Saturday Solace
1173 Words
Chapter Four: Saturday Solace
It was Lucas.
I stumbled back, my heart racing. The cold tiles beneath my heels felt like ice.
“Lucas? What the hell............”
He lunged forward and grabbed my arms, his fingers digging into my skin like claws.
“You think you can humiliate me in public and walk away like some goddess?” he snarled, his breath reeking of whiskey and something fouler. “You think this little date with your college friend makes you untouchable?”
I struggled against his grip, trying to yank myself free. “Let me go,” I hissed. “You’re drunk, Lucas. You need help.”
“You’re mine!” he growled, his eyes wild with fury. “I made you who you are and without me, you’re nothing!”
His words sliced through the air like blades, dragging every buried fear and doubt back to the surface. I shook my head, but the pressure of his grip made it hard to breathe, let alone think.
Suddenly, the bathroom door burst open.
Noah rushed in. His eyes were screaming fire.
He took in the scene in a millisecond. Lucas’s hands on me, the panic on my face and the red marks forming on my skin.
“Get your hands off her,” Noah said, his voice low, calm and laced with lethal intent.
Lucas turned slowly. “Oh, look who’s here. The knight in shining armour.”
Noah didn’t bother responding. He stepped forward, gripped Lucas by the collar, and slammed him against the tiled wall. The sound echoed like a thunderclap.
“If you ever touch her again,” Noah said through gritted teeth, “I will destroy you.”
Security arrived, they were alerted by a sharp-eyed waiter. They yanked Lucas away, he was still cursing and stumbling. I stood frozen, barely aware of the crowd forming outside the bathroom door.
Then I collapsed. Thankfully, Noah caught me.
He held me tightly as my legs gave out and the adrenaline drained from my body. “It’s okay,” he whispered. “You’re safe now. I’ve got you.”
I buried my face in his chest, shaking.
“I’m so tired, Noah,” I whispered. “I am tired of being scared and pretending that I’m okay.”
“You don’t have to fight alone anymore,” he said, pressing his lips gently to the top of my head. “Not while I’m here.”
For the first time in a long time, I believed someone.
Noah drove me home and waited until I was safely inside. He talked to Dad on the porch while I sat quietly on the couch, trying to slow my breathing.
I didn’t hear every word, but I caught some words like“restraining order,” “press charges,” “she shouldn’t be alone.”
Dad came inside after Noah left and sat beside me. He didn’t say much, he just wrapped an arm around me like he used to when I was younger and I leaned into him.
Later, he made me warm tea with honey and told me stories from his youth. I smiled weakly, feeling grateful for the distraction. And somewhere between his third story and the rest of my tea, I drifted into a fragile sleep.
Saturday morning brought sunshine and silence. It was my cool-off day. No work, no meetings or public appearances. Just me, a soft duvet, and the vague ache in my muscles where Lucas had grabbed me.
I stayed in bed, scrolling through social media and ignoring the world. Messages poured in. From Jenna, my assistant, some employees and one from Noah.
Noah: “Just checking in. Hope you’re feeling better. Let me know if you need anything.”
A smile tugged at the corner of my lips.
Me: “Thank you for reaching out. Yesterday was... intense.”
He replied almost instantly.
Noah: “You’re stronger than you think. If you need pancakes and bad movies, I’m down for it.”
Me: “Tempting pancakes, alright. Come over around ten?”
Noah: “Pancakes incoming, Queen B.”
I forced myself out of bed and got dressed in a soft matching lounge set. Mia brought me ginger tea and fussed about the bruises on my arms. I reassured her, though even I wasn’t sure if the reassurance was real.
At exactly ten, the doorbell rang.
Noah stood on the porch with a paper bag in one hand and a coffee tray in the other.
“Pancakes,” he said with a grin. “From that little cafe that we always visited during college. You loved their cinnamon butter.”
I stepped aside to let him in, shaking my head in disbelief. “You remembered?”
“I remember everything about you,” he said simply.
We ate on the balcony, the morning breeze ruffling my hair while the sound of birds softened the memory of last night. Noah told me stories about his time in New York, about the business he sold and the creative agency he wanted to build.
“I wasn’t planning to stay in town for long,” he said, sipping his coffee. “But... seeing you again seemed to have changed things.”
I looked up from my pancakes. “Changed things, how?”
He met my eyes. “Maybe I need to stop running from what I wanted or maybe I remembered what home felt like.”
A flush crept into my cheeks.
Before I could respond, Dad stepped out onto the balcony. He greeted Noah warmly, then joined us for coffee. They talked about sports, investments and travel. I watched the two most important men in my life get along as if they’d known each other for years.
After Noah left, Dad turned to me with a smile.
“He’s good for you,” he said. “I haven’t seen you smile like that in a long time.”
“I’m just trying to survive,” I said quietly.
He reached over and took my hand. “Maybe now, you can start living again.”
That evening, I curled up on the living room couch with my laptop. The world felt quieter than usual, as if everything had paused to give me a chance to breathe.
I scrolled through my inbox, clearing out spam and emails I had no energy for. Just as I was about to shut the laptop, a new message popped up.
No subject, no name and no profile picture. Just a phone number.
I hesitated, then clicked it open.
“Stay away from Lucas. This isn’t your battle anymore.”
My heart gave a strange lurch. The message had no signature and no hint of identity but the tone was sharp, commanding and slightly familiar.
Before I could even process what I was reading, another message arrived.
“He doesn’t belong to you so don’t make things worse for yourself.”
I stared at the screen.
Who would send this? And then it hit me.
- Writer
