyes. He pulled out something from his pocket and showed the clerk. "I'm looking for this woman, I heard she was in the area. Have you seen her?" It was an older picture of Kolhara, when Cyrus had gone through a blonde faze and made her bleach her hair to appease him. The clerk looked from the picture to Kolhara, her eyes filled with fear as she stared at him shaking her head mouthing the word no over and over as she continued backing towards the door. She was close, but not close enough to run.
"I don't sell information," the clerk said pointing to the menu above him. "I sell food, you hungry?"
Cyrus shook his head. "No thank you." He put the picture back into his pocket and pulled out a business card. "If you see her please call this number." He turned to leave but the clerk spoke up again stopping him, just a few more inches and she'd be close enough to dart and make it to the door.
"She dangerous?" the clerk asked.
"Dangerous?" Cyrus asked thinking.
"Yeah, she kill someone or somethin'?"
"No... She's uh-" Cyrus thought for a moment. "She's just someone I'm looking for. She could be in danger." Of course, playing the doting husband, he was good at that one.
"I'll keep my eye out for her." The clerk pointed to his eye and winked.
"Yes, well, thank you." She could see his fake worried expression as he began to turn towards her and the door again. She turned towards the door herself, before he could look at her face and hit the bar against the door as hard as she could to run. Before she could get out the door, the door hit someone, knocking the bar against her stomach knocking some of the wind out of her.
"Oh, sorry!" It was Wong. "Kolhara!" He smiled at her, but his smile vanished as he saw the horrified look on her face at his mention of his name. "Everything ok?"
She shook her head as subtle as she could, she breathe "No." under her voice, she could feel Cyrus coming closer.
"There you are sweetheart." He grabbed her around the shoulders hugging her from behind, his cologne make her head spin. She tried to tug herself away, but Cyrus held tight. "I've been wondering where you've been hiding." He leaned forward and whispered into her hair, not quiet enough as Wong heard. He looked from Cyrus's face to Kolhara's.
"Am I too late for dinner Kolhara?" Wong asked stepping closer, Cyrus loosened his grip on Kolhara but not completely.
"No, I was just about to look outside for you, Wong." Kolhara said through clenched teeth, she looked at Wong, her eyes begging for help.
"I couldn't find my umbrella." He held up a dark green umbrella. "Thought it looked like rain."
"I thought so too, but I left mine at home." She tried to pull away from Cyrus but he didn't let her move far. She was breathing heavy thinking to herself, Please don't leave. The bell from the door sounded again and a man slightly taller than Wong stepped in.
"You really couldn't wait for me to grab my jacket could you Wong?" He said stopping and looking at the sight before him. Kolhara was pushing against Cyrus's arm her hands in fists at her sides, her eyes pleading with Wong. "Everything alright?" He directed the question at Kolhara who looked from Wong to him.
Kolhara was trying not to make a wrong move, her brain screamed at her to scream, to ask for help, to not let Cyrus are her out of this deli, but she didn't want to scare Wong or his friend off, right now they were her only chance at getting out of here. "Yeah, I was just..." She thought of a way to explain how she was trying to meet up with Wong without saying she had just been trying to leave. "I was supposed to meet Wong for dinner." She looked back to Wong and he nodded looking at his friend. "Stephen this is Kolhara, I told you I met her the other day." He turned back to Kolhara. "She was the one who almost knocked down the table."
Cyrus gave a deep chuckle, "That's my wife, she's very clumsy," he clapped her shoulder much harder than he needed to, a red mark shone, she felt her face wince. "Sorry to interrup your dinner boys, but Kolhara has seemed to forget we have a business meeting here soon." He gripped her arm, digging his fingernails into her skin.
"No, Cyrus, we don't. I'm having dinner with Wong and-" She looked to Wong's friend who's name she missed.
"Stephen." He said gently looking at her.
"And Stephen." She tried pulling away again, his grip lessened but Cyrus did not let go. "So, you can leave now."
"Not unless you're coming with me." Cyrus said harshly.
Stephen stepped closer, standing next to Wong, he was within arm's reach of Kolhara. "I believe the lady said you could leave." He looked into Cyrus's eyes not moving.
Cyrus looked between the three of them, and after what felt like forever he let go of Kolhara's arm, you could see where his fingernails had dug into her skin. "Fine." He looked at her with a disgusting smile. "See you at home." And he walked out, followed by his bodyguard. The three of them stood there for a few more moments in case he decided to come back inside, but he didn't Stephen and Wong looked at Kolhara.
"What was that all about?" Wong was the first to ask. "Who was that guy?"
Kolhara didn't look at either of them, she felt if she looked anywhere but the door Cyrus would come back. "You heard him."
"That guy is your husband?" Wong asked seemingly shocked. "Really?"
"Soon to be ex husband..." Kolhara said, "IF he doesn't kill me first." She finally broke eye contact with the door to look at Stephen and Wong. "I'm sorry." She quickly looked down at the floor. "Thank you for lying for me, but I shouldn't have brought either of you into my situation."
"It's fine. We're used to being brought into other people's situations." Wong said and Stephen chuckled.
"You're bleeding." Stephen said and reached for her arm, Kolhara flinched. "Hey, you're fine." He moved more slowly and stepped closer to her, his fingers danced around her arm.
"It'll be fine." Kolhara said, but she didn't pull her arm away. "I've had worse." She looked down at his hands scars covered his hands.
"Me too." He said softly. She looked up at him and felt a gasp catch in her throat. His eyes were gorgeous, she almost couldn't look away. Their eyes locked on to one another's for a moment, it felt fleeting, almost meaningless, yet at the same time it felt like they never looked away from each other's. "You should really let me look at your arm." He looked back down at her arm.
"No, really, you both have helped me more than enough." Kolhara shook her head. "It'll just put some medicine on it and a bandaid. It'll be fine. I doubt it'll get infected."
"It's not an infection I'm worried about." He said sounding a little more doctoral. "Because unless he has 6 fingers there are more marks in your arm than there should be."
"What?" Kolhara looked down at her arm bringing it up closer to look at her hand brushed against Stephen's stomach, and indeed there were 5 marks in her arm. Four finger cuts where Cyrus's nails had cut skin, and a sixth in between where his middle and ring finger had gripped her. She felt her heart beat faster, and her head start to spin. "I should get home." She said pulling her arm away from Stephen she went towards the door but stumbled, Stephen grabbed her before she could fall he looked to Wong.
"You get dinner, I'm taking her back to the Sanctum." Wong nodded but stopped.
"Money." Wong held out his hand. "You were paying."
"You don't have your own?" Stephen asked?
"Take my card." Kolhara said holding it out to Wong. "Please." She gave Wong a small smile. "It's the least I could do." Wong shrugged and took it.
"See you back at the Sanctum." Wong said.
"Can you still feel your legs?" Stephen asked as Wong walked to the counter.
"I mean, I know they're there." Kolhara tried to be funny about the situation. "Does that count?" She tried to chuckle.
Stephen held back a smirk. "I'm afraid not." He watched as Kolhara grabbed a nearby chair. "Can I touch you?" He asked.
"What?" Kolhara asked taken aback.
"Can I to- never mind." He said grabbing her before she hit the floor.
"I can walk." Kolhara slurred. Stephen started out the door and down the sidewalk, her head leaned against his chest and she listened to his voice rumble in his chest.
"Somehow I highly doubt that." He sounded like he was holding back a smile. "It's a good thing you didn't go with him."
"It's a good thing you and Wong aren't idiots." She gave a drunk chuckle. "I'm sorry, that was rude." she was trying to fight the drug.
"Well, I can't speak for Wong, but I'm far from an idiot." She felt the chuckle in his chest more than she heard it. "We're almost there."
"I'm gunna take a nap.." She trailed off, her hand that had been clutching her shirt went lax and she lost the fight against the drug.
Hours went by as she tossed and turned in the unfamiliar bed to nightmares most of the night, early morning came and she sat up drenched in sweat. She looked around in the dark and unfamiliar room, trying to remember what had happened, Cyrus's face swam in her mind and her heart beat quickened. She slowly reached out to the space next to her, waiting to feel another body. But she reached the end of the bed and felt no other body, she seemed to be alone. She relaxed, and squinted through the dark, it seemed like a bedroom, not hers, but someone's. She spun to the side and dropped her legs over the side of the bed. she felt a breeze against her legs, reaching down she felt no pants, just the scars her legs held. She darted her hands to her pelvis and relaxed again when she felt her underwear still on. A door opened to her left and she flinched pulling the blanket over her legs to cover herself.
"Kolhara?" A familiar voice sounded in the dark and a light switched on lightening up the room, Stephen stood in the doorway, a wet cloth and glass of water in his hands. "You're awake." He smirked.
"Where am I?" Kolhara asked squinting at him.
"My room." He walked over to her and sat the glass of water next to her on the bedside table. "I didn't want to risk taking you home." He placed his hand on her back, she flinched at the sudden contact. "You passed out on the way here, thankfully it was just a common flunitrazepam. It should be out of your system completely soon."
"A common what?" She felt a little dizzy still, and big words were not her friend at the moment.
"Date rape drug." Stephen simplified.
"Oh." She reached for the glass of water and drank it. "That again? He needs to find a new trick." She rubbed at her eyes. "What time is it?"
"Just after 5AM." Stephen said. "You hungry?"
She shook her head. "Not at the moment, I feel a little sick."
Stephen nodded and pulled a bottle from his pants pocket. "Take one of these, it'll help."
She looked down at the pill in his hand. "What is it?"
"Zofran." He gave her a encouraging smile. "It'll help with the nausea."
"You sure know a lot about drugs." Kolhara said as she dry swallowed the pill.
"Well, I'm a doctor, I would hope so." He chuckled. "We haven't been properly introduced," He held out his hand, and Kolhara took it, "Doctor Stephen Strange."
"Kolhara Wr- Phoenyx." She corrected herself.
"Like the novelist?" Stephen asked as Kolhara took her hand back placing it in her lap.
"More like is." She shrugged. "Didn't think it was that noticeable." She blushed. "Guessing you've read one?"
"No actually, but you won a Pulitzer for one didn't you?" Stephen asked.
"Yeah, right before I got-" She hung herself up on the word. "Before my name change." She didn't like thinking about being married.
"Haven't put out anything in a while. Lose your muse?" Stephen asked trying to lead her away from the topic of marriage.
"You could say that..." She trailed off. "I was writing for a music company. But I think I'm going to get back into books again." The thought brought a smile to her face. "Sorry, but... where are my pants?"
Stephen reached to the end of the bed and pulled them from the floor. "You took them off at some point in the middle of the night." He turned his back to her giving her some privacy. "I noticed the scars on your legs. And your arms."
"Yeah..." she quickly pulled her pants on. "Life happens."
He turned around, "That's not life Kolhara." He reached out to grab her hand, and she let him. "Life may give you scars, but they shouldn't be like that."
"I deserved th-" she began to say but stopped herself. So long she had covered Cyrus's abuse with the typical 'It was an accident.' 'I deserved it.' 'I cut myself cooking.' Every excuse under the sun you could think of she had said. She looked down at the space between them on the bed and she pulled her hand out of his. "It's over now... I hope." She felt his gaze on her but she felt too embarrassed to look at him. "Where's the bathroom?" She needed to take a moment for herself.
"Over there." He pointed to a door, she got up and rushed to it, quickly opening it and softly, but still quickly closing it behind her.
"Stephen?" Came Wong's voice from his doorway. "She alright?"
"A little nauseous." Stephen stood and walked out of the room. Wong stood there a little longer, he had been at the doorway before she had left for the bathroom. He saw what was between the two adults. Even if they didn't see it yet themselves.