Audrey's POV

TRIGGER WARNING: Mention of abuse

The drive back to my place was mostly silent, except for an incident with some woman and her dog who ran out on the road. I was taken by surprise when Scarlett grabbed my breasts to prevent me from slamming headfirst into the dashboard. There was no doubt that I was blushing like an idiot with the way my face heated up as if someone opened an oven in my face on full blast.

I guess we were both still recovering from that kiss which had set off a thousand fireworks in my mind. My stomach still contained the remnants of fluttering butterflies, and the adrenaline coursed through my veins at the speed of a bullet train. I yearned for Scarlett's searching hands to roam over my body once more. When she had lifted me up with ease and pressed me forcefully against the car door, I felt something that I've never felt before. I couldn't even understand what it was myself. It was... more than anything I've had with Julia.

Once we began nearing my apartment, the heat was sizzled quickly by the guilt that began to creep into my brain. Not because of my boyfriend, although I still felt a little bad for cheating on him.

No, I felt terrible because I was hiding the truth from Scarlett. She didn't deserve to unknowingly be with someone who was still in a relationship. I even made that whole speech about bisexual women fucking around and going back home to their boyfriends. And even though I wasn't faking it, I definitely was lying.

I was a fucking hypocrite.

I don't kiss or make out with just anyone. No, what I did today was a result of my emotions and feelings towards her. After all, I am a demisexual. And I simply couldn't continue lying to her.

I knew that the truth always comes out sooner or later, no matter how well you hide it. All it shows is that you were too scared and weak to stand up and face the consequences. Only cowards don't take risks.

Isn't it better if I tell her now instead of her finding out about it when it's too late? Or worse, she discovers my other life from someone else, and I'll ruin any chance I may have had with her?

I could do better. Be honest with Scarlett. Tell the truth, unlike what I did to Julia at the end. Sure, it was different, but I still did the thing I've been doing my entire life. Lie.

Lies, after lies, after lies. Maybe, maybe, if I had been honest with Julia, things could have been so much different. If I trusted her.

I was not going to repeat the same mistakes. Trust has been my issue forever. Even before Julia, although they definitely did escalate after her. And it's time to be brave, and change that.

I glanced at Scarlett for a brief moment. She was breathtakingly gorgeous; a warm smile lit up her flushed face. The trepidation of the upcoming blow terrified me. But it was the right thing to do. I lost Julia. I wasn't going to lose Scarlett, because I'm not sure if I would be able to recover again if I messed things up with her.

I was given a second chance at true love that people spend their whole lives searching for and so many never find the one who connects with them on such a level that it seems as if they are one person, unable to operate or live without their other half.

I'll be damned if I'll let this chance go.

So when I finally revealed to her that I had a boyfriend, a huge weight lifted off my shoulders as dread creeped in at the same time.

I had trouble deciphering her emotions. All I noticed was her face distorting with shock and... anger? Oh shit, I fucked up. I fucked up so bad. What the hell was I thinking? Of course she wouldn't want anything to do with a lia--

"How long have you two been dating?" Scarlett suddenly asked, her voice a little hoarse. She refused to look at me as she kept her gaze straight ahead, her mouth set in a grim line.

"Roughly... roughly nine months," I stammered. "I've been trying to break up with him for two months but I'm afraid to."

At the last words, she whipped her face towards me.

"What do you mean, afraid?" She narrowed her eyes at me. "Wait, did that fucking bastard hit you?"

"Not... exactly.... he just... he pushed me during a silly argument, and I gashed my head against a table. And... and even though he has apologized and tried to make up for it, I just... couldn't feel anything for him anymore. But leaving him... I was too scared to even think of it."

The imprisoned tears finally streamed freely down my face, the salty liquid hitting my tongue with the pain that haunted me every single day. The memory was like a scar; mostly healed up, but you can't get rid of it completely. The incident remained ingrained in my mind, and I remembered it as if it just happened yesterday.

"What the fuck are you doing!?" Andrew's rough voice had barked behind me. I whirled around. He was outside my room. I was completely naked and standing near the closet as he glared at me, his face distorted with rage.

"Kiana, just leave," I had softly told my friend.

Kiana hesitated for a moment and glanced at me with concern, but I silently assured her that everything will be okay as she handed me my clothes that she was holding. Andrew had stood in the doorway with his arms folded across his chest as she tried to leave, blocking her exit. They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, the eerie silence consuming the room. Eventually, he sidestepped to let her through. His eyes had returned to me as I quickly threw on my clothes.

"Andrew-"

"What the hell were you doing? Huh? I come home and find my girlfriend trying on outfits instead of getting ready for our trip tomorrow!?"

"I told you I have the dinner party with my client and her friends."

"Your stupid dinner party is nothing. I worked my ass off for that trip for two to Italy, and I won't let you or your stupid clients and their mutts ruin it!"

"My clients and their dogs are not stupid!! They're my work, and you know it! And I have plenty of time to finish packing everything for the trip!"

"I don't give a damn. You were supposed to be packing, not playing dress up! You have some son of a bitch you're trying to impress, huh?" He glared at me, his hands curling into fists until his knuckles turned white.

"No! God, why would you even think that? And if that trip is so important to you, then go with someone else!" I shouted, fury coursing through my body.

"I need you there! And that doesn't even answer my damn question. Are you fucking one of your clients, you fucking whore?"

"Go to hell, Andrew!" I started to walk towards the door.

"You're not going anywhere until we finish this conversation!" He growled as his eyes blazed at me. He grabbed my arm; his iron-grasp sending jolts of pain through me. He forcefully pulled me towards him and with one swing of his body, he flung me to the other side of the room like a rag doll. Air rushed out of me as my back slammed against a hard surface. And the last thing I remembered was a rough hand grabbing my hair as my head slammed against something.

I couldn't tell what it was because of the dark spots before my eyes. The entire room swayed as a pounding pain coursed through my head. Andrew's faint voice shouted at me, with anger or concern, I didn't know as my vision quickly drowned into a pool of darkness.

I heard Scarlett mutter something in French, her worried voice cutting through my memory like a dull knife. I could barely see her through my dimmed vision, her words sounding a little faded as cold air blew around my ears.

"Hey, hey." She gently placed her hand on my shoulder. "Breathe. Take deep, slow breaths. Do it with me. One, two."

She demonstrated until I followed her, the pressure on my lungs barely mitigating. I couldn't breathe as I gasped for air as my body convulsed with the effort. I closed my eyes and forced myself to focus as I followed Scarlett's words. My breath shuddered as I inhaled a deep breath, the sweet air finally flowed to my constricted lungs.

Once my breathing returned to normal, or as normal as it could, Scarlett withdrew her hand from my shoulder and leaned back against her car seat. She looked out the window towards the apartments as her left hand gripped the steering wheel until her knuckles were drained of their color.

"Is that piece of shit in there right now?" She scowled as she turned to face me, her eyes blazing with anger.

"No, he's in London for another week." I stifled my sobs as I wiped away my tears with my hand. I sniffled, one of the remaining drops getting sucked into my nose. Stupid tears. I was stupid. I was an idiotic mess. Devoid of any morals and ability to communicate with a person. I was a coward.

Scarlett remained silent as she stared straight ahead. She was probably thinking about what a piece of shit I am. I was certain that there was no point of return after this, and that the only person here to blame was me. I was the one who said yes to Scarlett. I could have said no or told the truth. Perhaps even wait until I finally broke up with my boyfriend, and then go out on a date. But no, I was a greedy and lying cheat. I was a-

"You know what? Once he returns, I'll help you to break up with him. If he tries anything, I'll French kick the fuck out of him," Scarlett announced.

Huh?

"What?" I blinked at her in disbelief.

"I'm still upset at you for lying to me..." She cleared her throat as she faced me again. "But... you had your reasons, if you're not lying about them as well." She squinted her eyes at me.

"No! Of... of course not!" I stuttered. "The only thing I lied to you about is not telling you that I have a boyfriend."

Scarlett pursed her lips and tilted her head to the side, hesitation together with leftovers of anger etched all over her face. And who could blame her?

She sighed and shook her head. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I believe you, only if you swear to never lie to me again. I want things to work out between us, and I won't let something like a fucking man-pig get in the way of what we have."

She leaned towards me as she stared deep into my eyes and reached out her hand to wipe the tears away from my cheeks. She tucked away a loose, wet hair strand behind my ear as my breath trembled a little, my body overcome with her welcoming heat. Looking into her eyes, I could see the mix of pain and warmth reflected in the swirling golden specks.

"Don't worry, baby," she whispered as she tilted my chin up with her hand and traced my jawline with her finger.

My breath shuddered as waves of warm energy flowed through me, as if I was sitting beside a blazing fire after being numbed by a furious blizzard. Her gaze slowly moved down to my lips and made its way back up to again. Her eyes searched mine as she brought her lips closer until they were an inch away from mine. Her scent of honey and lavender traveled to my mind, calming the remnants of the panic attack from earlier.

And then she kissed me. Slowly at first before I melted into it, cupping her cheek while our lips fit perfectly together. She grinned into the kiss before lightly nipping my lower lip. And she stole my heart when she whispered the next three words into my mouth

"I got you."