A/N: Warning: The following chapter may be a trigger for some, contains mentions of sexual/physical abuse.

Chapter 4: Love the Way You Lie (Rihanna)

By our second helping of breakfast, Quinn had moved from pity to rage.

"I mean how fucked up is it that she glossed over your rape and his abuse, she completely ignored your father's abuse and focused on the blow job. I mean, it was a crazy thing to do but how could she not see that it had more to do with your fear of Marco than anything else?"

I waved around a strip of bacon as I agreed.

"I know! I mean, I love her, and I know she can be a little…slow to catch up and I know what I didwas bad, but she should have been able to stop and realize that what I've been through is so much bigger."

"I know and I have to believe that with some time, she'll realize that leaving us here instead of talking through this was the wrong call."

"You think? I really do love her, Q."

"More than Ari?"

"Possibly."

"Then you fight for her and give her the space that she needs. She's hurt and unlike us she didn't have shitty parents. There is a level to this she will never understand."

"I just don't want to feel like I'm punishing her for having good parents...like how fucked up is it to hold that against her, Q."

"No one is perfect, I'm sure she has secrets of her own."

"That's getting harder and harder to believe. She's some kind of perfect and if Papi hadn't looked at me like he did last night, I would have proudly made out with her in front of everyone."

"But he did give you a look, I just hope your mom was able to talk him down."

"Me too, Q...me too."

We ate in silence for a bit, both thinking back to a time where me loving a girl at all would be cause for my father to punch a hole through my head. I felt the tears coming and quickly wiped at my face.

"Maybe we should call someone to come get us?"

"Yeah, call Puck."

"I'm thinking maybe not, she won't appreciate him giving us a ride. It's a small town, there is no way she doesn't find out."

"So, what if she does?"

"I promised her that I wouldn't let you be alone with him and I'm sure that she doesn't trust me much right now, so even if I'm there, she'll probably think I drove while you two humped."

"What?"

"I told her it was dumb, that you were in love with her and even though he is a flirt and a whore, there was no way you two would go there."

"But she made you promise anyway?"

"Yes, and after the blow job..."

"Fine, call your hobbit, I guess."

"Hey…come on be nice."

"I don't have much nice left in me these days. I can be cordial…maybe."

"Okay."

The twenty-minute car ride was spent listening to RuPaul talk about how she was so glad that I was no longer trying to kill her after the whole kiss at Nationals thing. I kept my mouth shut only because I knew that it would make Quinn happy, but I had no control over my rolling eyes.

Rachel had been on her way to an audition or something, so she only had time to make one stop, so she dropped us both at my house.

"I need to walk." I said and so Quinn looped her arm with mine and we walked through the development for an hour just enjoying the early afternoon sunshine.

"I shouldn't have blown you off for Rachel yesterday."

"Damn right, you should have been with me."

"It wouldn't have stopped him, just so you know...even without what you did...he would have still been there."

"I know."

"I hate every part of this."

"Me too."

"So, what do you do?"

"Like you said, I need to do what she wants, and I will as long as I don't have to grovel."

"I won't grovel unless you do."

"So, it's settled, we won't grovel."

"Do you want me to check on her at least?"

"Maybe have the hobbit do it."

"Stop calling her that."

"I'll do what I want."

"To her face...at least...don't call her names."

"Okay, I can do that."

"Thanks."

"I love you, Q. We got off track for a bit there, but I do love you."

I waited for a response and of course being her, "I scrubbed jizz out of your hair, there is no question how I feel about you."

Once we got back to the house, we both realized how incredibly exhausted we were, so I offered to take Quinn home.

"Any plans for the rest of the weekend?" I asked her as I dug my keys out of my purse.

"I might go to the club get some tennis, you want to come?"

"Why go to the club when you could just play tennis in the development?"

"Because I don't live here."

"But I do."

"No offense but maybe that was an excuse, so I could go hang out with Rachel."

"You don't have to lie about that anymore. If you have plans to hang out with your boo, then just say so."

"Fine. I'm taking her roller skating tomorrow night."

"That's corny but cute, just your speed."

"Exactly."

Just as we were settled in the car and I was starting it up, my mom came running out the house trying to flag me down.

I put down the window and tried not to seem impatient as she caught her breath.

"Oh, good hija, I caught you! Oh hi, Quinn! Are you planning on hanging around for a bit, maybe staying for dinner? Marco will be here, and I am sure you would love to catch up! Plus, I am making your favorite!"

My mom said as she leaned in through my window, it all sounded like code for please don't leave me here with your father and that boy.

I was getting grumpy and just wanted to leave already but I knew that my mom would go on longer unless Quinn agreed to stay for dinner. So, I turned to Q and smiled while pleading with my eyes for her to stay.

She finally just flashed my mom a smile and nodded.

"Sure Gladys, I just um need to get home and change. What time should we be back?"

"It's four now so by six."

"See you then."

My mom nodded and then Q and I were finally on our way.

"How do you get my mom to bend so easily?"

I was impressed, I thought the conversation was going to end up being much longer.

"Oh simple, just tell her what she wants to hear! Besides I never turn down her bacon and cheese fritters! God, those are like heaven!"

"And here I thought it was to support your best friend in her time of need."

"Yeah, that too...but those fritters though."

Q threw her head back and rubbed her stomach.

She looked over at me and smiled.

"So...what is up with Marco showing up suddenly? It's been like over three years, right?" She said with a scrunched-up face. "He's like a tick now, I don't trust this."

I sighed heavily.

"Me either, I don't know what it is he wants but it can't be good...at least not for me! He is up to something and I am afraid that my little performance last night just added fuel to the fire. I'm seriously fucked!"

Once we were at Quinn's, I kicked off my shoes and followed her into her dad's old study.

Quinn rummaged his liquor closet and came out with a bottle of wine and some vodka.

"Liquid courage for us, wine for the old people."

"Perfect...tell me I can have some of that now?"

"Of course...a little now, some more before we go into your house."

"I like how you think, Fabray."

"Of course, you do."

I planted myself on her bed while she showered and pulled out my phone.

There were some late birthday texts from a few relatives and a text from the asshole.

See you tonight Anita, I've got surprise for my best girl-M

And then there was the one that made my heart skip and then stop.

Hey, I rlly h8 u right nw. My hrt hurts n I don't kno how 2 fix it. I wish u told me about ur baby. It makes me wonder what else u kept frm me? Y did u lie? N e ways I talked 2 mom n she agreed 2 let me go back to AZ...no sweet lady kisses 4 u.-Brittany

I threw my phone across the room and almost hit Quinn in the face as she entered.

She caught it, looked at how pissed I was before turning my phone over and opening my texts.

Her eyes looked up at me sadly and I shrugged, defeated.

"There goes my chance to grovel!" She muttered.

Papi smiled at Quinn when she handed him the bottle of wine and he kissed my face with nearly a grin.

I was unnerved.

Mami shooed us upstairs because she wanted me to change into something nicer.

And as we climbed the stairs, I heard that laugh.

It was warm and childlike, my bones were chilled, my heart was racing, and I wanted to die.

Alone in my room, Quinn pulled out the vodka bottle and held it out to me.

I snatched it and took long chugs until I couldn't swallow anymore.

Quinn took it back and set it on my desk as I choked on the sheer grossness of it.

"That's not going to make anything better. Get changed, brush your teeth and put on your brave face. Just smile and nod through dinner and hopefully he will leave."

"That sounds like a pipe dream."

"Well that's all we have."

There were footsteps on the stairs and then the door swung open.

Mami's happy face was shining until she fully stepped into the room.

"Did she have a drink?" She asked Q, who nodded without hesitation. "Good, did you save me any?"

I looked at her in shock, my mother doesn't drink.

Papi was the sole alcoholic of the family but right now she seemed to need it badly.

She wiped the rim of the bottle and then in a replay of me from a moment prior, she chugged it until it was empty.

Quinn didn't even seem bothered by it, she just stood watching us both barely hanging on.

"Mami...what's going on?"

"Promise me something, Santana."

Full name. Crap.

"Okay."

"If your father looks like he's going to his dark place, you get Quinn and you get the hell out of here."

"Okay."

"I cannot let him go back to hurting you."

"Okay."

"Come here." Mami hugged me so tight and then held an arm out for Q.

We stood there like that until a loud laugh, my father's laugh, broke the silence.

"That moment might be sooner than we think, Mami...maybe I should go now?"

"No, today is supposed to be your birthday dinner, just family...I just had no idea that your father would invite him."

"Well we might as well get it over with then." I muttered, changing my outfit as quickly as possible before following them downstairs.

It couldn't be that bad right?

We sat around the dinner table in silence.

Quinn and Mami were having a spirited conversation about the fritters while Papi and Marco reminisced about the few good times that we used to have.

There was no mention of the miscarriage or what led to it. No one talked about my relationship with him and how fucking warped it was.

I just kept my head down even though the conversation centered on me and tried to enjoy my little buzz.

All I could think about was Britt's face as I told her about this idiot and how we left things. She hated me right now and I felt cast off by her. We had worked so hard to get to this point.

How could I let it all slip away?

Quinn gasped from across the table and I looked up at her, confused and then she looked to my right.

There on the table between our plates sat a velvet box.

"What is that for?" I asked.

"Three years ago, your father told me to leave Lima and not come back until you were of age. I told him I wanted to marry you when you graduated, take you to New York, support you and give you all that you deserve." The threat in that statement made me cringe. "Marry me, Ana, make all my dreams come true."

His dreams, fucking asshole.

Papi was beaming proudly at me, something that was so far from who he was that I was stunned.

"You approved of this?" I asked him, and he nodded.

"It's about time you let go of the foolish games with that girl and be serious about your life, your career, and your future. Don't you want that, Anita, to make me proud?"

"Yes, Papi."

"So, don't make him wait."

I looked towards Mami and she just looked at my father, tears in her eyes but he wouldn't look back at her.

"I'm in love with Brittany. I told you that."

"I told your parents about your visit yesterday and about all the people you've been with. Your father and I agreed that this path that you're on is not befitting your aspirations. If you say yes, you can come spend the summer with me, I'll set you up a job in the mayor's office and let you sit in on a case. What better way to get used to the life you've always dreamed of than with your fiancé by your side."

"I think it would be great for you, mi'ja."

That of course made me smile like an idiot, my father calling me mi'ja and smiling at me.

Quinn gaped at me and while I sat fascinated at the adoring look on Papi's face. He is never proud of me, either, so I automatically responded to him like a starving child.

"Okay, Papi."

I didn't mean to accept a proposal but now I was stuck.

Marco slipped the ring on my finger and Quinn snatched my hand and gawked at the rock that I was now sporting.

My world was rapidly spinning out of control!

At some point Quinn managed to drag me away from the table and up to my room.

I sat on my window seat gazing out at my tree house where Britt and I had spent endless nights.

I don't know when the tears started or when Quinn had plopped down next to me, all I know is that I ended up sniveling into her sweater begging her to help me fix this.

"San, what just happened down there? I can't believe this, that bastard could sell fire in hell! New York, wow!"

My head snapped up.

"I can't go to New York, Q...what did I just do?! What about senior year?"

I gripped her sweater and stared desperately into her eyes.

She pushed my hair out of my face and gave me a pitiful look.

"San, sweetie, how much did you hear after he put the ring on you? You were just staring at it and kept mumbling about B."

"She's never going to forgive me if I up and move away with the guy who I said was nobody."

"It's just until cheer camp in August."

"That's almost two whole months of me at his mercy, Q. He could kill me."

"But he won't, he's not that stupid."

"It's almost happened before Q...remember my wrist?"

"I do, which is what scares me."

Marco called up to us, but I was too busy pacing to hear him.

Q poked her head out the door and said something, then she came back in looking flushed.

"We are supposed to be up here packing, I can't believe he planned all this!" She rubbed my shoulders. "What do we tell Britt now?"

I shook my head in disbelief,

"NO, NO, NO this can't be happening Q! There is no fixing this! Fuck! Even if I somehow get out of this marriage, she is NEVER going to forgive me."

"Britt loves you...we'll find a way to get her to understand that this is bigger than you."

"Promise?" The tears were flowing now.

"I swear."

I rummaged through my purse as the plane landed at JFK, it was late, and I was a raging bitch as the shock wore off.

Marco insisted on holding my hand during the whole flight trying to get me to talk to him about all the plans that he had for me, but I wouldn't speak a word to him. He'd somehow convinced my parents to go along with this and even though legally I'm an adult, there's still a year of school for me, not to mention the fact that I relied on them financially. As big and bad as I liked to be, there was no faking out Marco. Eventually he had enough and took my phone away until agreed to talk to him.

"This is going to be great for us, Ana. I have a job lined up for you that you are going to be great at. I wasn't sure at first but then after reconnecting with you yesterday, I just knew that there was no way I could leave Lima without ensuring that you were mine once and for all. You need to let that girl go, there's no future with her."

I rolled my eyes most of the time and now I was desperately searching for gum since I couldn't smoke, he said it was a filthy habit and while I had been trying to quit for Brittany, now that didn't fucking matter. I needed something, anything that I could control.

The gum popped between my teeth as I begrudgingly followed Marco through the airport, baggage claim, and then into a cab.

He put his arm around me and held a full conversation with the driver about our new engagement and our wedding plans while I just looked out into the rain...wishing I could make a run for it.

We weaved in and out of traffic for about 30 minutes and I still refused to talk.

My phone couldn't help me right now...so I just sat there.

I could feel Marco's irritation with me, but he should have prepared for this.

How could he think that I would be chomping at the bit to be his wife?

Fuck him.

We pulled up to an upscale building somewhere in TriBeCa and Marco gripped my wrist, nearly dragging me out of the cab.

If the cab driver saw it, he said nothing as he retrieved our bags and set them on the curb.

Marco shook his hand and then waited for the cab to pull away before grabbing his bag and storming towards the building. I pulled my bag and was much more cordial as he talked to the doorman and introduced me.

Marco seemed happy that I had acknowledged the man but then he held my wrist a little too tight as we got on the elevator and almost pulled my arm out of its socket to get me off it.

The apartment was open and ritzy.

My father would love it.

"Welcome to your new home."

I spat on the ground right in the foyer right next to his feet.

"Fuck you."

I was on the floor before I realized that Marco lifted his hand.

His fist had met my chin so hard that there was no way I could keep my balance.

Whatever I had thought this would be, seemed to be sunshine compared to this.

Shit was getting really scary, really fast, the semi-abusive pushover that knocked me up was now a man with a lot of power behind his punch.

I was had a hand pressed to my face as I looked up at him from the cold ass floor.

"Okay Ana, enough! I let you have your pity party long enough. You are going to clean that shit up and unpack our stuff, now!"

He landed a swift kick towards my side, but I shuffled away from him, he snickered and walked away from me, leaving me to remember just how scary he could be.

I used my shirt to clean the floor and scrambled to grab the bags.

He was fixing himself a drink when I walked towards him with his bag over my shoulder and my suitcase rolling behind me.

"Where?" I asked, and he leaned towards me.

"Is that how I taught you to address me?"

I felt like I could vomit but I didn't want him to put his hands on me again, so I was going to play along until I could find a way out of here.

"Where should I put these, Daddy?"

He smiled and gestured down the hall.

"Good girl. First room on the left."

How had I gotten into this mess?

My face throbbed as I arranged the clothes into drawers and into the closet. I held back my tears as I sat on the king-sized bed that took up one side of the room. Everything was just my style, dark and sleek, was that something that I had learned from him? I crept into the bathroom and examined my face in the mirror.

There was bruise blooming on my chin already which mean it would be black by morning.

I just wanted to be home curled up in bed with Britt.

This was a living nightmare.

I jumped up when the bedroom door opened, within 24 hours he had me dangling on a string. He knew that I was far from home and at his mercy and he was going to take advantage for as long as he could.

For the last three years, I had worked to build myself to a stronger person, someone who wouldn't put up with this kind of shit, but I apparently hadn't worked hard enough.

"Not so tough, now, without your friends, are you?" I just stared at him not knowing how to respond. "Answer me Ana!" he said raising his voice slightly.

I shrugged.

"I'm still tough." I mumbled.

He began to laugh as if I had just told the funniest joke in the world.

I cracked a smile at him hoping that he would just leave me be. I would play his game if I could get my phone back or even just live peacefully for the next month and a half.

Just as I started to ease back into my comfort zone, Marco pushed me backwards and began undressing himself.

"I want to know what you've learned."

I looked up at him and then clenched my eyes shut.

"No." I whispered.

"Oh no, you are going to open your eyes and then you are going to enjoy everything I do to you. Got it?" he said standing between my legs and hovering over me.

I sat up and shoved him backwards leaping off the bed and running straight for the door.

He let me go halfway to the door before he shoved me from behind and I went sliding head first towards the fireplace. I shielded my head, but thankfully before I hit the concrete my body stopped sliding.

Once again, he was hovering over me, I began to feel helpless.

"Please, Mar...Daddy…I will do whatever you want. Please? Just stop this? Please?" I begged him from my fetal position on the floor.

"That's more like it, Ana. See how easy it is to just listen? I told your father I could knock some sense back into you!" He began to chuckle. "Get it? Knock sense into you!"

He let out a huge laugh before picking me up from the floor and tossing me over his shoulder. This time as he hovered over me, he brushed my hair out of my face and then slowly undressed me.

"You still love me, Princesa?"

I nodded. "Say it." He demanded.

"Yes, Daddy, I love you."

"Tell me you want me."

"I want you."

"How?"

"However, you want me." I said, trying to play nice, trying not to break because if the alternative to him hurting me was just sex, I could do it. Brittany couldn't save me anymore. I was his and that was just how it had to be for now if I wanted to survive.

That night I lay shivering naked and hurting while Marco got reacquainted with my body.

He wouldn't stop until he had reclaimed each part of me and made me understand who was in charge. Repeatedly he made me orgasm, made my body crave more. I was in tears as my body betrayed my true desires.

It was almost morning when I finally fell into a fitful sleep with him curled around me.

I cried silently once I heard him start snoring in my ear feeling like I had fallen into some alternative reality and couldn't help but feel like this was some sort of retribution for all the shit I rained down on the losers back in Lima.

If they could all see me now, I doubt any of them would want to save me.

Not even Britt, especially not Britt.

I deserved this.

As I drifted into sleep I was thinking of Brittany and all the times she held me close and whispered her sweet nothings in my ear and told me how amazing I was.

I tried to forget how I hurt her and just imagined that the arms around me were pounds lighter and that the tight hold was one of Britt's bear hugs.

AN: Let me know what you think...