Because the other one was so short....

Ellie

A few weeks later I was in my office and was updating a patients file when there was a knock at the door.

"Come in!" I yelled

I went back to typing as I saw a flash of red pop through and I knew that It was Brandi.

"Hey Mami, I just wanted to come see how you were doing."

"I'm so glad to see you! And I'm doing alright. How are you miss Soon To Be Bride?" I beamed

"I'm good. I just came by to see if you wanted to join me and the gang for dinner tonight. It'll be just like old times." She smiled softly

"Of course I'll come. Just let me know what place and what time."

"That we're still deciding. Do I need to come get you?"

"No...I got a new car." I smirked

She looked at me with surprise.

"Okay, what did you get?"

"2011 Jaguar."

"Yas Ellie! Okay, change of plans, why don't you come get me?"

"Just like old times." I smiled

At that point there was another knock on the door and then I saw Leo's head pop in.

"I hope I'm not interrupting."

"Nah, come on in." Brandi said

As the months passed and the date of the wedding grew closer, we all obviously had to spend more time together and so the animosity of what Leo had done soon dissolved and everyone was forgiving, including me.

"So what are you two gabbing about?" He asked us, sitting on the edge of my desk

"We're just trying to plan for dinner tonight, you wanna come?" She asked

"Sure. Where are we going?" He asked

"We're not sure, but I came here to talk to Ellie and see what she wanted to do."

At that point, all attention was on me.

"What about the Cookbook? It's a nice restaurant and it has a live jazz band. I think it could be a lot of fun." I smiled

"Perfect." Brandi says as her phone pings in her purse

She fishes it out and reads the text, a huge smile crossing her face.

"I gotta go. But I'll text you the details in a group message El. I'll see you two later." She called as she exited hastily, no doubt on the way to see her Fiance.

"Those two are cute. I can't believe how much Josh has changed." I said

"Sometimes it takes the right woman." He said softly

I look towards him quickly to see a smile on his face. I look away quickly and continue to do what I was doing on my computer.

"So what brings you by?" I asked softly

"I just wanted to come check on you and see how everything was going."

"Pretty well, just updating files and seeing patients as usual. I've also been doing more apartment hunting."

I looked towards him at the last part and he gave nothing away. But I knew from times before that it was a subject he didn't like talking about and I internally braced myself for what might be said. 

"Ellie, why are you such in a hurry to get an apartment? I don't mind you staying with me you know."

"I know you don't, but you can't look after me forever. Look, Chris is in jail and he won't be getting out for awhile. I'm not worried."

"But I'm worried. I still can't forget that day Ellie, I almost got here too late."

The day in question happened a month ago.... 

*TRIGGER WARNING!*

I had just gotten to the office and Leo was with me. He never let me travel alone so we always rode to work together and rode home together as well. He had gotten a phone call when we had pulled up so I decided to go up alone to get things started. I hadn't known that Chris had broken into our building and was waiting in my office at the time, but when I found out that he was, it was terrifying to say the least. 

I remembered putting my key into the lock and opening the door, dropping my stuff off into my chair. I had my back turned towards the door when I felt a hand over my mouth, an arm around my waist, and a pair of lips on my ear shushing me. I smelled the alcohol and felt the stubble, and I immediately knew it was Chris.

"Hello amour, it's been awhile" He purred

"Chris." I forced out in a whisper.

I fought to not scream and to stay calm as he started walking with me towards my chair.

"Yes sweetheart, it's me. Sit." He commanded

I sat down and he soon came around to face me, glaring at me with bloodshot eyes. He looked so feral now. He smelled like he had practically bathed in alcohol .

But his eyes....they were the most scary part of it all. They were filled with so much anger and I flinched at their intensity.

"Chris....what are you doing here?" I asked in a shaky whisper

"I wanted to see you baby. I missed you."

He kneeled in front of me and placed a hand on my thigh, rubbing up and down slowly and kissing me on the forehead.  What used to bring me comfort filled me with slight disgust.

I swallowed hard, trying to get myself to calm down and to not scream. All I had to think is that Leo would soon be here and then everything would be okay.

"Y-you could've called me if you missed me."

"You wouldn't have picked up amour. You think I'm stupid, but ah I'm so much smarter than you know. I knew this way, you'd have to see and talk to me."

"Okay....okay we can talk. Just come sit down in this chair and we can talk." I swallowed

"I'm fine here thanks." He growled

His grey eyes took a sheen of slight anger as he sat cross legged before me and looked up at me intently.

"So, you with Leo now, is that it?" He asked me measured

And sickeningly calm. 

"Chris no."

"Don't you dare lie to me! I know you are, you were just in the car with him. See, I've been watching you and I know that you go home with him every night as well. Hmph, you just couldn't wait huh?"

"Chris, I'm not with Leo! I don't even want him."

"You're nothing but a big slut! I know you're fucking him!"

"I'm not Chris, we're just friends. Leo was just helping me out is all."

He hopped up and got into my face, forcing me to sit back as far from him as possible.

"Bull shit! You want him whore, admit it! You didn't even remotely love me when we were together! You always loved that worthless bastard. This is why you deserve everything I did to you!" He spat

I swallowed any tears that were threatening to spill and said nothing as his verbal abuse cut into me. Even with all he had done and all he had said, I still cared for him. This was painful to hear.

"Nothing but a worthless bitch! No wonder why you went back to him. All you'll ever be to him is a worthless lay. You'll never compete with Dona, she'll always have the upper hand on you. And I see why, she looks much better than you ever will." He slurred

And of course he had to be drunk while cutting into me. Glad to know what he really thought of me...

He took a drink from a bottle I didn't even know he had and put it back down to his side. I stayed quiet as silent tears fell from my cheeks, feeling his words cut deep.

"You don't mean that." I said quietly, looking down

I could feel him looking towards me and he just started laughing.

"You are so pathetic. No one will ever love you but me, you know that?"

I don't know what happened, but all of a sudden something just broke inside of me and I got angry.

"Shut up." I said quietly

He looked towards me.

"What did you say?" He spat

I looked back up at him anger coursing through my veins.

"You heard me! SHUT THE FUCK UP CHRIS!"

I jumped up from my chair and got in his face. He stared down at me with a sneer and I stood on a chair to be eye level with him.

"What did you say to me!?"

"You heard me. You aint shit! And that's the only reason you put your hands on me, because if a man stepped to your punk ass you know you'd get your ass beat!"

SMACK!

I fell to the floor and I heard him come towards me.

"Watch your mouth, bitch!"

I sat up gripping my cheek and defiantly I looked towards him.

"Fuck you!" I yelled

I didn't know what went over me at this point, but I was no longer scared of him. I was sick of being physically and verbally abused by this man, and that ended today. He started walking towards me, and then he grabbed my neck and started to squeeze. I tried in vain to pry his hands from around my neck but all he did was squeeze harder. I tried grabbing behind me for anything I thought could help, but my hands came up empty.

"S-stop." I begged weakly

"If I can't have you, no one else will. I love you Ellie, why don't you see that?" He asked sadly

And yet, he still squeezed....

My vision started to fail me as a tunnel started to close in. I was getting loopy headed and I felt my legs start to give up on me. This was it, I was going to die here and I put up such a pathetic fight. Man, all those lessons Leo taught me didn't take. I hated to be a burden on him, and now he'd probably find my body. Whoever did find me....I felt bad for them.

Pretty soon everything went black.

~~~~~

"Ellie!" I heard someone call

It was like they were talking to me through water, it sound muffled and I felt like I wasn't truly there. I felt myself being shaken and slowly I opened my eyes. I saw a pair of green eyes first and then my feeling of touch came back.

"Hey, hey you okay? Talk to me!" He asked me desperately

My eye sight came back even clearer then and I realized that it was Leo. His eyes looked glassy, almost as if he was....crying?

"I am so sorry Ellie, I should've came up here with you."

"What's going on? Where's Chris?" I asked weakly, throat scratchy

"I locked him In your office until the cops get here."

I looked around and realized we were in the hallway and that there were other doctors around, even Caine making sure that I was okay. His face looked tight and he looked very angry.

"Leo I'm telling you, let me in so I can handle this bastard!" Caine yelled

"I already took care of him Caine, we gotta stay calm for Ellie alright?"

"I can't believe this."

"Why are you crying? And what do you mean you 'took care of it'?" I asked him quietly

His eyes flitted away from mine and he sniffed. I saw his knuckles bloodied and felt his other hand on my face.

Seeing him like that did something to me. My heart wrenched in my chest at seeing his tears. Leo was strong....he never cried....

"I remember that day." I commented, rubbing my neck

I looked towards him to see a grim look on his face.

"So do I, and I never want that happening again. Please, just stay with me for awhile. I'm sorry if it's awkward for you but, I just want you safe."

"Leo-"

"Ellie, just hear me out. If I've made you uncomfortable then I am truly sorry for it and I'll promise to stay away from you at home if it makes you feel uncomfortable around me."

"It's not that."

"Then what is it?" He asked

"I don't know....I just feel weird around you now. The dynamic has definitely shifted between us."

"Weird how?" He asked

I looked away from him and said nothing more about it.

"It's nothing. I just need to be on my own is all. This is my problem, not yours. I can handle it."

I felt his hand on mine and I looked up to softer eyes.

"Ellie, I said that I'd always protect you. Now I know I'm not your first choice as a protector, and I know you don't trust me. But please just trust me to help you in this time. Just stay with me and you'll be fine."

"Ever since you kissed me that night....things haven't been the same Leo, you know that."

"I apologize for kissing you. I should've never done that."

"It's alright." I murmured, going back to my typing.

"Look, we should obviously talk about this tonight. After we leave the Cookbook, we should talk. Think you can manage that?" He asked me

I nodded and he got up.

"I'll see you later." He replied, walking out of the room

I continued typing as he left the room quietly and closed the door behind him.