Abused and alone

JILL🎀 I shut my eyelids tight as I force the memory into a box in my brain,when I open my eyes I realize how much I'm gripping the sink ....I just got my dream job working in Vancouver and I decided to visit my family in Mexico after a year but...this happened. He and I disagreed on something and he hit me,he had always been an abuser,he used to hit my mom and elder sister, Emile and he just hit me for the first time….I moved abroad at 16 for a foreign exchange program and stayed there till I was 22,I got a job here and decided to visit them and he did it….my stepdad did it and not just once,he kept hitting me,my legs hurt and my eye is swollen. I hate him. He never seemed to care much about us apart from his daughter, Evelyn. I have a boy friend, Luke savera ,my childhood friend and sweetheart for 15 years who I live with and is my superior at work....how do I explain this to him?..I open my phone,no text,no call..strange. I open my laptop and book the earliest flight back to Nebraska which has slowly become my safe haven...I tell my mom I have an urgent business to return to but she looks unconvinced so I book a hotel and leave in the middle of the night. NEXT AFTERNOON I am at my house patio staring at a pair of black panties and a Calvin Klein boxers with a face full of concealer and three painkiller pills in my system,I step in and see on my very expensive soft-cream couch a pretty blonde and Luke with his d**k stuck between her legs while they make out.it's definitely a bad dream.I drop my bags on the floor startling them. Luke shoots up with a disheveled look that I find disgusting while the blonde looks Annoyed,she was probably about to orgasm or something "babe,babe.."he starts I say coldly staring them down.. "Get out..get the f**k out" They scramble to cover up and they go to his room probably to pack.Strangely enough,the first emotion I felt was not betrayal or hurt or anger..it was a feeling of predicting something and getting it right..like I had expected it...men are scum,I don't regret it. I heave a huge sigh and send an accepting email to the request to transfer me to another branch of our company in Vancouver,I had been thinking about it but I wanted to tell Luke first .Maybe I need a fresh start.I have nothing here anymore anyway . XAVIER 📚 So can someone tell me why I have to be woken up with the growling of a moving truck helping my new neighbor move in next door.i groan getting up and heading to my bathroom to freshen up before I go on my zoom call with my Editor which lasts for about 2 hours and then I decide to go get groceries and a coffee as I brainstorm my next plot,I am something of a celebrity being Xavier McDaniel,one of the best authors of our generation and 3rd time best selling author in all genres except romance..which you would not doubt giving my last long-term relationship was 15 years ago now I just do hookups and nothing else in between,my Editor and best friend, Jack tells me "A new adventure is waiting for you somewhere,I promise"..Easy for him to say while being happily married with a daughter,Hannah and Taylor,his wife,they are the perfect family,a publisher and an editor,they met during one of my books"Fall seven times"and immediately hit it off...match made in book heaven,I just played cupid, always the bridesmaid, never the bride,I guess, wherever that adventure is though,it probably Uber'd home after waiting for me so long or something,as I'm about to enter my SUV,I see a Lady come out of her beige Honda civic,brown curls,golden skin,gold leaf earrings,a mint green pant-suit and red bottom heels. Damn. JILL🎀 I just came out of my car after an exhausting day of trying to fit in in my new office and supervising the move,but why is a guy staring at me holding his car door clear my throat incessantly and casually approach him with a cool, nonchalant voice"Hi,I'm Jillian,you can call me Jill,you?" He blinks twice and then says"Xavier,this is weird but why are you wearing a pant-suit by 5pm in the evening?"he asks with a confused look that also says "I'm super interested,tell me" which makes me blush a little. "Oh,uhm,I had a meeting and I also had the move,soo,i just came in these" I say as lightly as possible "Oh" he says,"well,it looks good on you" I nod slightly "Thanks"and hightail it out. XAVIER 📚 "looks good on her",it looks f*****g fantastic,it highlights her ass curve and I have the strongest urge to slap it as many times as I can...I'd totally hook-up with her if she'd let me. I finally go to the grocery store and bump head first into an older woman probably in her fifties wearing a blue polka dotted sundress and blue crocs "I'm so sorry"I start ,she cuts me off with a thick Texas accent"well, ain't you as fine as a Georgian peach on Lincoln's summer day,it's fine honey plum, you've been around a while? By, it is it"she says "uh-huh "I say still trying to process everything..she's speaking English but I can't understand anything..what's a Georgian peach got to do with me bumping into her? "honey plum,sweet potato,you still there?"she continues,I snap out of it"oh..uh..yes,I am"I say to seem natural "alright,sugar,just let me know if you need anything"she smiles sexily"and call me Bea not Beatrice"then she winks,I'm so confused."okay.. thanks " I say as she walks away.The bell atop the door jingles and I glance and see Jill walk in and scan it,it's clear she's never been here before,so I go over to her ,this time, she's wearing a pale pink hoodie and matching slacks with a Nike white sneakers,it looks like she just came from a run "hey,want me to show you around?" she smiles like a child who just got the latest video game on a gold platter when she sees me and it warms my heart,but there's something underlying there...sadness,maybe. Instead, I hand her a shopping cart and take her Gucci wallet and lead her through the aisle,she smiles and I want to see it again so I indulge her,"So,where are you coming from?" A bit fast ,I know but she looks startled for a moment and then with a soft smile says"just a small town in Buenavista" "In Mexico?Cool,I went there for a vacation once”,I say before she realizes how much roots I have in Mexico,how much untangled knots,how much baggage,how much- "You ever been there?" she says interrupting my thoughts "um..oh... just heard of it a lot " she nods unconvinced"okay,but you know it's fine-" my phone buzzes in my pocket,I look down to see CALLER ID:MOM and my heart knots, f**k,she never calls on weekdays for fear of bothering me (even though I tell her it's fine) unless,it's ...him. My heart sinks,I'm not ten anymore ,I tell myself before excusing myself and leaving Jill in aisle 8 ...alone and once I'm in the bathroom,I tap the answer button and a shrill cry meets my ear"he hit me ..I don't know what to do...I still love him and I know he lives me too"she says between sobs,"mom , come on-" "no he loves me,I just have to be patient with him" she says interrupting me but I know she just has a big heart which is willing to accept him with his horns and tail,I rub my nose frustratedly"please,ma,I'm begging,just leave him,come live with me"I say. "Oh,stop that,I knew you would say this, you're just a child,Xavier,sorry,I called,what was I expecting,good night" she hangs up and I brace myself and go back to aisle 8 to meet Jill talking to....Jack. JILL🎀 So..this guy that gives of an expensive aura just approached me in my aisle and engaged me in a conversation..weird but he's kind of fun to be around,he has this goofy smile and this way of saying things that make you to want to listen and/or note everything he says verbatim... His name is Jack ,he's an editor(super cool) and is friends with Xavier by the way they just laughed and joked, familiarity is oozing out..."You both know each other,?"I ask staring between them "know each other, we're two peas in a pod" jack jokes,Xavier playfully punches his arm....oh..kayyy Jack smiles down at me and says"You're my new favorite pal" and I just give him a polite smile...yeah definitely not into commitments of any kind anymore."Hey, there's this really lit charity event, we're allowed to bring plus ones maybe you can be Xavier's plus one "he says with a coy smile .."But you don't have to " Xavier cuts in "it's a black tie event so you don't have to feel pressure" he continues "um..it's fine..I can get a dress, I've always liked charity events, I'll be there" I say and smile shyly. "okay,see you there." he walks away. Xavier and I continue our shopping and get into separate cars and leave. Once I'm home,I book an appointment to a dress shop called "Mi amor dresses et tux" XAVIER 📚 I just circled the block seven times, finally,she's here...she invited me to come shop for a tux while she shops for an evening gown, usually,I would ask my assistant to get me a custom designer tux but I want to spend time with her so I agreed,I'm a little bit excited, just then, I see her pull up with her car,she comes down and runs a hand through her hair as she locks it by pressing her key fob,she runs a searching gaze across the parking lot and her eyes lights up when she spots me,I unclick my seat belt and casually approach her. "Hiii"she says nervously. My heart skips a freaking beat. I clear my throat and say"Hey--"and then I make a mistake of running my gaze down and pause,she's wearing a white crop top and a short fit jean skirt with knee high brown boots and her nails are a different color today, they are sharp red with jewels at the tip,her hair curls and bouncy held up with a pink scrunchie,and a light blush paints her cheeks,while she pulls off a smoky look. "Earth to Xavier" cuts her voice through my haze ,she smiles softly. "Oh..um...sorry,shall we?"I sputter. She walks in and I follow ,my hand lightly brushes her back and she flinches,I catch the movement immediately,and my eyebrows scrunch