Fight for You

by Charisse Spiers

  The heart has to learn just like the mind. It has to be hurt a few times, teaching it to toughen up. It has to grow and develop through trials of the act. That usually builds over time and relationships. Being in love is a verb, an action. It's not absolute to one person, meaning you can fall in love more than once. The one you decide to love forever comes from the maturity of the heart in the final stage. When that time comes, whoever the lucky contender is that makes your heart beat off pace is usually the one that becomes the one.

  When in doubt, wait it out...

  I take a deep breath, trying to relax. It feels good out here. It's tranquil. The water is actually inviting. I wonder if anyone would see if I went for a dip. There is something soothing about water.

  I look around to make sure there isn't anything low enough that would allow another person to see me. His fence is actually pretty high and I can't see the house that's next door if I stand. It's a far enough distance. From the houses I've seen, Haddox must have purchased the biggest lot. Oh what the hell. I'm not sleepy, so I'm sure I'll be up until sunrise.

  Crossing my arms I grab the bottom hem of my tee shirt, rocking side to side to work the back over my butt. I pull it up my body and over my head, discarding it. I pull my feet out of the water and lay them flat against the cement, allowing myself to stand. I hook my thumbs under the band of my panties and slide them down my legs, stepping out of them, now fully nude. I squat, and place my hands curved over the cement edge, jumping in without making a lot of noise.

  The water is only waist deep right here, but it feels good against my skin. I submerge myself under the water to get better acquainted with the temperature. Breaking the surface, I comb my fingers through my hair starting at the roots, ridding it from my face. I look up at the second floor, knowing that inside is a one of a kind man, sleeping peacefully. It's time for a relaxing swim. This right here is living in the night. The parties, the booze, and the wild sex with people you care nothing about doesn't come close to this...

  He barrels through my door at full speed. Shit, he's mad. I don't remember doing anything wrong. I can see the hatred in his eyes. He hates me, and it only gets stronger every day. "I've fucking told you," he screams and grabs me by the hair, pulling me to my feet.

  "Dad, what did I do? I'm sorry. It was probably an accident."

  He pulls harder on my hair. Some of it is probably breaking free from my scalp. "What was that shit on the ice today, Haddox? You played shitty. You embarrassed me. I will not tolerate you embarrassing me. You're a Hayes for fucks sake. You should have dominated that game. I would rather see you in the box for unsportsmanlike conduct than to play like a girl. At least then I would know you have a dick swinging between your legs."

  Fuck! I forgot about our loss today. He didn't speak the entire ride home after the hockey game. I didn't even know he was mad. We only lost on the board. We should have won that game. One fuck up in the last few seconds cost us the win.

  I look into his eyes, trying to see just how pissed off he is. He has that look. It's like staring into the eyes of Satan. He's on something to give him an edge. It's becoming more frequent. He's heavy hitting with booze and drugs now. The alcohol by itself must not be strong enough anymore. "Payback is a bitch, Son."

  He turns for my bedroom door, pulling me along after him, never loosening his hold. It hurts, but I'm used to it. The basement door comes into view quickly. I know where he's going, and my breath hitches.

  He opens it, revealing the narrow staircase. It's dark. I can't see anything down below. He has me bent slightly forward to keep me at a lower height. Reaching into the darkness he pulls a string. You can hear the small chain as it passes through the hole like a pulley, turning on the small light bulb hanging above the staircase.

  Before I can think about the next move, he slings me forward, shoving me down the steps. The rough wood of the steps scrape along my shirtless, bare skin as I roll downward. Each time it hits my spine a pain radiates throughout my body, until finally I'm lying at the bottom, waiting for what’s next.

  He stalks down the stairs one by one, the wood creaking as his weight bears down in the middle. "You're nothing but a piece of shit," he says, ripping open the first wound. "No one wants you."

  I fight to sit up, my body aching from the fall. It's not that high, but it's steep. He's standing over me, looking down, showing his power. Placing his black boot on my chest, he shoves me back against the cement floor. "You ruined everything for everyone. You will pay for it for the rest of your life," he says and spits on me, as if I'm a dog.

  He unbuckles his belt and pulls, swiftly sliding it through the belt loops of his jeans. His hands hold each end. My breathing accelerates as he squats. "Who knows...maybe one day I'll take you out of this world, saving it from another good for nothing bastard."

  He wraps the belt around my neck and tightens, making it hard to breathe. This is the kind of pain I've become accustomed to. I've even learned to like it...because it cuts far less deep than the verbal attacks. My vision is starting to fade as the oxygen diminishes. Maybe he will take it all the way this time, but I know that would be wishful thinking.

  He grabs me underneath the arm and pulls upward, standing me to my feet. He leads me to the place he wants to keep me, the place he brings me frequently. Now that I'm older and stronger, he depends on outside sources to keep me still, ensuring I don't move.

  The steel beam becomes visible as he leads me to it. The ceilings are high enough that I can fully stand and barely reach the beam, even on my tiptoes. He likes the height. A section of the beam is wrapped with a thick rope, twisted for strength. Every strand is tight except for one, the one he slides the cuffs through. "Grab the rope. Don't you dare try anything."

  I do as he says and grip the loose strand in both hands, waiting for him to cuff me, making me his own personal punching bag. He slides one cuff over the rope, closing it around my wrist, and keeping the other side where it is, so that I'm bound by the handcuffs, but the rope and beam are supporting my weight.

  I look up but see nothing. He prefers the light off until he's ready to turn it on. I know it's coming by the clicking of the handcuffs as they lock around both wrists. The metal starts to indent into my skin, because I'm slightly hanging. One beam of light hits me in the face, causing my eyes to squint. He wants me to be the focal, as if we're getting ready for a boxing match, but only one has the chance to win: an unfair fight.

  He pulls back the belt and swings, a slap sounding against my skin. I flinch, but that's it. I'm so used to it that it barely fazes me anymore. He takes notice. "Oh...you playing mister tough guy now? You wanna up the antics? You will respect me, and you will honor me in public, even if I have to kill you to get it. Do you hear me?"

  He momentarily disappears, but then returns, wasting no time before he swings; his brass-covered knuckles connect with my jaw. A searing pain shoots through my face and my neck snaps to the side. Blood starts to fill my mouth, but I spit, waiting for the next hit. He won't stop until he reaches the peak of his high.

  He waits barely any time on the return before hitting me again, this time in the eye. I reach up and grab the beam to hold my weight as he continues to pummel his fist into my face repeatedly. I take it with confidence, breathing through the pain even though I want to scream out. I growl out when I hear the crack of a bone. "Give me more," I demand. "Show me how much you hate me! Let me feel your wrath from me being born."

  His hits intensify and come more rapidly each time. When he tires out, he wraps the belt back around my neck and pulls in each direction, constricting the leather on my skin. I inhale, but no air comes. My vision starts to go black from the outside first. This...is how he gets off. He doesn't need sex, he needs violence, and I'm his puppet.

  ___________

  I bolt upright, soaked in sweat. "Fuck you! Even with you gone, you still haunt me every damn day of my life." Rubbing my hand down my face, I work to regain control of my breathing and focus on where I
am. That's the first nightmare I've had with Piper staying over. That thought alone brings me to look beside me, hoping I didn't wake her. I feel around, but her side of the bed is vacant. It's no longer warm, meaning she hasn't been in it for a while. What the hell? Where is she?

  I reach over and turn on the light to confirm that she isn't in the room, immediately getting out of bed. I check the bathroom first, but it's dark and empty. Surely she didn't leave. Why would she even want to? I thought this weekend was going well. I guess I could have fucked something up and I wouldn't have even known honestly. Panic starts to arise.

  I rush down the stairs and start looking through the house, but don't find anything. I stop in the kitchen and place my hands on the sink. As I start to hang my head in confusion, something catches my eye outside the window. I rarely close the blinds.

  The water is moving in small waves, but it should be still. I place my index finger on one panel of the blinds and pull down, making the space between them bigger. Piper's head comes out of the water and she runs over hands over her head. I can only see down to her shoulders because she's in the deep end, but they're bare. Holy fuck, is she skinny-dipping in my pool?

  Her head ducks back down and I take off around the bar, almost losing my balance as I round the edge. I open the door and step outside. She's swimming laps underwater.... completely fucking naked.

  She turns in the middle of the pool and starts coming back for the deep end, the direction in which I am going. I stop at the edge and cross my arms over my chest as I wait for her to surface. I remain silent, taking her in as her body emerges from the clear water, slick and glistening as it coats her body. I can't move. My eyes are frozen in place by the gorgeous body before me.

  She wipes her face to remove the excess water and opens her eyes. "Taking a dip without me?"

  Her eyes immediately divert to mine at the sound of my voice. She looks like she's been caught with her hand in the cookie jar before dinner. "I couldn't sleep. My mind was racing. It happens sometimes. I didn't want to wake you."

  "Oh yeah? Well you should have. Who wants to sleep when this is plan B? Sleep is overrated anyway."

  She's fluttering her arms underneath the water, trying to stay afloat. She starts looking around. "I hope this is okay. I came out to think and it just looked nice. Why are you up?"

  "Nightmare. I'm used to it. Then saw you weren't in bed.... which is probably why I had one in the first place." That last part sort of slipped out. It wasn't something I wanted to voice aloud. Her brows dip. She's now confused...most likely the reason I didn't want to verbalize it.

  "Do you want to talk about it?"

  "Not really."

  "Oh.... okay."

  "I will tomorrow, but I'm not going to talk about it with your tits staring at me, inviting me to feast on." She smirks and leans back in the water, giving me a better look.

  "It sure is warm in here. Do you want to join me?" Her voice has taken on a sexy tone, purring with certain words.

  I quickly shed my briefs. "Do you even need to ask?"

  I squat enough to hold my weight on one hand and jump in feet first, causing the water to ripple. I swim toward her, chasing her to the wall. I grab the rounded edge of the cement in my hands, entrapping her against the wall. She wraps one hand around my neck to hold herself up. "I guess it's about time this pool got broken in anyway. It's never been used."

  "You can't have a pool without putting it to use," she says as she grabs my dick in her slender hand, slightly squeezing and sliding it up and down. It feels so damn good, but something else would feel even better.

  "You want it?"

  "Don't I always?"

  "You can have it, but there is something I want to know first."

  She wraps her legs around my waist, readying herself for me to enter her. "What is it?"

  "Move in with me, Piper."

  Her eyes widen and her chest starts to rise and fall quickly. "We've only known each other a week. I don't know, Haddox. That's crazy. People will think we're insane. What about Alyvia?"

  I couldn't agree with all of that more, but what I do know is that she's taking away the pain of my past, and that's worth living to extremes. "You don't have to get rid of your apartment...for now. Just bring enough to live on. You can transfer a little at a time if it makes you feel better. Besides, when have I ever been anything other than intense? It's the only way to live, baby. Go big or go home."

  I run my thumb underneath her eye, staring at her. "There's something different about you, so I'm holding on to it. I don't know what it is just yet, but I intend to find out. I want you there, but even more than that.... I think I need you there. Do this...for me."

  She aligns my head at the point of entry and presses into my buttocks with her heels, pushing me into her, and moaning as I fill her. "If I do this.... don't hate me if I fall in love with you."

  That line sparks something inside of me: a raging fire. I thrust forward, knowing I'm about to change everything. Whether it's good or bad, I can't seem to care.

  I stand in this gigantic room all dressed out. My nerves feel like they're on speed, running a hundred miles per hour. I can't sit down. I've spent the last fifteen minutes pacing back and forth in his room, our room.

  Tonight is the night for that damn charity ball. I should have backed out. I have a bad feeling about tonight that I can't shake. I don't need bad feelings, not after the last three weeks. They've been perfect, and usually I don't believe in such a thing.

  I was nervous as all hell to come back to the city after such an amazing weekend in Rhode Island. That place will always hold a special place in my heart, even if I never set foot there again. I was surprised that when we woke up Sunday he was all packed and ready to go. I wasn't sure why he wanted to leave so early, until I discovered he was taking me to Coney Island for the day. He wouldn't tell me anything until we pulled in and immediately my jaw hit the ground.

  You would think being from New York I would know within miles where we were going, but I haven't been there since I was a kid and my dad took me on one of those rare weekends he stopped working long enough to pay me any attention. The older I got, the more he threw money at me to satisfy my boredom. I know he loves me, but he's addicted to money, to power, and to control. In my family a lavish lifestyle is worth sacrificing family for. It's about the name and the reputation, not the memories.

  I would have never in a million years thought that was a place Haddox would take me. Honestly, I am not sure where I thought he would take me on a date since we are still learning each other, but an amusement park just didn't seem to make the list. It was so much fun. We were like two little kids all over again, experiencing an amusement park for the first time…with each other. It just felt right; everything.

  With each ride we both let go a little more, becoming comfortable with each other and totally relaxed. I even discovered that Haddox is slightly afraid of heights. He was trying to be all tough, but when we stopped at the top on the Ferris wheel his face started to drain of its color. I had to bite my tongue in my effort to not laugh, but it was really hard. Who wouldn't laugh at someone that's a testosterone junkie and fights for a living when finding out he's terrified of something as slow as a Ferris wheel?

  I'm pretty sure I rectified the situation though when I made out with him at the top of that Ferris wheel. One touch of our lips and all was lost in the world. We were in our own little bubble in the sky, twirling and twisting our tongues together as if no one else was there.

  In between rides we walked through that park pulling on a big, fluffy cloud of cotton candy on a stick, steering ourselves into a sugar coma as we decided to play a few games. I smile, remembering the look on the carnie's face when he knocked down all of the bottles, winning me a huge teddy bear. I picked out the one holding the heart and we left while he was scratching his head.

  When we returned home that night Haddox stayed over, my guess to ensure I told Alyvia I was going to be moving in with a man t
hat I had only known a week. I won't lie. I was slightly embarrassed to be moving so quickly. Usually, only fools do things like that. I was prepared to withstand the heat of a raging fire standing five foot two, the one that's so level headed, but ended up completely in shock when she jumped up and grabbed each of us in a hug, wearing a rather large grin across her face. Obviously there is an awesome drug in the water and I want some of it.

  Am I the only one that finds this unusual? I mean.... had I known him for months and then it turn romantic, fine, but I never knew he existed in the world until nine days before; nine damn days. I swear I must be insane.

  I've been living here for three weeks now, and to my surprise it's been nothing short of amazing. I guess it's true that you learn more of a person by living with them, because there's nowhere to hide. A person's true colors radiate when in close quarters on a near constant basis. I'm actually doing better in my classes now than I was prior to the move. My assignments are getting done early and I've actually decided on my first theme for my fashion line.

  Now, if I could only get through this damn event tonight. Obviously, my loose-lipped mother felt the need to tell my father I had met someone, because I received that phone call about a week ago, requesting to meet this new man in my life. If he makes it through meeting my family and still wants to be with me then I'll know he's a good guy...even though I pretty much already do. I just hope he doesn't think I'm like them, because I'm not. My father is a good man, but he keeps blinders on.

  A knock sounds at the door and it opens. Haddox is standing on the other side in his tux. I love the way he looks tonight. Not every man can pull off a tux like that, but him...I believe he could wear anything or nothing at all and still be the sexiest man alive. He stares at me heatedly with his hands in the pockets of his trousers, not moving an inch as his eyes rake down my body. "Hi," I say.