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

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 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

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

A couple hours later, I sat beside Alaric in his sports car as he drove me back to my apartment. He had showered and changed into black jeans with a bright blue, button up shirt adorned with images of palm trees and mountains. It was halfway unbuttoned, showing off his toned, tattooed chest and silver cross necklace. His brown hair hung down long around his face and aviator sunglasses covered his eyes. An assortment of rings adorned his fingers. I fidgeted nervously in my seat. I put the window down, letting the warm Florida air attempt to calm my frigid nerves. My palms sweated and I felt sick to my stomach. I felt like I was going into a disaster. We pulled into the parking lot and I immediately sat forward in my seat. I scanned the parked cars, looking for Ace. It was no where in sight. “I don’t think he’s home” I whispered softly as Alaric glanced at me and lowered the rock music in the car. He parked in a spot close to my apartment and, with shaking hands, I unbuckled my seatbe