So I published a short story/long oneshot a few weeks back but I haven't really done much with my other stories. My main reason is because I've been working my ass off. Fortunately my life has changed and has become more chilled out. I've finished university, I got a promotion where I don't have to work as much, and now I have time to write again, see friends, family, my partner and it's all really weird. I've worked so hard since I was sixteen and it feels like it's paid off.
I post updates on my profile every now and then, but I don't really expect people to check those out.
Anyways, here's a new chapter. I've also been working on another story (new project yay) which I'm really excited about, but I don't want to publish it until it's close to half-way. My writing has drastically changed over however many years I've been on this website and has improved for the better, and I hope that when I publish this new story, you guys can see it too :)
Liam's icy blue eyes bored down on me after he ushered me onto a quiet side alley against my protest, his hand still firmly gripped on my arm. The sea of pedestrians parted, whispering and mumbling as I tried to fight my way out, but nobody dared to intercept. His actions weren't forceful but that uneasy feeling still rose in my stomach and turned my breakfast, threatening to make it reappear. I noted his change of hairstyle. It had gone from a greasy long mop of blonde to a shortened ear length cut. Tall, blonde, and short hair. It clicked...
I gulped. "You got a haircut..."
"Sure did." He snorted as he moved to block my exit. The alley was a dead end lined with a chain link fence. It was also narrow, barely enough room for me to dodge my captor. He crossed his arms over his chest and took a step closer. "We need to talk."
"I don't have anything to say to you." I sneered.
"Good. You can listen."
"I'm not listening. I'm going." As I moved to step around him, he mirrored my movements. I narrowed my eyes. "You don't get to decide this, Liam. We're done. We were done months ago, now let me leave."
Something flashed in his eyes. A look that I recognised as anger that was quickly replaced by a condescending smile as he crossed his arms over his chest. Liam's temper was a point of tension in our relationship, and one of the reasons why I was glad to be rid of him. There were too many instances to count where I was left embarrassed by his sudden outbursts in public. The look on his face was quickly replaced by a stoic expression and made it clear he was trying to remain calm, but I wasn't buying it. I knew him too well.
"You're not going to ignore me." He said through grit teeth, his patience wearing thin. I side stepped, only for him to move into my path.
"I'm telling you that I don't want to talk. Or listen."
He pinched the bridge of his nose and expelled a breath before taking a step forward, closing what was left of the gap between us. His breath fanned over my face, reeking of cigarettes and beer. I craned my neck away from him so I wouldn't have to smell it.
For the second time that day, his hand clamped down on my forearm. The firm grip bordered on painful and I bit back a hiss as he spoke.
"You never ever disrespect me, got it?" He glared.
Fear. I felt fear as he spoke down to me and my world spun. The only thing keeping me standing upright was the death grip he had on me and I wished he would let go.
Liam shook me, fingernails biting into my skin.
"Got it?!" He raised his voice.
I shook my arm free from his hand and it fell limp by my side. A light throbbing ache lingered but I ignored it. "I never want to see you again. If you see me on the street, keep walking. Don't even acknowledge me. Got it?" I spat as I glared straight back at him, hoping the venom in my voice masked my terror.
"You don't make the rules, Chlo."
"I didn't months ago, but I sure as hell do now." I said with a burst of anger. I side stepped him once more and this time he didn't follow. Shouldering past him for what I hoped was the last time, a feeling of victory flipped in my stomach. Victory for finally standing up for myself. Victory for-
"Don't you dare walk away from me you bitch." He snarled in my face after spinning me around, a hand firmly planted on my shoulder this time. "I gave you four years of my life and this is how you treat me?"
"I gave you four years of mine and you ended up screwing my best friend behind my back." I spat.
He lowered his face over mine, but I didn't give him the chance to speak. I jerked my knee up as hard as I possibly could and stumbled back when he doubled over, grabbing at his crotch and hissing in pain. Sharp pains shot up my back as I landed on my rear, sending me into a state of shock as Liam laid in front of me in the fetal position in front of me. I scrambled to my feet and looked at him once over before bolting as fast as I could back to the apartment, frankly not giving a shit if he was hurt.
Liam was always the faster runner out of the two of us, and I could feel him hot on my heels after he recovered. Speaking of heels, why did they have to be so impractical to run in?
I tripped, I stumbled, I fell and scraped my knee and tore through my favourite pair of slacks, but not once did I look back to check on how close he was. People mumbled and complained as I pushed through crowds, desperately trying to make my way back to safety.
I flew into the open elevator on the ground floor of my apartment building and mashed the close button as if it was the button that was going to save my life. When the door finally closed I could have sworn I saw a flash of Liam's blonde hair round the corner, but thankfully I didn't stick around long enough to confirm that.
The elevator ride to the sixth floor was the longest of my life. I tore at my hair and paced around, grateful that there wasn't anybody else in here with me to see the level of crazy that I had just reached. When it reached my destination I flew out of it just as quickly as I did when I got in and made a bee-line for the door that was my apartment. Fumbling with my keys, I felt tears prickle at my eyes and threaten to spill. When I finally found the right key, I fell into the apartment where I locked every lock and latch on the door and collapsed behind it. My breaths became shallow as I felt the panic start to set in - a panic attack. I hadn't had one since high school, but it was all too familiar.
For the second time that day my world started to spin and I braced myself against the door just to be safe, throwing my head back and closing my eyes.
It all made sense. The day Tori told me there was a blonde man for me at the door, it must have been Liam. It couldn't have been anybody else. But why was he looking for me? We were finished months ago.
And was it just a random coincidence that he found me today? Or did he follow me?
A touch on my arm startled me and all I could think about was Liam and the painful hold he had on me. I flailed my arms, warning off my attacker. A grunt sounded when my fist made contact with someone's stomach, but even then I didn't stop.
"Chloe it's me, Derek." His voice rumbled and I finally opened my eyes to look up at him. He was holding my wrists in one of his large hands while the other was gently resting on my forearm. The contact was nothing like Liam's. It wasn't harsh and it didn't make me feel uneasy. It was caring and genuine – gentle.
I peered up at him, his green eyes focused as he studied my face. A look of concern washed over his features and he guided me over to the sofa where I sat. He joined me after fetching a glass of water and setting it down on the coffee table. He didn't say anything for a few minutes, just stared at me intently, waiting for me to say something. But what was I supposed to say? That I'd just been attacked by my crazy ex?
"Focus on your breathing." He finally said as I placed a hand over my chest, trying to steady my breath.
"Where's Tori?" I gasped.
"Don't worry about Tori right now, just take deep a deep breath."
I did what he said and took in a long, shaky inhale.
"Three, two, one. Release it."
I obliged and repeated his instructions until I felt completely in control again. After greedily gulping down the glass of water, I threw myself back onto the sofa and ran my fingers through my unruly hair.
"What happened?" He asked.
I finally worked up the courage to make of eye contact. The same look of concern from earlier was etched on his face and I just knew that I didn't want to have the conversation that was about to unfold, but Derek being Derek, I knew it was going to happen.
I took a deep breath and tore my eyes away from him and forced them to focus on my hands that were folded in my lap. "Liam happened."
"Did he say anything?" He asked.
I chewed my lip, still avoiding his gaze. "Yeah." I absentmindedly ran my hand over the spot on my arm that he had grabbed, only becoming aware when the throbbing pain started again. It was covered by my blouse but I knew instantly that it was beginning to bruise.
Derek caught on when I winced. "Did he touch you?"
"He just-"
"Did he touch you?!" He snapped. I finally tore my eyes away from my lap and met his gaze. His green eyes glowed feverishly.
"M-my arm." I whispered. I pushed up the sleeve of my blouse where the silhouette of Liam's fingers was starting to form.
Derek cursed under his breath and ran a hand over his mouth.
"Derek, it's fine-" I breathed as I stood up and adjusted my bag over my shoulder. "I'm going to take a shower."
While I appreciated the concern, there was something inside Derek that switched on whenever Liam was around. When I first broke up with him, he escorted me to Liam's house to get my things and they exchanged words. Then there was that time we were in the bar and Liam showed up, I thought Derek was ready to have a fistfight. I couldn't help but worry that Derek would turn into a protective hulk and hunt this guy down.
I felt Derek's eyes on my back as I disappeared into the hallway. While my run in with Liam was scary and concerning, and I really didn't want Derek to worry, I couldn't help but feel giddy that Derek cared so much. I chalked it up to the adrenaline as I stripped down to my bare skin and stepped under the running water.
The cold water was like a shock to my system and sobered me up from my adrenaline fuelled... whatever it was. I told Derek I was fine, but I couldn't help but choke out a sob as I scrubbed viciously at my skin. Milky white skin eventually turned into angry red as I tried to scrub him off.
They say the body's cells renew themselves after seven years, and I couldn't wait seven years to have a body that was untouched by that creep.
"You really know how to pick 'em, Chloe." I mumbled angrily to myself.
I rugged up in a sweater and jeans before returning to my room and opening my laptop, returning to the screenplay I had started the week before. My fingers hovered over the keys, but nothing came. My mind drew blanks and all I could think about were angry blue eyes and the throbbing pain that still radiated in my arm.
I sighed and ran a hand through my hair when a knock interrupted my thoughts.
"Chloe?" Tori's voice was muffled by the door. She didn't even let me squeak out a reply before she cracked it open to peer in.
"Derek told me what happened, are you okay?" She asked before swinging the door fully open. She stepped into my room, closing the door behind her, and plopped down on my bed. "I know you don't want me to fuss, but I'm worried about you."
I nodded at her, not trusting my voice.
"You know, if he hurt you, you have options. He can't just touch you like that without consequences."
I chewed on my lip and thought about what she had said. "I wouldn't even know where to start." I admitted.
Tori pulled her feet up onto my bed and crossed her legs underneath her. "Liam was sweet as pie to you when you guys first got together, right?" She asked with a knowing, yet sad smile.
I nodded.
"When I was in college, I had a really horrible ex. His name was Royce and we lived together for a while. At first everything was picture perfect, like a fairy tale. He was the perfect gentleman, smart, funny, easy on the eyes." She rolled her shoulders when she found her voice started to shake. "When we moved in it just started with little things, like I couldn't go out to the store to get milk without calling him when I got there. He always needed to know where I was. Then we started fighting more, and the fights just got worse and worse and I'll admit, I can be hotheaded, but Royce... he was a whole different story. He got physical." She let out a shaky breath.
"One night I went to a girlfriend's apartment for dinner and a few movies and we ended up having a few drinks. I was too tipsy to drive home so I sent Royce a text, telling him I'd be staying at her's and fell asleep soon after on the couch. The next thing I knew, I woke up to her apartment door being beaten down as he yelled and screamed for me. It was cracked and splintering and I couldn't believe it – I was mortified. It was three o'clock in the morning and I dreaded to think of all the complaints from the neighbours so I let him in to shut him up."
Tori reached down to her right calf and traced a faded scar with her index finger. "We fought, I tried to talk him down but he just kept yelling. He shoved me so hard against the door that I fell through it. The splintered wood tore my leg right open, made for a damn expensive hospital bill but I just sucked it up because I loved the guy."
My eyes lingered on her leg, taking note of the puckered, pink skin.
"Like you, I had no idea where to start. I was helpless because I was dependant on him, and I wouldn't dare do anything against him, y'know?"
"Eventually the same girlfriend I mentioned earlier connected a few dots and hooked me up with an advocate for victims of domestic violence. We jumped through hoops gathering evidence to provide to the courts. We got knocked back twice, both of those judges didn't believe me because I stayed with him. They thought I was a crazy ex girlfriend out for revenge, but I finally was granted a restraining order by a sympathetic judge."
"You're lucky, Chloe, we both are. I'm not saying your situation is ideal, but you are lucky. Your bruise is going to fade, but his next girlfriend might not be so fortunate." Desperation crept into Tori's voice and her eyes glistened as we made eye contact. "You have options, you can report this. It might not go the same way as my situation did, but it's worth a try."
She placed a shaking hand on my knee and looked me in the eye one last time before hopping up from my bed and heading for the door.
Tori's openness shocked me, and it might have been the wake up call that I needed. She was right, I was lucky. I managed to get away with a bruise which was bound to fade in a couple of weeks, where Tori will have that scar for the rest of her life to remind her of what happened.
"Tori?" I called after her before she could leave and she spun around, an expectant look on her face.
"W-will you help me?"
And there it is. The beginning was really hard to write but I think I did okay.
Please review and tell me what you think!
