Pulling up home, Steve got out of the car and walked off inside like nothing had happened. I pulled myself out of the car, pulling my now ripped and wrecked dress tightly around me as I made my way inside, tears rolling down my face. Once I was inside and the door looked behind me, my legs gave out from under me, causing me to fall to the floor, my body shaking with fear and pain. As tears fell from my eyes, I remembered the paper that Brax had given me in the bathroom tonight. I pulled it out of my bra, thankful that Steve hadn't found it. The only reason he hadn't was because once I knew what was happening, I grabbed it out, holding it tightly in my hand. Written on it was an address. I was confused as to why he would give me a piece of paper with nothing but an address on it. I pulled myself together, dragging myself off the floor, and made my way into the bathroom. Turning the shower on as hot as it would go, I removed what was left of my dress, throwing it straight in the bin before getting into the shower. The boiling water burned my skin, but it helped a little to remove the dirty feeling that Steve had left on me.
As I stood under the scalding water, my mind raced. Why did Brax give me an address? What did he want from me? And why wouldn't he just leave me alone like I've asked him to? All these questions swirled around in my head as I tried to calm down and think logically. The one thing that came through the most was the question of whether I should go to the address to see what he wanted. I knew doing that was dangerous for so many reasons. If Steve caught me, he would make me pay, and he would kill Brax, or what if this was some sort of trap? Brax wasn't really being nice to me but was going to try and use me to get to Steve.After what felt like hours, I finally turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around myself and going into my bedroom, sitting down on the end of my bed, my body still shaking from pain and fear. I picked up the piece of paper, taking another look at i. could I really trust Brax, and would he be able to help me get out of this hell? I have gone over everything a million times in my head trying to work out why he is interested in me and the only thing that makes sense is that he is going to try and use me to get to Steve which was stupid because if that's what he wanted to do then why wouldn't he use nat instead. I let out a loud sign, placing the piece of paper in the back of my drawer. I couldn't sit there and think about it any longer; I was tired.I got dressed and crawled into bed. I was only going to get a few hours of sleep before having to go to school in the morning, but that was better than nothing. I closed my eyes, letting sleep completely overtake my body, praying that I wouldn't have any nightmares tonight.the sound of my door being slammed up woke me up. I jumped up, looking around my room, realising that it was morning. I looked over and saw Steve standing there. He looked angry. My heart started to race, and I tried to think what I could have done to make him angry. I jumped out of bed. without a word he came towards me raising his hand at me i cringled away from him knowing that he was about to hit me a few seconds later his hand came down hitting me in the mouth i fell to the ground wrapping my arms around myself trying to protect myself from the beating i was about to get but instead i heard him turn and walk away closing the door behind him. I looked up, confused by what had just happened but also thankful that that was all that he had done to me. I stood up, heading to the bathroom. As my mouth was filling with blood, looking in the mirror, my lip was split, and as I opened my mouth to get rid of the blood, it just poured out. I cleaned myself up and got ready for school. I was going to be late because I'd slept in, but I would rather be there than here at home and risk getting another beating from him. He was clearly in a bad mood today, and I wanted to be as far away from him as I could.walking into school the halls were empty as everyone was already in class I thought about going into the library and just staying there for the day but I didn't want to be left alone with my thoughts so I headed off to class i knew that there was a chance that I would see Brax there which I didn't want to but I would rather see him than be alone right now. everyone stared as I walked in I kept my head low trying to hide my growing fat lip I took the only empty seat at the back of the class pulled my hood over my head I sat there staring out the window but after a few seconds I got the feeling that someone was staring at me looking up I turned my head locking eyes with one of Braxs friends dillion he didn't look away instead he moved his eyes to my lip before pulling out his phone and messaging someone. I knew straight away who that would be, and if he was telling him that I was here, this was the last place that I wanted to be, so I grabbed my things and hurried out of the room, ignoring the teacher yelling at me. I headed straight for my next class. The room would be empty, and there wasn't long till the other one was finished. I would just have to deal with being alone with my thoughts for a little bit. I sat in the back of the class, crossing my arms in front of me, and rested my head on them. I heard someone come into the room I just thought it was the teacher until he spoke."Is there a reason you always make me chase you?" his deep voice said from above me.I kept my head buried in my arms, not wanting to look up at him. Maybe if I just ignored him, he would give up and leave."look at me or I'll make you look at me"the way he said it sent fear through my body I lifted my head looking up at him knowing that my face was filled with fear whenever someone spoke to me like that I had to do as they asked because normally it came with a beating if I didn't well it came with one when I did to it just wasn't as bad.his face softened as he looked at me. "who did that to you?""Please, Brax, just leave me alone", my voice was tired. the bell rang, and the sound of people rushing to their next class filled the halls.Brax stood there, his eyes locked on me. The classroom slowly started to fill with other people, but he didn't move. He just stood there staring at me. I didn't know what to do. I tried to look away from him and ignore him, but I couldn't. After a few minutes, the teacher yelled, "Brax, you are not in my class. Leave."with one last look, he turned and left making me let out the breath that I had been holding and I went back to resting my head on my arms but that was short-lived because as fast as he left he returned the teacher yelling at him making me look up to see what was going on but as I did he grabbed my arm and my bag pulling me out of my chair and dragging me out of the room I tried to get away from him he was too strong he ignored my protest and the teachers yelling dragging me out of the room and down the hallway until we were out in the car park where he opened his car door and shoved me inside before he could shut the door I jumped out making him grab me again so I could run away. my heart felt as though it was going to come pounding out of my chest fear had overtaken all of my body as I stood there staring up at him."why wont you let me help you" he asked softly.I pulled my arm away from him. "How is this helping me?" I spat at him."you won't talk to me. What else am I meant to do?""Because I don't want to, I have nothing to talk to you about, so please just leave me alone," I yelled, making the few people in the car park stop and look at us. But I didn't care. I was so angry at him for doing what he did and thinking that he had the right to touch me. I went to walk away from him, but he grabbed my arm, stopping me."I just want to help you,", he said before letting go of my arm."Why?" was all I could say to him.Running his hand through his hair, I could see the frustration written all over his face. "I don't know why I just do, and for some reason, you are all that I can think about."butterflies started to grow in my stomach, but I pushed them down. I couldn't let myself fall into his trap; I was already too close to him. "you can't help me, Brax, so please just leave me alone". I said as I started to walk away."Please, Willow, just come with me and give me half an hour of your time, and if you still feel the same way, then I promise you I will never even look at you again,", he pleaded with me.I stopped in my tracks, considering his offer. Part of me wanted to give him a chance, to see if he could help me in some way. But another part of me was afraid, afraid of what might happen if I let him in. I looked at him, trying to read his expression, but I couldn't tell what he was thinking.Finally, I made up my mind. "Okay, half an hour," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.He smiled, relief evident on his face. "Thank you, Willow. I promise you won't regret it.".I got in the car with him, ignoring the voice in my head that screamed at me not to go with him. I had to convince him to leave me alone, and if this was how I did it, then so be it, and what's the worst that could happen? He takes me somewhere and kills me. That doesn't sound too bad because he would just be ending my pain and suffering.The drive was done in silence. I could feel his eyes on me the whole time, but I just kept my eyes on my hands in my lap. He stopped the car, and I looked up to see we were at a park on the outskirts of the city. He opened his car door and got out before turning back to me. "Are you coming?"I took a deep breath, opened the door, and got out before following him over to the swings. He sat on one, and I sat on the other. no one spoke for a while Brax finally broke the silence. "I'm not going to hurt you. I know I scare you, but I promise I will never hurt you" his voice was soft and caring.I looked up at him, studying his face. I believed him, but I
I didn't sleep at all that night. All I could think about was how I was going to tell Brax that I couldn't be friends with him without telling him why. when the sun started to come up I got up heading outside with a coffee i sat on the back porch of my flat and watched the sunrise tears falling down my face, i had gone over everything a million times trying to find some hope in myself being able to get out of this but everything I came up would never work. I couldn't run from Steve he would always find me. lighting my smoke, I sat there watching the sun come up in the distance. I used to love watching the sunrise because, to me, it brought a new day that would bring new chances in life, but now, it just felt like a cruel reminder of the reality I was facing.As the sun rose fully in the sky, I knew it was time to go to school and tell Brax that I didn't want to be his friend. Every part of me just prayed that he would let it go and leave me alone forever. I didn't want to have to spen
I couldn't bring myself to go to school the next morning. I just laid in bed. The tears stopped falling, but the heaviness in my chest remained. I knew I had to face reality eventually, but the thought of seeing anyone and pretending like everything was normal felt impossible, and I knew if I sore brax and he even said one word to me, I would break down completely in front of him. I couldn't risk having that happen. The events of the previous day replayed in my mind over and over again, each memory cutting deeper than the last.I reached for my phone, hoping for a distraction, but even scrolling through social media felt meaningless. The world kept moving forward while I was stuck in this suffocating bubble of pain and suffering. I wanted to scream, to lash out at someone or something, but instead, I just lay there in silence.I tried to distract myself with music, but even my favourite songs couldn't lift my spirits. It was like a dark cloud had settled over me, casting a shadow on
When we arrived at the party, the music was blaring, and people were already stumbling around outside. I pushed my way through the crowd, searching for Dillion. It didn't take long to find him—he was standing by a table playing beer pong, laughing and joking with his friends.I approached him, trying to ignore the pounding in my head and the sick feeling in my stomach. "Dillion," I called out over the noise.He turned to look at me, a smirk on his face. "Well, well, if it isn't little Willow," he said mockingly. What do you want?" By the way, he spoke, I could tell that he had had a few drinks. I took a deep breath, trying to push down my nerves. "I need something," I said quietly.Dillion raised an eyebrow, looking me up and down. "you only got some yesterday, Willow?"I tucked my hands into my armpits, trying to control the shakes. "I, um, sold them," I lied, and by the way he looked at me, he knew that I was lying.he stood there thinking for a second his smirk slowly going the lo
Right as we were about to go back into the house, Brax stopped, stopping me with him. "We don't have to stay here if you don't want to," he said. "I can't leave Nat here alone" "Kasey and Dillion will look after her, and when she is ready to leave, they will let me know, and I'll take you both home".I stood there silently, torn between what to do. If I left and something happened to Nat, I would never forgive myself, but I didn't want to spend any more time at the party."I promise we won't be far," he said softly. "And Kasey and Dillion are more than capable of looking after her."staring into his dark green eyes, I nodded. Something inside of me wanted to be alone with him. He made me feel safe. brax led me towards his car, opening the door for me before getting in himself without a word. He started the car and pulled out of the driveway, driving only ten minutes down the road. He pulled up and got out of the car I did the same. We walked in silence for a while, the only sound b
I woke up to the sound of my phone going off. I sat up, grabbing it, confused. No one had ever messaged me, and I didn't have friends. Picking it up, I opened the message. good morning, beautiful. I hope your day is as beautiful as you. a smile came to my face, my cheeks burning red as I felt a mix of things that I could quite put my finger on. morning who did you get my number? A few moments passed before my phone buzzed again with a response. I have my ways ;) I giggled at his response. Maybe this could be the start of something good in my life. But before I could reply, the door to my room burst open with a loud bang, causing me to jump. My heart sank as I saw Steve standing there, anger written all over his face. "What do you think you're doing?" he growled. I quickly scrambled to put my phone away, trying to hide it from his view. "I-I was just... woke up," I stammered, fear creeping into my voice. His eyes narrowed as he took a step closer to me. "I have a Job for you
I slowly opened my eyes; the pain in my body was still overwhelming. Everything was fuzzy, making me blink a few times before my vision started to come back. Looking around, I found myself in a bedroom I didn't know panic started to set in. The room was dimly lit, and the soft glow of a lamp illuminated the space. I tried to sit up, but pain hit my body like a shock of electricity, making me look out and groan in pain. Every inch of my body screamed at me in pain. Brax appeared at my side instantly, his face filled with concern. "Hey, take it easy," he said gently, placing a hand on my shoulder to steady me. "I don't understand... how did I get here?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. Brax's expression softened as he explained, "I found you in that warehouse, Willow. Those men... they hurt you." His jaw clenched with anger as he spoke. Brax's expression darkened. "Those men are sick, Willow. They don't care about anyone but themselves. But I promise you, they will pay for w
After a while, Brax fell asleep. I slowly moved his arm off me, getting up, ignoring the pain that shot through my body; I went to the bathroom. I went to the mirror, standing there holding onto the sink. I looked at myself; my face was unrecognizable. Swollen and bruised, my eyes were red, and my lip was split. The sight of myself sent a surge of anger through me; memories of the four men who had done this to me came flooding back. even know they were the ones who did this to me. My rage wasn't for them. It was for Steve. He was meant to protect me and look after me, not use me to pay his debts. Without thinking, I raised my fist and punched the mirror with all the strength I could muster. The glass shattered into a thousand pieces, reflecting my fragmented self back at me. A blood-curdling scream escaped my lips. I stood there gripping the sink with both hands so tight my knucks turned white. breathing heavily with my head hung low, I tried to calm myself down. The pain in my hand
Willow’s POVTwo weeks had passed since that horrible night, and yet, standing on the steps of the courthouse, it felt like a lifetime. The sun was high, casting long shadows across the stone pavement, but I couldn’t feel its warmth. Instead, I felt a coldness inside me, a hollow space that nothing could fill.The trial had been long and draining. Steve had been convicted, but the moment they started discussing how long he would be sentenced to, I couldn’t bear it anymore. It didn’t matter. Not after everything he had done. No matter how many years they gave him, it would never be enough. Not for the hell he had put me, my friends, and my family through. Not for the life he had stolen from me.I didn’t feel free, but I felt at peace. For the first time in so long, I felt like I could breathe without that constant weight hanging over me. I was standing here on the threshold of something new, something better, and it wasn’t because of the verdict. It was because I had the people I loved
Willow’s POVPanic ripped through me as Steve fired the gun. The noise was deafening, but the silence that followed was even worse. Dillion and Kasey were screaming Brax’s name. Nat was crying out in terror. My heart thudded painfully in my chest, each beat louder than the last. This was all my fault.If I had stayed silent and suffered in the dark like I always had—then maybe none of this would be happening. Maybe my friends wouldn’t be here, maybe Brax wouldn’t be lying on the floor, bloodied and beaten, and maybe, just maybe, Steve wouldn’t have that sick, satisfied look in his eyes.But here we were. And it was all because of me.Steve’s voice broke through the chaos, booming with authority, demanding silence. “Shut up!” he yelled, his voice cold and commanding. The room went still, but the tension was thicker than ever.My head was spinning. I could feel the blood dripping down my face, my body screaming in pain, but there was something more important now. I could see the gun I h
Brax’s POVThe weight of the gun in my hand felt unbearable, like a thousand pounds pressing against my chest. The cold steel had been my only comfort, my only chance of ending this nightmare. But now, standing in front of Steve, with the barrel aimed at his chest, my thoughts were no longer about me. They were about Willow, about Nat, about Dillion and Kasey. My family.And then Kasey’s voice shattered the moment.“Brax, drop the gun!”I froze. The world seemed to stop around me, the silence deafening. I looked around at everyone, my eyes scanning their faces—Dillion, Kasey, Nat—each of them terrified, caught in a trap they never asked for. The tension in the room was unbearable, my heart thudding in my chest.I had no choice. I couldn’t fight him, not like this.I lowered the gun, the weight of the decision sinking into me like a knife. The instant I did, Steve waved his hand dismissively, his men rushing in, seizing me by the arms with brutal force.Before I could even react, the b
Brax’s POVI floored the gas pedal, the engine roaring as I sped toward Steve’s house. My mind was a haze of dread and fury. I had to get to Willow. I had to stop her from doing something she might regret, something that would end with her paying the ultimate price.The further I drove, the more my thoughts swirled. I could see her—standing there with the gun, determined to end it all. I could hear her voice in my head, telling me she was done running, telling me that when Steve came for her, she was going to fight him, no matter the cost.I wasn’t ready for this.The headlights of my car illuminated the dark road ahead as I rounded the final corner, the house coming into view. The familiar sight of Steve’s twisted domain loomed in front of me, and my stomach clenched.I slammed on the brakes and threw the car into park. Without thinking, I threw open the door and sprinted toward the front door.The house felt silent as I stepped inside, each footfall heavy with the weight of the fear
Willow’s POVThe gun in my hand felt both heavy and light at the same time, like an anchor and a weapon. My fingers wrapped around it, white-knuckled and shaking, but I didn’t care. I was standing outside Steve’s house, and everything inside me screamed to run, to turn away, to go back to the others. But there was no turning back now. I had made my choice.I stood still for a moment, staring at the house, the place where everything had gone wrong. The house that had become my prison. The house that had watched me become something I wasn’t, something I never wanted to be. But I had done it for survival. I had done it to get out. Now, I was here, facing the monster who had dragged me into this life.Steve.I took a deep breath, steadying myself as much as I could. I wasn’t sure if I was afraid of him, of what I had become, or of what I was about to do. But one thing was clear—I had to do this. I couldn’t let him control me any longer. I couldn’t let him win.With trembling hands, I step
Brax’s POVThe room felt thick with tension. Everyone sat around the table, their faces etched with worry, eyes darting back and forth between each other as the situation continued to grow more desperate. We were supposed to be figuring out how to protect Willow and how to deal with Steve, but all I could do was focus on the empty space beside me.Willow hadn’t said much before she went to the bathroom. She was quiet like she was trying to process everything that had happened, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.David was talking about reaching out to contacts, trying to pull more people in to help, but his words were fading into the background. I couldn’t focus on anything but the space where Willow should have been.I glanced around the room again. Dillion and Kasey were strategising, speaking in low, hurried tones. Nat sat nearby, fidgeting, her eyes constantly scanning the room, looking for any sign of danger. We were all trying to find a solution, trying to
Willow’s POVThe living room felt suffocating, the walls closing in with every passing minute. I couldn’t shake the image of the head; it still burned into my mind. It was like I could still see the blood on the walls, the lifeless stare, the words written in crimson. I see you. The words echoed in my head relentlessly, and every time I tried to push it away, it came rushing back, louder than before.The others sat around the room, silent, tense. No one spoke, each of us trapped in our thoughts, none of us knowing what came next. I could feel their eyes on me, but I couldn’t bring myself to meet their gazes. I couldn’t.And then, after what felt like an eternity, there was a knock on the door. My heart skipped a beat, and I jolted slightly in my seat. Dillion stood up immediately and went to open it, ushering David into the house. Without a word, Dillion led him straight to the bathroom.I just sat there, staring at the gun on the table in front of me. I had a hundred different though
Willow’s POVKasey slammed into the bathroom door, desperation in his every movement. His breath came in ragged gasps, his body shaking with panic. Every ounce of fear in him was for Nat, but as the door burst open, my eyes were drawn to the horror inside.There, standing frozen in the doorway, was Nat, her hands clutched over her mouth as her body trembled uncontrollably. Her wide, terrified eyes locked onto something in the room.I followed her gaze, and my stomach dropped. On the toilet seat, casually placed in a way that shouldn’t have been, was a head. The bathroom stunk of vomit and blood, the smell almost too much to bear. But what hit me the hardest was what was written on the wall in blood: I see you.The panic seized me, choking the breath from my lungs. He knows where we are. We thought we were safe here, but we were wrong. We were never safe, not with him.Dillion’s voice broke through the horror, frantic. “Kasey, get Nat out of here!”Kasey didn’t hesitate. He rushed forw
Willow’s POVMy fingers gripped the doorknob, the cold metal biting into my skin. My heart raced as I took a steadying breath, trying to push aside the panic that threatened to suffocate me. The gun was heavy in my hands, the weight of it a reminder of everything I was about to do—or perhaps everything I hoped would happen.I knew how stupid this was. I knew that Steve would shoot me before I even had a chance to pull the trigger. But in some twisted, dark part of me, I wondered if that was what I wanted. If I was dead, then maybe, just maybe, I could be free of all this. Free of the fear. Free of the constant chase. Free of Steve and his hold over me.But that was a lie, wasn’t it? No matter how much I told myself I was ready for the end, a part of me still wanted to fight. Wanted to survive.I took a deep breath and pushed the door open, my hand steady on the gun. I didn’t know what was waiting for me on the other side, but I was ready.But then my vision blurred, and my heart skipp