I am going to just put a quick warning this may be triggering or uncomfortable to read.
31st December 2016
"Happy eight week anniversary" the man leant over her shoulder and placed a small box to the bar she had been attempting to get a drink at for the last 15 minutes at least. "I cannot believe I have been stuck with you for eight whole weeks" he laughed moving beside her and pecking her lips.
"Technically, you have been stuck with me eleven weeks, we have been dating eight Mr Flynn"
"Best eight weeks of your life Miss Moss, you going to open it?", he pointed at the small box he had put in front of her when he arrived. Fiddling with the small box she began to laugh as the small plastic ring came into vision. "I mean, it is out of a Christmas cracker but it's the thought that counts right?"
Stevie began kissing his lips, since Declan had joined Sunhill, he had quickly become a huge part of her life, she would seek him out at work and spent nearly every evening at his flat, so much so that when her landlord gave her notice she jumped at moving in with him, even though they had only been dating two weeks at the time, this was it, he was her one true love, her everything and nothing could get in the way of their love.
"It still counts" pressing her lips to his, they embraced for several minutes, when they parted she looked up at him intently "You know, 2017, it's going to be our year, me and you, the real deal".
He had finally managed to order their drinks and as he passed it to her, he leant into her lips once again "Our year Stevie, now why don't you drink that and we can head home and bring the new year in, in bed".
Not ten minutes had passed before they were heading to the door of the pub, it was crammed to the brims with drunks, mainly those from the nick and she struggled to hold on to the man's hand as he led the way through the pub. The man cutting in between them, separated her from Declan and she glanced towards him as Mickey placed a kiss to her cheek. "You were amazing today Serge, she told you how amazing she was Gov?" Mickey asked as Dec fought his way back to them.
"She doesn't need to DC Webb, she is my girlfriend after all, Stevie, let's go"
"You can't go yet Gov, it's only half ten, besides, I owe your girlfriend a pint" pulling on her hand, she allowed herself to be dragged back to the bar.
She noticed Declan look at her as she accepted the pint and she mouthed a sorry to him, he simply took his drink from Mickey and engaged in a conversation with the young DC and with that the night continued.
Arriving home just before midnight, Stevie slipped her heels off at the front door and watched as Declan headed into the kitchen. "Dec, are you okay?" she asked following him through, she leant on the door frame as he began to fiddle with the kettle "You have been quiet all evening"
"Quiet, I'm surprised you noticed"
"I don't understand, what's going on here Dec?"
"Do you want to be with me Stevie?"
"Yes, of course I do"
"Then you don't make a fool of me"
"Dec, I don't know what I have done but we were just having a drink with some friends"
"I saw the way" he finally turned to face her and his eyes had an anger in them she had never seen before "The way you drooled over Mickey". Stevie let out a loud laugh "Don't you dare laugh at me Stevie"
"I'm sorry but are you actually serious, Mickey, Mickey Webb, you think I was drooling over Mickey Webb, he is like a brother, this is ridiculous" she stated before heading towards the living room and sitting down on the sofa, she flicked the TV on and watched as the countdown to midnight was just beginning.
"Get up" his voice startled her and she moved her eyes to him
"Excuse me?"
"I said get up Stevie, now stand the fuck up"
"What the hell has got in to you?" she asked before rising to her feet and heading to where he stood by the living room door "It's just a drink with some friends" she touched his face "I love you, you don't need to be jealous, okay?"
"Okay" he laughed as he replied "I'm just being stupid, aren't I?"
"Yes Dec you are, I love you. Let's just sit and watch the fireworks" she turned away and went to move towards the sofa.
The hands in her hair pulled her back and she felt her body slam against the wall. "You never treat me the way you have this evening, do you understand me?"
"Declan, you are hurting me".
Feeling the force of his hands push her to the floor, she felt the sharp pain in her ribs, she curled up as best she could as he continued to kick her body. She focused on the flashing of the fireworks on the TV and tried to hide from what was happening to her, take her mind to any moment except this one. To think of the rest of the country bringing in the new year in style.
1st January 2017
Stevie huddled her body into herself on the sofa as Declan sat down next to her, he placed a steaming cup to the table and sighed as he attempted to hand over the small bunch of flowers. "You know last night was a mistake Stevie" she refused to take them and he chucked them down on to the table.
"No Declan, that wasn't a mistake, that was you beating me and you think some cheap flowers and a coffee will make up for it"
"Stevie, I love you and I got jealous, please don't judge me on it"
"Judge you Dec, I'm covered in bruises, do you understand that? Do you understand what you did?"
"Of course I do, I was drunk and emotional, I'm sorry" he took her hand "Come on Stevie, we have to be able to get past this"
"It's your job to protect people, how can you do that to someone you claim to love?"
"Stop Stevie" his voice had angered slightly "I have said sorry but you are hardly innocent in this, you pushed me to it"
"Are you for real?"
"Yes Stevie, you made me do this, now if you can't get past it then leave but I promise you I can't live without you, if you walk out the door, you will be responsible for me taking my own life"
"What?"
"I promise you Stevie, you leave me, I'll be dead before you get to the end of the road, do you want to be responsible for that?". Declan stood up and took the flowers "I'll put these in some water for you", he gave her a grin "Why don't you have a nice bath? It'll do you good", he suggested as he left the room.
Stevie sat dumbstruck, completely unable to process what had happened, less than 24 hours ago she was loved up with the perfect man, now she was what? A woman in a domestic violence relationship, a woman who would be responsible for the death of the man she loved or was she just truly responsible for everything that had happened in the last few hours, was it all her fault, had she pushed him to it?
Okay, quick confession, Declan is based on an ex partner of mine and a lot of what Stevie is going to go through are my own experiences, so I have a real strong investment in this story, I feel like I need to get it out somehow. I know it probably makes for uncomfortable reading and I hope that won't put readers off. Anyway, let me know what you think of it?
