A/N: Thanks Montana Magic for Beta-ing.
*
Caitie emerged from the bathroom in a dark blue terry cloth robe. She quickly entered her bedroom and shut the door. She unwrapped the towel from her head and changed into a pair of shorts and a tee shirt. She looked at herself in the mirror. A faint red line ran across her check. There was a dark bruise on her left arm. Caitie lifted up her shirt. She saw a few bruises on her back as well.
Caitie took in a deep breath and headed into the kitchen. She knew she had a lot of questions to answer. The alluring aroma of coffee hit her nose.
"You made coffee? It's almost five in the morning." Caitie opened the cabinet and removed two large latte mugs. She filled both the decorative mugs with the freshly brewed coffee. She handed a cup to Jamie as she took a seat across from him. His eyes immediately looked at the bruise on her arm.
"You're hurt." Jamie gingerly touched Caitie's arm. "Tell me. Are you hurt elsewhere?"
"I'm okay. I'm fine. I just needed a nice hot shower," Caitie said convincingly, without much success.
"Caitie, tell me if you're hurt anywhere else."
Reluctantly Caitie rose to her feet. She turned around and lifted her shirt exposing her pale back. Jamie got up from his seat. He couldn't contain himself any longer.
"Who the hell did this to you?" Jamie questioned angrily.
"James, calm down. Sit, we'll drink our coffee, and I'll tell you what happened."
Jamie reluctantly obeyed Caitie and sat down. He took a big gulp of his hot coffee.
Caitie sipped her black coffee as she began to speak. "About a week ago, I broke up with Alec."
Her first statement caught Jamie off guard. He just sat quietly allowing Caitie to continue.
"I just couldn't take his habit anymore. He was disoriented all the time, he spent all his spare time and money, and it was just so hard to love him."
Tears welled up in Caitie's eyes. "At first I tried to work it out, but he broke every promise he made to me. He still continued to party and use, he even dealt a little. It was just too much for me to take. It started innocently at first, but I guess it was several months ago, when it got really serious."
Caitie took another sip of her coffee. Jamie remained silent. He just wanted Caitie to finish her story so he could find out what had happened earlier that night.
"I broke it off with Alec and he didn't take it that well. He begged and begged promising that he'd change. He would bang on the apartment door all the time, and he would call non stop. It was definitely bordering on harassment. I felt annoyed, scared, but never threatened really. Well . . . not at that time. Val wanted to call the police. I wouldn't let her. Maybe I should of . . ." Caitie began to trail off.
"Alec did this too you?" Jamie tried to suppress the anger that was rising within him but knew that was feat he was simply incapable of.
"He called me today. He told me that he quit a week ago, that he had stopped using because of me. I congratulated him but told him that I couldn't be with him anymore. Tonight, I had plans to see my friend play in her band. It was our friend actually. I didn't think Alec would show up but he did. He bothered me the entire night. He wouldn't let me go until he had a chance to talk to me. Alec did seem better, but I still shouldn't have trusted him."
Caitie suddenly grew quiet. Trying her best to keep her tears from falling, she bit her bottom lip and stared at her latte mug. She began to recall what had happened earlier that night.
: Flashback:
"Caitie, please just give me a minute!" Alec pleaded. Caitie turned around and stopped walking away. She was getting sick and tired of running away and avoiding him.
"Fine, one minute." She followed Alec outside, into the alley. It was dark and secluded.
"Caitie, I stopped living the day you left me. I love you so much. I can't live without you. I quit using. I really did. I won't do that ever again. Just say you'll be with me again."
Caitie looked away. She still cared for Alec deep down inside but that emotion had been fading. "I can't do that. I don't want to be with you anymore. A part of me will always care for you, and I think that's why I stayed with you so long, but I realized, I don't love you the way I did. I want you to get better."
Alec grew angry. He tried and tried and nothing seemed to work. She said she broke up with him for his drug habit. He had told her he quit but actually he reduced his overall intake. He was trying to quit slowly. It was all becoming clear to him.
"You said it was my drug problem. That's not it. I told you I quit. If that were the real reason, you'd come back to me. It's that guy isn't it? Your, what do you call him? Your 'best friend'? You're in love with him! I see how you guys are around each other."
Caitie's attention was focused on the ground. She always had feelings for Jamie but she didn't realize it was that apparent. She didn't want to jeopardize their amazing friendship so she never acted on her feelings. It wasn't the reason why she broke up with Alec, or was it? She loved Alec, or once did, but her heart always belonged to Jamie.
Only angrier, Alec grabbed her arm and held it tight.
"Alec, let go, you're hurting me!" Caitie screamed.
He forced her against the brick wall. Her back hit the wall with a lot of force. Caitie cringed in pain. Alec softly leaned in for a kiss.
"I love you Caitie."
"Get away from me," she managed to say.
Alec smacked her across her face. His sharp ring tore into her pale skin. Red liquid appeared out of the cut. Alec let go of Caitie.
"Caitie, I'm sorry . . . I didn't mean too . . . It's just that you got me so mad . . ."
"No. Don't." The red bricks tore into her black leggings. Caitie clutched her sweater tight around her body and started to run.
: End of Flashback:
A/N: What did you think?
*
Caitie emerged from the bathroom in a dark blue terry cloth robe. She quickly entered her bedroom and shut the door. She unwrapped the towel from her head and changed into a pair of shorts and a tee shirt. She looked at herself in the mirror. A faint red line ran across her check. There was a dark bruise on her left arm. Caitie lifted up her shirt. She saw a few bruises on her back as well.
Caitie took in a deep breath and headed into the kitchen. She knew she had a lot of questions to answer. The alluring aroma of coffee hit her nose.
"You made coffee? It's almost five in the morning." Caitie opened the cabinet and removed two large latte mugs. She filled both the decorative mugs with the freshly brewed coffee. She handed a cup to Jamie as she took a seat across from him. His eyes immediately looked at the bruise on her arm.
"You're hurt." Jamie gingerly touched Caitie's arm. "Tell me. Are you hurt elsewhere?"
"I'm okay. I'm fine. I just needed a nice hot shower," Caitie said convincingly, without much success.
"Caitie, tell me if you're hurt anywhere else."
Reluctantly Caitie rose to her feet. She turned around and lifted her shirt exposing her pale back. Jamie got up from his seat. He couldn't contain himself any longer.
"Who the hell did this to you?" Jamie questioned angrily.
"James, calm down. Sit, we'll drink our coffee, and I'll tell you what happened."
Jamie reluctantly obeyed Caitie and sat down. He took a big gulp of his hot coffee.
Caitie sipped her black coffee as she began to speak. "About a week ago, I broke up with Alec."
Her first statement caught Jamie off guard. He just sat quietly allowing Caitie to continue.
"I just couldn't take his habit anymore. He was disoriented all the time, he spent all his spare time and money, and it was just so hard to love him."
Tears welled up in Caitie's eyes. "At first I tried to work it out, but he broke every promise he made to me. He still continued to party and use, he even dealt a little. It was just too much for me to take. It started innocently at first, but I guess it was several months ago, when it got really serious."
Caitie took another sip of her coffee. Jamie remained silent. He just wanted Caitie to finish her story so he could find out what had happened earlier that night.
"I broke it off with Alec and he didn't take it that well. He begged and begged promising that he'd change. He would bang on the apartment door all the time, and he would call non stop. It was definitely bordering on harassment. I felt annoyed, scared, but never threatened really. Well . . . not at that time. Val wanted to call the police. I wouldn't let her. Maybe I should of . . ." Caitie began to trail off.
"Alec did this too you?" Jamie tried to suppress the anger that was rising within him but knew that was feat he was simply incapable of.
"He called me today. He told me that he quit a week ago, that he had stopped using because of me. I congratulated him but told him that I couldn't be with him anymore. Tonight, I had plans to see my friend play in her band. It was our friend actually. I didn't think Alec would show up but he did. He bothered me the entire night. He wouldn't let me go until he had a chance to talk to me. Alec did seem better, but I still shouldn't have trusted him."
Caitie suddenly grew quiet. Trying her best to keep her tears from falling, she bit her bottom lip and stared at her latte mug. She began to recall what had happened earlier that night.
: Flashback:
"Caitie, please just give me a minute!" Alec pleaded. Caitie turned around and stopped walking away. She was getting sick and tired of running away and avoiding him.
"Fine, one minute." She followed Alec outside, into the alley. It was dark and secluded.
"Caitie, I stopped living the day you left me. I love you so much. I can't live without you. I quit using. I really did. I won't do that ever again. Just say you'll be with me again."
Caitie looked away. She still cared for Alec deep down inside but that emotion had been fading. "I can't do that. I don't want to be with you anymore. A part of me will always care for you, and I think that's why I stayed with you so long, but I realized, I don't love you the way I did. I want you to get better."
Alec grew angry. He tried and tried and nothing seemed to work. She said she broke up with him for his drug habit. He had told her he quit but actually he reduced his overall intake. He was trying to quit slowly. It was all becoming clear to him.
"You said it was my drug problem. That's not it. I told you I quit. If that were the real reason, you'd come back to me. It's that guy isn't it? Your, what do you call him? Your 'best friend'? You're in love with him! I see how you guys are around each other."
Caitie's attention was focused on the ground. She always had feelings for Jamie but she didn't realize it was that apparent. She didn't want to jeopardize their amazing friendship so she never acted on her feelings. It wasn't the reason why she broke up with Alec, or was it? She loved Alec, or once did, but her heart always belonged to Jamie.
Only angrier, Alec grabbed her arm and held it tight.
"Alec, let go, you're hurting me!" Caitie screamed.
He forced her against the brick wall. Her back hit the wall with a lot of force. Caitie cringed in pain. Alec softly leaned in for a kiss.
"I love you Caitie."
"Get away from me," she managed to say.
Alec smacked her across her face. His sharp ring tore into her pale skin. Red liquid appeared out of the cut. Alec let go of Caitie.
"Caitie, I'm sorry . . . I didn't mean too . . . It's just that you got me so mad . . ."
"No. Don't." The red bricks tore into her black leggings. Caitie clutched her sweater tight around her body and started to run.
: End of Flashback:
A/N: What did you think?