The quite conversations were soon interrupted by the announcement and arrival of the bridal party. They filed in, waving and dancing along the way to their table. Food was served, toasts were made, and cake was cut. The bride and groom had their first dance before the dancefloor was opened up to everyone. The band’s music was turned up as people began dancing and mingling throughout the tables. Alaric’s arm returned to the back of my chair as he leaned back in his own. I turned toward him and took in his handsome profile as he causally looked around the room. His jawline was strong and pronounced yet his face had a softness. He wet his full, red lips as he turned toward me. “Are you having a good time?” I nodded, refusing to divulge even the slightest hint of my jealousy. “It’s a beautiful wedding.” The band began the first musical bars of an infamous rock song as Alaric opened his mouth to say something but was quickly interrupted. “Alaric! Alaric!” a flock of women suddenly scre
We drove in a nervous excitement in the car back to our cabin. Instead of going inside, Alaric suggested we sit outside near the fire ring. I nodded in agreement as he collected wood and soon had a roaring, orange fire going. I sat in one of the chairs near it as I reached my hands out toward the warmth it let off. Without the sun in the sky, the air had turned chilly and I shivered in the cold beneath the star-filled sky. "Are you cold?" Alaric asked as he walked away from the fire and toward me. I looked up at his muscular build framed by the orange glow behind him. "A little." He quickly took his black suit jacket off and took my hand, pulling me gently to my feet. He laid the jacket around my shoulders and I slid my hands through the sleeves. "Thank you," I said graciously as I wrapped it tightly closed around me. His eyes wandered over me. "You look damn good in my clothes." I laughed lightly as he sat down in the chair I had just been sitting in and he pulled me down into
At the sound of footsteps, I lowered my eyes from the sky and saw Alaric walking back toward me. My eyes narrowed as he approached me and held out one of his hands with a pair of sweatpants. I gingerly took them from him and stepped into them. As I finished pulling them up, he wrapped a blanket around my shoulders. He ran his hands up and down my arms as though trying to warm me up. I raised my eyes to his as I looked remorsefully at him, my emotions on display. “I’m so sorry.” He looked at me, his green eyes boring into mine as his hands continued moving up and down. “What happened, Stella?” I stood silent a moment, a little confused at what he meant. Had he not seen? “I stepped backwards and caught my ankle … “ “Not that,” he interrupted me, his voice a bit hard. He studied me a moment before wetting his lips and speaking again. “What happened to make you react like that when I touched you?” I slowly shook my head as that stupid lump formed in my throat again. “I can’t, Alaric,”
The morning light shined in on my face and I moaned and rolled away. The smell of coffee wafted into my nose, waking my senses. I rolled onto my back and glanced at the empty spot Alaric had left behind. Male voices drifted in from the living room of the cabin. I slowly sat up and looked at the closed bedroom door as I tried to hear what they were saying. I couldn’t make out their words, but Alaric’s laughter rung out loud and clear. The sound put a smile on my face as I stretched and got out of bed. I used the restroom before walking over to the closed door. I grabbed the door handle but froze when I heard my name. “Stella?” I loved hearing my name in Alaric’s British accent. “How serious is it?” a male voice asked. “It is what it is” I heard Alaric reply. A couple male voices laughed. “You know Jeanie was asking about you again?” one of the male voices said. My eyebrows crushed downward, wondering who he was talking to. “What did Jeanie want?” Alaric asked with humor dancing o
I opened the door to my apartment and held my breath as I glanced around the living space. It was empty and silence rung in my ears. I let out a sigh of relief as I tossed my suitcase down and walked over toward the futon. I sat down, laying my head back as I closed my eyes. Footsteps snapped my eyes open as I lifted my head and turned toward the kitchen. My heart pounded furiously in my chest and nearly chocked me as Ace meandered lazily from the kitchen toward me. “The spa, huh?” he drew out casually as he approached me. My entire body began to shake violently as my breath was shaky and a wave of light-headedness overcame me. Had he seen? Of course he had seen! The look of simmering rage upon his face told me the answer. He had seen Alaric drop me off. His eyes weren’t bloodshot though. He had no tell tale signs of drug use. So he wouldn’t hurt me. He never hurt me except when he was under the influence of drugs. “He paid me, Ace” I said in a weaker voice than intended. “I wanted
I walked for miles around the bustling city. I pulled on a sweatshirt over my arms to cover the welts Ace had left on me. I sweated profusely beneath the Florida sunshine, but I ignored it all as I tried to figure out what I was going to do. I thought of going to Catherine’s, but Ace would know to look for me there. I would rather die than put her in danger. I stopped at an ATM to take out some much-needed cash but was dismayed to find Ace had emptied our bank accounts. I had exactly zero cash on me. I was dead broke and completely on my own. As the sky began to darken, I ran out of options and snuck into an outside restroom at a gas station. I locked the door and tried to ignore the stink of the dirty facility as I sat down on the floor in the corner. I hugged my backpack to my body as I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the wall. I would rest for just a little bit before figuring out what else to do. Somehow, I found rest for over three hours before banging on the door st
I worked the reminder of my shift unsure if it was my heart or body which hurt more. They fought for dominance on the pain scale as I clocked out and grabbed my backpack. I wandered out the backdoor having no knowledge where I was going or what I was going to do. My phone was completely dead, and it honestly matched my soul. The day sky was darkened with clouds brewing an upcoming storm. My stomach dropped as I realized I was going to need to find shelter quickly. A warning breeze whipped past me as I pulled the hair tie out and let my hair fall around my face. I idly walked through the back-parking lot to nowhere in particular when movement caught my attention from the corner of my eye. I turned and my heart stopped as Ace stood up from leaning against his car and walked toward me. In my logical mind, I knew I should run. I should probably scream bloody murder and wave my arms to try to attract attention or help. Perhaps I could make it back to the restaurant before he caught me.
Over an hour later, I tiptoed out of the tub and into the huge, tiled shower. The hot water burned all the way to my bones, but the water pressure stung my bruised body. I glanced around at the available soaps and conditioners, and was amused to find his large collection. I scrubbed the soap against my skin and through my hair, as though I could erase the bruises and memories that Ace had left on my body. I got out and dried off with the towel Alaric had left, and noticed he had set my bag inside the door at some point. I borrowed a comb and winced as I pulled it through my hair. It tugged painfully where Ace had dragged me. I gently dried off and stepped over to my bag. In my haste to pack, I failed to grab any pajamas, or anything besides jeans and shirts. I sighed and grabbed jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. Unease seeped through me as I realized I was going to have to go back to my apartment to get the rest of my clothes and belongings. Maybe I could watch the apartment tomorrow a