A/N: Firstly: An unbelievably HUGE thank you goes out to a good friend of mine, Lizzie, for helping me out with this story. Not only did she let me bounce my ideas and concerns off her, she also put the whole thing into chapters for me. She encouraged me to finish this story and to post it here for everyone to read. So, Lizzie, thank you. You're my absolute favourite RENThead and an amazingly talented writer to boot. Thanks for keeping my muse in line. HUGS
Secondly: This story is TNA related. It has TNA wrestlers in it, though I seem to have skipped most in ring action. If I get enough positive reviews for this, I will write a sequel which should have more in ring action in it. Well,here goes nothing...
Jessie Carmichael closed her eyes as her boyfriend's fist headed for her. She felt the sting of the blow to her temple and bit her lip, trying as hard as she could not to cry out. Crying out would only make things worse, she knew. Another blow impacted with Jessie's skull and she felt her teeth bite through the tender flesh of her lower lip.
The familiar taste of blood filled her mouth as she sucked on her lip, still not wanting to open her eyes. She knew he was far from finished using her as a punching bag. Another blow, this time an uppercut to her jaw, sent Jessie sprawling onto the floor of the hotel room. She tried to collect herself, tried desperately to curl into a ball, but he wouldn't allow it.
He was leaning over her now, his hands wrapped around her throat. He lifted her slightly before shoving her back down, her head hitting the floor hard. He continued doing this a few times but was rudely interrupted by someone knocking at the door.
A low growl escaped his throat as he released her and stood up. He kicked out at her before moving over to open the door slightly – just enough to see the person on the other side without them being able to see in.
"What?" He yelled, not caring who it was.
"Whoa, chill, Austin. I was just wondering if you wanted to come to a bar with me or something?" A slightly accented voice spoke up. Austin Aries sighed, weighing up his options, before replying.
"Yeah, alright, I could do with a drink. Give me ten minutes, Cass, and I'll meet you in the lobby." He decided before slamming the door in Cassidy Riley's face.
Jessie had stayed quiet, finally having curled herself into a ball on the floor. Austin walked over and stared down at her for a moment before spitting on her. He laughed as he walked into the bedroom to change. Jessie felt the familiar stinging in her eyes, meaning that tears were threatening to fall. She couldn't let it happen while he was there, couldn't let him see her being weak.
A little while later, Austin emerged from the bedroom, dressed in a pair of tight, black jeans and a long sleeved, black shirt. He regarded Jessie with a small amount of disgust before heading for the door of their hotel room.
"I'm going out. Clean yourself up before I get back." He ordered before leaving the room and slamming the door.
As soon as she was sure he'd gone, Jessie let out a sob of anguish. It was never meant to be like this, never! She couldn't remember when things had become this bad between them. All she knew was that she couldn't take much more. She slowly uncurled herself and sat up, pulling her knees up to her chest.
He wasn't the same person she'd fallen in love with almost three years ago. Now, he was some kind of monster. She wanted to believe that he still loved her, assured herself that she'd seen glimpses of the caring person he once was. But, as she sat alone in the hotel room, she knew those glimpses were getting further and further apart. Why couldn't she just tell him she was leaving? Why couldn't she just go and never look back? The answer was simple – as horrible as he was lately, he still had her heart. She loved him with every fiber of her being.
Wiping the tears from her eyes with the tips of her fingers, Jessie fought to keep herself under control. She had always been told that she was a strong person but this torment was killing her, both emotionally and physically. She didn't want to think about what would have happened if Cassidy hadn't arrived.
And, to think, all this because she'd come to Orlando to surprise Austin. A hollow laugh escaped her lips as she battled to get to her feet. Maybe her friends had been right. Maybe Austin didn't love her anymore. No, she couldn't believe that, refused to entertain the notion any longer. Austin loved her, she knew it, even if he didn't show it the way he used to.
Walking into the bathroom, Jessie gasped as she spied her reflection in the mirror. Large bruises had already begun to appear on her neck, jaw and around her temple/eye region. Covering this lot up with makeup wouldn't be easy. Blood was still flowing from her lip, though it had lessened since she'd stopped sucking on it. After wetting a washcloth, Jessie tentatively wiped the blood off her chin and lip.
"Fuck. That's going to need stitches." Jessie spoke hoarsely, the near strangulation causing her to bless every small amount of air she could now take into her lungs.
After cleaning up the blood, changing clothes and covering the bruises on her face and neck as best she could, Jessie wondered what she should do next. Her lip really did need to be stitched but she had no idea where any emergency rooms or other medical facilities could be found, being a stranger to Orlando.
Finally, Jessie pulled her cellphone from her bag and searched through its phone book to find someone who might be able to help. Taking as deep a breath as she could, Jessie hit the button to make the phone dial the number. The call rang a few times before being answered.
"Rod here, talk to me." Roderick Strong's usual jovial greeting filled her ears.
"Rod, its Jessie... I kind of need a little help. Can you come to Austin's room?" Jesse requested, forcing down a sob of despair.
"Are you okay? What's happened?" Roderick asked, concern in his voice.
"I'll explain when you get here. Please, Rods?" Jessie pleaded.
"Is he there?" Roderick wondered.
"No, he went out with Cass." Jessie assured him.
"Alright. See you shortly." Roderick fare welled before ending the call.
Jessie dropped her cellphone back into her bag and found the keys to her rental before zipping the bag up and hanging it off her shoulder. She moved to the door and looked out the peephole, praying to see Roderick rather than Austin returning early. A few moments later, Roderick came into view and knocked on the door.
Jessie turned the door handle and pulled the door open. Roderick stared down at her for a moment before his eyes turned glassy and vacant. He pushed her back into the room and closed the door before inspecting his friend's injuries. Even though she'd tried to hide them, he knew what to look for.
"What the fuck happened this time?" Roderick asked, moving the collar of Jessie's white polo shirt gently so he could see the bruising around her neck.
"I guess I pissed him off." Jessie shrugged.
"How?" Roderick pushed.
"Um... by turning up here without calling first. I wanted to surprise him." Jessie admitted.
"I'll fucking kill him. I don't care what excuse he thinks he has to hit you, it isn't valid. He should never lay his hands on you, Jess. Never." Roderick stated strongly. Jessie sighed.
"Can you avenge my honor later? I think my lip needs stitches and I might have a slight concussion from having my head hit the floor a few times." Jessie informed him, feeling for the lump that was forming on the back of her head.
"Yeah, come on, let's get you checked out. I'm driving, though." He decided as he took her keys from her.
She was about to protest but knew it would be futile. If she did have a concussion, it would be safer to have him driving anyway. She followed him out of the hotel room and towards the elevator, a dull headache starting to emanate from the back of her head. She was tired, so tired, of calling on friends to help her after Austin had hurt her. If it wasn't Roderick while she was visiting TNA in Orlando or Tennessee, then it was her best friend Lacey at home in Milwaukee.
The drive to the nearest emergency room was quiet, neither occupant of the car wanting to be the first to break the silence. Finally, as they pulled into the parking lot, Roderick spoke up.
"Why do you stay with him? I mean, this keeps happening and yet you don't leave him. I don't understand it, Jess." He queried. Jessie's brown eyes sparkled with unshed tears as she replied.
"I love him and I know, somewhere deep down, he loves me, too." She said simply.
"Love isn't shared with a fist." Roderick tried to get her to admit it to herself.
"Drop it, Rods. I just want to get my lip stitched up so I can go back to the hotel and get some sleep before Austin gets back." Jessie brushed his concern aside.
"Fine. Whatever you say." Roderick agreed through clenched teeth, letting Jessie know the discussion wasn't completely over.
After getting her lip stitched and being checked for a concussion (she had a mild one), Jessie allowed Roderick to lead her back to the car. She knew he'd start asking more questions and she wasn't exactly looking forward to it. She was well aware that he was just trying to look after her, like any good friend would, but Jessie was more worried about how Austin would react if he found out that she'd talked to Roderick.
"So... now what?" Roderick asked as he started the car. Jessie sighed.
"I need a rest. Back to the hotel, mister driver." She joked.
"Fine, but you're staying in my room tonight." Roderick decided. Jessie glared at him.
"I don't need to be babysat, Rods. I'll be alright." She assured him.
Roderick was well used to her attitude. They'd been friends for years now, having met while Austin and Roderick were touring the independent wrestling circuit. They'd formed a friendship quickly, often hanging out together while Austin went out drinking with anyone who invited him. Roderick considered her the closest thing he had to a sister and hated seeing her hurt in any way.
"Fine, we'll have a movie night then. Pop some popcorn, get some drinks. What do you say?" Roderick tried.
"That's the same as you babysitting me and you know it. Besides, I'm too tired to focus on anything right now." Jessie admitted.
"Not even Johnny Depp?" Roderick teased.
"Aw, well, when you put it that way... throw in Orlando Bloom as well and you'll have a deal." Jessie gave in.
"Pirates of the Caribbean it is, then." Roderick laughed as he headed for the local Blockbuster.
Jessie waited in the car while Roderick ran in to get the movie and popcorn. She pulled her cellphone from her bag and groaned as she saw she'd missed a call. Hoping it was Lacey, Jessie called her voicemail. The voice that blared through definitely wasn't that of her best friend.
"Jessie, where the hell are you? Call me." Austin commanded.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Jessie mumbled as she ended that call and dialed Austin's number.
"Aries." Austin answered the call.
"Hey, baby, it's me." Jessie told him, hoping she sounded calm.
"Where the hell are you? I came back to the hotel and you weren't here." Austin queried.
"I'm... um... Rods and I decided to watch a movie tonight so I drove him to Blockbuster. We'll be back in a little bit, babe. Want me to get you anything?" Jessie bluffed, hiding the fact that she'd been to the emergency room.
"Just get your ass back here. Tell Rod that plans have changed. No movie night." Austin ordered.
"I can't do that... I mean, he's renting a movie right now. I haven't seen him in a while so I thought it would be good to catch up with him." Jessie reasoned, nervously twirling a strand of her honey blond hair around one finger.
"This isn't negotiable, Jessie. If you're not back here in ten minutes, I'll find you and Roderick and beat the living shit out of him." Austin threatened.
"Alright, alright. See you soon." Jessie stated before Austin hung up on her.
"Asshole." She mumbled as she threw her cellphone back into her bag.
Jessie slid over into the driver's seat and started the engine. She could see Roderick at the counter and knew he wouldn't be much longer. She tapped one foot on the floor of the car in anticipation, wishing he'd hurry up. The last thing she wanted was for Roderick to become Austin's next victim.
As Roderick left the Blockbuster, Jessie started backing the car out of the parking space. Roderick managed to get in before Jessie drove off, tires squealing as she did. He looked over at her and sighed.
"He called, didn't he?" He figured.
"Yeah. Sorry, Rods, but I can't hang out with you tonight." Jessie told him.
"So, you're just going to blow me off and go get beat up some more? Stupid plan there, Jess." Roderick replied, hoping she'd change her mind.
"Well it sure beats watching him hurt you." Jessie reasoned as she took a turn rather quickly.
"What? As if! He wouldn't try, Jess. He gets his thrills from hitting a girl. As tough as you are, that's the truth and you know it." Roderick pointed out when she glared at him for calling her a girl.
"Let's not test your theory, alright? I don't want you getting beat up for helping me." Jessie reasoned.
"And what about when he sees the stitches in your lip? What excuse are you going to give him?" Roderick wondered, knowing she had one in mind already.
"I'll tell him I hit it on one of the cupboards in the kitchen. Please, don't say anything about it to him. I go home in a couple of days and then everything will be fine." Jessie assured him, although he thought she was trying to convince herself of it more than him.
A/N2: It's so great to finally be posting again. For those people that were reading my story 'Indiana' I apologise sincerely for not updating. I've lost the motivation for that story at the moment. I may come back to it at some point but, for now, I'll focus on posting this and finishing the other stories I've got going on my computer. Anyways, enough ranting from me. Please leave a review and let me know what you think of the first chapter. Flame it if you think it needs flaming. Any criticism will be taken into account. Thank you.
Phoenix