by Ada Marie
“I know, I just hope sometimes that maybe I can be enough for you to want to be with in the long haul,” Aubrey said in a whisper. Nate knew this was the key to end things, but the truth was he was a selfish man, he could care less about Aubrey’s feelings and he’d keep stringing her along until he got Annabella.
He didn’t care about the cost. He didn’t give a damn about who got caught in the crossfire, or who got hurt he wanted what he wanted, and he was going to get what he wanted, one way or another, and he already had a plan.
***
Annabella and Travis went back to their towel after spending time in the water. Annabella almost didn’t come; she didn’t want to be in her bikini in front of Nate, knowing what he did to her. Travis convinced her not to let Nate have that kind of power over her. Travis reminded her of all the progress she’d made, all the feelings that she worked through, and most of all how beautiful she was, and it was in that moment that she couldn’t let Nate control her life anymore.
“You’re so beautiful when you smile,” Travis murmured against her cheek.
“You make me smile,” she responded, turning just enough to look up at him.
“I’m glad I make you smile, sunshine. “ Travis responded, pressing his lips on hers.
“Well, look at this lovely couple. “ Nate cut in as Travis and Annabella.
“You shouldn’t be over here. “ Annabella told him as she quickly grabbed her towel and wrapped it around her, just as Travis’s hand tightened around hers.
“Don’t you look lovely Anna?” Nate smirked.
“Don’t call me that,” she said, her tone filled with anger.
“But it’s such a beautiful name. Remember I used to call you that all the time.”
“Shut up,” Travis cut in as he let the anger that built inside him consume him. How was it that Nate got to roam around free doing whatever the hell he wanted to after everything he’s done?
“Look who’s getting all defensive. Tell me; is she as good for you as she was for me?” he asked, knowing that with how protective Travis was being, he had to know what happened.
That was it for Travis. They were on the beach with a full people that mingled in the water, on the sand, but Travis didn’t care. Nate didn’t see it coming as Travis balled his hand into a fist and decked Nate. He didn’t care anymore, his only concern was Annabella. Nate fell to the ground as the second punch came around, and before anyone could stop it, Travis was on top of Nate throwing his fist into his face, the world lost around him as he lost control.
He thought about all the times he held Bella as she cried because of him. He thought about how much pain he’d caused her, and the fear that stuck with her every day. It ended today, Nate was finally going to get what he deserved and Annabella was finally going to get the one thing that she never got before. Justice.
“Travis stop,” Annabella screamed as everyone on the beach gathered around the two men. She could care less about Nate, but she didn’t want Travis to have to deal with the consequences of what he was doing.
“What the hell is he doing?” Aubrey asked in an angry but worried cry.
“Travis, stop!” Annabella yelled again, as he pounded into Nate’s face even harder.
After what felt like a century of waiting, Ryan and Matt pulled Travis off of Nate. His face was bloody and he appeared to look as if he was going to pass out. Trying to get free from their hold, Travis finally locked eyes with Annabella who just stared at him. He couldn’t see any clue to how she was feeling, she was just emotionless.
“You okay buddy?” Ryan asked, still not letting go of Travis, as Matt attended to his brother.
“I’m fine. Just let me go, I promise I won’t go near that sleazebag again.”
“What did he do to you?” Ryan asked.
Travis would love nothing more than to Nate to what he really was, which was a lowlife rapist, but he knew exposing him, would mean telling him something that Annabella trusted him with, and he wouldn’t do that. No matter how much he hated him.
“It’s a long story, not something I want to talk about either. Will you just let me go?”
“Go with Bella, go get cleaned up. It’s better if you stay away from him right now. I’m going to take him to the hospital, Bell, I’ll call you later.”
“Alright.”
***
“Are you upset with me? “ Travis asked as he and Annabella sat in his room after she patched up his hand hours later. They’d heard from Ryan, and Nate was going to be just fine. He had cuts and bruises on his face but he was expected to make a full recovery
Annabella stared at him with worried eyes. She wanted to be with upset with him, she wanted to yell at him and tell him that violence was never the answer. She couldn’t though because no matter how she looked at it she only saw one thing, Travis was protecting her. And she couldn’t be mad at him for that.
“I’m not angry. I want to be. I wish I could be. Travis, you shouldn’t have done what you did, but I’m not angry. You were just trying to protect me, and I love you for that. “She told him honestly “You did something that I’ve always wanted to do. You showed him how it feels to be physically hurt. You stood up to him. Something, I’ll never be able to do. “
“Why don’t you just tell them the truth? “
“I can’t Travis, it would ruin their entire lives, and I won’t be the person to do that. I know that you love me and you’re just trying to help, but I’m not anywhere to close ready to tell them .Can you just support that?” she questioned.
“I can. Of course.”
“I have to go home. “ Annabella said.
“You can’t go back there with him.”
“It’s for a little while, I have something’s I need to get. I’ll be back. I’d ask you to come with me, but I don’t think they’d want to see you right now.”
“It’s okay, call me if you need anything at all, do you got that?” Travis told her in a worried voice.
”Okay. I love you Travis.”
“I love you too.”
***
Walking into her room, Annabella froze in her tracks. A beaten Nate sat on her bed with her journal. All her inner feelings exposed. Everything she’d become because of him, all the hurt, every pain, all the lies that she kept so deep inside, he knew it all. She thought about leaving the room, but it wouldn’t have matter they were the only two people left in the house. Everyone else went down to the diner to pick up some food to bring back to the house. Had she known that, she’d have never come here alone.
“Why do you have that?” Annabella asked, not moving from her spot near the door.
“I’ve been thinking for quite some time now,” he started, throwing the journal on her bed “I’ve missed you. And we should have some fun, for old times’ sake.”
“Leave me alone,” she yelled, feeling the air leaving her lungs as it did the first time he walked into her house.
“Anna,” he whispered, moving towards her.
“Please don’t hurt me,” she begged, feeling history repeat itself.
“I don’t want to hurt you; I never want to hurt you. I never wanted that. I’ve loved you from the moment I saw you. I know it’s wrong but I can’t help the way I feel about you,” he told her, touching her face.
“Stop it,” she said just as she pushed him away and fled to the other side of the room.
“Don’t run sweetheart, I’ll always catch you,” he told her, standing on the other side of the bed that separated them.
Annabella felt her hands start to shake as he took another step. She tried to run away and get out of the room, but he pinned her to the bed, and covered her mouth. She tried to scream, but nothing came out, not that it would matter. She felt her past memories collide with her present.
; How could this be happening after everything she tried to do to move on from that night? All the time that passed and she’d finally begun to heal, only to wind up in the same position as she was that night? She felt his hands begin to go for the buttons on her shirt and gave up. She closed her eyes to wait for it to be over, but when she felt him being yanked off her.
Looking up she was in shock to see Travis pinning him against the wall. She thought he’d be home playing guitar or drums right now. But here he was with her. After one last punch, he knocked him to the ground sending him to whimper. Travis rushed to Annabella without a second thought.
“Baby are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Travis, why are you here?” she asked, unable to control her emotions as the tears ran down her face.
“You’re not fine,” he said, wiping her tears. “I came because I called you a million times and you didn’t answer, I got worried. God, this is a feeling I’m not familiar with,” Travis told her as he buttoned up the buttons that Nate had undone. He promised her weeks ago that he’d never let her be hurt by her rapist, and that was a promise he’d keep.
“Travis,” Annabella said with wide, fearful eyes. He followed her gaze, which led to Nate pointing a gun at them. Acting on instinct, Travis stood with Annabella behind him. If he didn’t know how much he loved Annabella, he knew now. If Nate was going to shoot anyone with that gun, it was going to be him.
“Leave her out of this. You want someone to shoot, I’m right here.”
“As tempting as that sounds, boy. I don’t want you, I want her,” Nate said, his voice cold as ice.
“You can’t have her.”
“You can make this really easy, or really hard, Miss Anna. You come out from behind him, or your boyfriend gets a bullet in his chest.”
Annabella knew what she had to do. She couldn’t let Travis take a bullet for something that he wasn’t a part of. He’d been telling her to stop running from her past for so long, and now it was time to finally start listening.
“Fine, you win, Nate. You leave him alone, and I’ll do whatever you want.”
“Then come with me,” he said to her as he held out a hand.
“Except that,” she said. She was done being afraid of him.
“Don’t go near him, Bella. No matter what he says,” Travis demanded.
“I’m not going to be afraid of you, not anymore. You’re a coward, you’re a rapist and I hope you rot in hell,” Annabella said. She finally had the courage to stand up to the man that took everything from her. “I hate you!”
“No you don’t,” Nate challenged. He’d come this far he wasn’t giving up yet.
“Yes I do. You ruined my life,” she screamed. “I love Travis, not you. I’ll never love you!“
In that moment it dawned on Nate, just what he had to do. “If I can’t have you, then nobody can.” He lifted the gun and shot it before Annabella could even blink.
“You didn’t think I’d really shoot you did you?” Nate asked as Annabella let out a scream.
“I couldn’t hurt you… Just him,” Nate said, nodding towards Travis, who had red dripping down his white tank top.
Annabella ran to Travis. “Travis!” she screamed.
“I… I’m sorry,” he managed to wheeze out. Agony dripped from his voice.
“Shhh, don’t talk you’re going to be okay.”
“This will be your punishment,” Nate said as he exited the room. Annabella didn’t care about going after him. She only cared about the man she loved who was bleeding out in front of her. She read somewhere that you had to keep pressured on the wound. Reaching for a shirt that laid on the floor she applied it to the wound.
“Travis?” she asked. “Are you with me?”
All she got was silence. Dead silence.
Sneak Peek
Ian stared at the gravesite that lay in front of him with his hands clenched at his sides. One of them held the white roses he’d just purchased. It was mid-afternoon in Cantua Creek, California and the sun was warm against his cheek.
As he inhaled, the scent of fresh cut grass was all he could smell. He heard the rustle of the leaves as the wind blew them around. It had been so long since he’d stood in the state he loved most in the world, the place where he’d been the happiest, and most of all, the place which held his most treasured memories…
He couldn’t remember the last time his mind had felt peace, or his heart had known love, but he was sure it was something he’d never find again.
He stared down at the grave – the one that had been put there because of him – and guilt consumed him. He remembered growing up in Cantua Creek. It had been home; he always loved California. Now, it was the place he visited once a year. It nearly killed him each time he had to leave.
He loved living in New York, but this was his home and he wanted nothing more than to be able to come here more often. If only life were that simple. As he fell to his knees, he placed the roses in front of the headstone. It was beautiful; there was a heart in the center with the names of his parents and Leila. It broke his heart each time he looked at it. It was a gut wrenching feeling every time he thought of the little girl that never had the chance to live.
He traced a finger over his mother’s name and let the pain surface through his chest. He deserved this. Staring at the grave, he remembered all the circumstances that led to this. He knew that everything that occurred that night was his fault. For the past seven years, he carried the guilt, even though he knew logically it wasn’t his fault.
How could it be?
He wasn’t the one that physically cut the brakes on that black Volvo that dark, windy night. But everything that happened that night was set in motion because of his actions. He caused this, and he’d have to live with that for the rest of his life. He tried his best to save them that awful, tragic night, but it had been too late. He failed them. He let them die.
It didn’t matter how many times someone told him it wasn’t his fault; he’d never stop blaming himself. The worst part of it all was that his little sister was only seven years old. Little Leila, he used to call her.
He still remembered everything about her, the little girl that always looked up to him with her wide blue eyes that were too big for her face. She had been a huge part in all of the good things in life that Ian had accomplished. She brought out the best in him, at least until she died.
And his parents…
They were the most amazing people he’d ever known. Ian was a middle child, caught between his little sister and the only living relative he had left, his brother Jeremy. Their parents supported them as best as they could. But in the end he wasn’t there for them.
Seven years ago, the people he wanted to protect more than anything in the world were the people he hurt the most, and because of that he ran away. Without thinking about it as a rational person would have done, Ian packed his things and left town without thinking twice. Since then, he only came back once a year; the anniversary of their death.
It is the most painful and dreadful day of the year, not that any other part of the year is a breeze for him. His life is a dark cave. He pours himself into his work since it is the only thing he had left.
“I miss you guys so much,” he finally spoke after kneeling there for what felt like a lifetime. “Each day I wake is another day that I die a little more inside. I’ve yet to find redemption for all the things I’ve done. I’ve battled this alone for so long and the honest truth is that I can’t seem to find my way.”
“Well if it isn’t Ian Anderson, big shot business owner.” A voice came from behind Ian as he knelt at the grave. Wiping his tears away instantly, Ian stood as he turned around to be confronted with a face he’d never thought he’d see again. He felt his heart sink deeper in his chest at the sight of the man that stood in fro
nt of him. His bronze hair, messy as the wind blew it to the side of his face. His lips curved into a soft smile as Ian’s eyes grew wider, not able to find his voice. The emotions inside him began to build up as he stared at the man before him.
His mind flashed to the years before the tragedy hit. He and Ian used to spend a lot of time together; they had been reckless together. Ian remembered even racing their motorcycles on an old country road in the middle of the night.
Finding reality, Ian took a deep breath. God, did it hurt. He wanted nothing more than to be the coward he was and flee from this scene. Selfishly though, he missed Elliot, he missed his old life, and it hurt like hell. With the exception of his brother, Ian was alone in this life. He had no one.
“Elliot,” Ian said. Elliot Montgomery was once a person Ian was close to. His heart began to race as he faced him. He watched as Elliot searched Ian for all the answers for all the pain he’d caused seven years ago, but when Ian said nothing, Elliot only sighed.
“It’s good to see you man, it’s been a long time,” Elliot said as he approached the grave. It had been seven years since Ian saw anyone he cared about from his old life. Seven years since he’d spoken to the people he’d once called friends. He left without a single good-bye, only a letter to the girl he loved. And now here he was, face to face with someone he used to know.
“Yeah, I guess it has,” Ian responded as he ran his right hand through his black hair. He wasn’t exactly sure how to react to his past standing right in front of him, and he had a distinct feeling that Elliot wasn’t the only Montgomery he was about to see. Deep down that gave him a bit of hope, but Ian knew that he had to push it back. There was no way he would be able to see Allison. He left this place for a reason, and he had to stick to that, no matter how much it killed him.
