Chapter 2
1822 Words
Trigger warning:
My back hit the door handle before I fell to the ground. I tasted the salt in my blood from my cut lip. I tried to lift myself off the floor but failed. I crawled backward instead, trying to get some distance between Xavier and me.
Even though I knew it was a futile attempt, I still crawled away. Survival was all I was thinking. I was still in so much pain from the kicking that any respite was welcome, even if I couldn't crawl away far enough. I had to do anything, knowing that I might not be able to survive another round as a punching bag.
Xavier saw my pitiful attempts at fleeing. That seemed to amuse him because he paused and just stood there. I could hear him ease his breath, drawing in deep as he exhales roughly while closing his eyes.
An outside observer would think he was done, but it was the opposite.
The first round usually starts with several slaps across the face and a powerful one that drops me to the ground.
While on the ground, my instinct tells me to shield my head, even if I know that the next round was a barrage of kicks that would slam me to the wall or the nearest furniture.
The following rounds were always more thought out; he became more creative. I shivered at the thought of what was coming next.
I crawled harder, fighting against the pain. Foolishly thinking that I would be safe if I reached the room at another end. Which was far from the truth; I could keep still, crawl; even if I managed to get away and lock myself in the bedroom, nowhere was safe.
Before I could put any further distance between us, he grabbed my shoulder and picked me up like a rag doll.
I scream in pain, "I'm so sorry!!" I beg with my hands in front of my face, trying to shield myself.
“Please, Xavier... I'm so sorry.” Tears start streaming uncontrollably down my cheeks.
“Why do you always find ways to leave me?" His eyes have turned dark, and as he shakes his head, I catch a tear fly away. “You told me you loved me! Why are you always trying to leave me?!"
I wanted to scream at him.
Because you are f*****g crazy!
It didn’t need a rocket scientist to explain why I left him.
I'm leaving you because you beat me within inches of death, you overgrown lummox!
I never understood why he did this. What made him turn this way? It was like he wasn’t himself. For a while, I believed he just needed to go through something. For a while, I thought that he just needed help. So I fought hard to help him.
When he was himself, he asked me to leave him for my safety. But I loved him too much to not stick it out with him and see it through. He has always been there for me since I was 10. I wasn’t going to leave him.
But this past year, he has been different. He became that other person more than my Xavier. Even Austin noticed, and I heard them argue, even coming to blows several times.
Something was not right anymore. Through it all, I still loved him. But I know whatever tragedy drives him to be like this towards me, I see no tragedy will compare to him killing his beloved wife. That will surely break him. That is why I know I had to leave him for his sake.
“Please, Xavier, I beg you.” I had no more fight in me to say anything else.
He picks me up and throws me over his shoulder. I screamed as the bruises from his kicks to my stomach could not support my weight. He walks to the sofa and roughly throws me on it.
He unbuckles his belt and removes it from his pants, and starts wrapping one end around his hand. The buckle dangles a foot away from his clenched fist. My eyes widened with fear as I anticipated the pain of the clip lacerating my skin.
“Xavier,” I start crying.
The last time he used his belt, he lost control. If it weren’t for Austin, who came in and stopped him, I would have been dead by now.
“Xavier, look at me!!” I scream, trying to get his eyes to turn blue again.
“What were the vows you promised me, Alex?” He looks at me as he raises his hand.
I will not die by your hands. I need to reach you somehow before you end up killing me.
I gather the last of my strength and push him back.
“What were YOUR vows, Xavier? You said you would protect me. You said you would love me. This ISN'T love, Xavier!” I screamed at him.
My vision darkens, and my eyes focus on Xavier. Even without my glasses, I could see him.
His eyes grew wide, not expecting my sudden burst of courage. He freezes as he looks at me, and I use the opportunity to land a punch. I break his nose in the process.
He shakes his head, realizing a little too late that I hit him. He places both his hands on his nose as blood starts to drip.
“Oh, you're going to pay for that.” He grumbles under his breath. Blood flowed down to his lip and down to the sides of his mouth as he released his nose.
I started to feel numb as a rush of cold air engulfed me. With eyes fixed on Xavier, I raised a fist to strike him.
Before I could move, he lunged at me. He barely misses me as I sidestep. This left him open and landed a blow behind his neck. Unfazed, he turns and comes for me again, tackles me at my waist, and slams me to a wall, this time wall.
I crash on the wall with the total full weight of his tackle on top of me. I feel nothing but cold and rage.
This isn’t helping him. You’re only making it worse by fighting back. But that voice was so small compared to what came out when I opened my mouth.
“You’re dying tonight, Xavier,” I whisper to his ear in a grave tone, full of hate.
He was still holding me down with all his weight, and even with my strength renewed by hate, I couldn’t wiggle out of his hold. All I could manage was to bite down on his earlobe.
Xavier howls as he throws me across the room. My head catches a cold, and I twirl before falling the air once to the ground. When I tried to lift my head, it was a haze, but I could barely make a commotion from across the room.
I shake off vertigo and get up, arm raised, ready to defend myself. As my vision clears, I see Xavier on all fours, foaming at the sides of his mouth as Austin struggles to hold him down.
Austin notices I’ve regained consciousness. He shouts at me, “go now, Alex!”
In that brief moment, Xavier could wriggle out from under Austin. He begins to scramble toward me, but Austin is quick on his feet, and he manages to intercept and grapple Xavier to the ground.
“Go, now!” Austin screams again.
Despite being disoriented, one thing was clear to me: this was my chance to getaway.
I scramble to my feet and allow the adrenaline to propel me forward, ignoring the pain from my injuries. I regain my balance, but I can only limp out of the front door. The fight between Austin and Xavier continued behind me.
“Alexandra!!!” Xavier shrieks as I close the door behind me.
Once outside, I could hear the crashing of furniture, but I didn’t dare look back to see if it was Austin or Xavier. I was too focused on escaping that that singular thought let me shake off the confusion engulfing my mind.
Why was Austin helping me?
Why now?
What changed?
Looking out from the patio, I was surprised to see that the driveway was empty. Austin must have called off the patrols. Pain shoots up from the bruises on my abdomen; each step was a struggle.
This is not the time; move it!
Clutching the edge of the balcony, I pause before my bare foot touches the cold gravel—a flash of headlights beamed at me from the end of the driveway. Unsure, I took a step backward.
A male figure I could barely make out because of the glare of the headlights was waving at me, motioning me to come towards him.
Was this part of Austin’s plan? Should I trust him? Although Xavier gets his way through him, he’s never done anything to harm me personally.
I limp across the driveway towards my would-be savior. Anything had to be better than witnessing my death at my husband's hands.
Halfway down the driveway, I hear the most comforting voice call out to me.
”Lexie!”
There was only one person in the world who called me Lexie, and that was my childhood best friend, Dameon.
But I don’t understand. Why would he be here?
Dameon must have noticed my hesitation as he stepped out of the shadows. Risking being seen out in the open, he started running towards me.
It wasn’t hesitation that stopped me; the adrenaline waned, strength lost to fatigue. Pain-induced seizures stopped me in my tracks, and I began to lose my footing.
The ground was coming fast at my face. But before I could hit the ground, Dameon was there to catch me.
“f*****g hell, Lexie! What has that bastard done to you?”Dameon's words were full of anger.
He was cautious lifting me, but each step he took was excruciating. My abdomen was so severely bruised that the slightest touch was unbearable.
“I know it hurts, but I need to get you out of here,” he whispers as his careful steps turn into a sprint towards his car.
As soon as we get to the car, he opens the driver’s side, gets in, and carefully slides me down to the passenger seat. He reaches across and reclines my heart just enough so that I won’t slide off and buckles me in.
He slams the door and floors the gas as he reverses the car from the gate and onto the road. He shifts into gear without braking and hits the gas leaving tire marks as he drives away.
I finally gave in to the pain a few moments later as I lost consciousness and, in one swift motionlostccumb to the darkness.
- Writer
