Audrey's POV

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Attempted SA, abuse, and violence.

Reader discretion is advised.

I knew immediately that something was wrong when I pulled up to the airport and saw Andrew standing near the curb; he was waving at me with a huge grin plastered on his face. When I stepped out of the car to hug him, I noticed that the enthusiastic smile didn't reach his eyes. No, they were filled with a barely discernible mix of anger and suspicion. He probably thought that I couldn't notice, but I had a talent at noticing the slightest emotion in a person.

Before I could greet him, he abruptly grabbed my waist and pulled me in for a sloppy kiss that made my stomach churn in disgust. I wanted to vomit so badly as he swirled his tongue in my mouth like a dog. But I managed to hold it in as he broke the disgusting kiss; if you can call it that. Weird thing is though, he isn't a sloppy kisser, so it means that he purposely overdid it.

How the fuck did I ever feel anything towards this...guy?

"I missed you so much, baby," Andrew said as he gazed into my eyes as if he was searching for any secret that may be lurking inside; of which I had plenty.

"How was the trip?" I asked in a chipper voice as he released me and went to shove his luggage inside the open trunk of my Audi.

"It was great! Very successful too," he proudly added.

"Oh! You closed the deal?"

"You know it! I always succeed and get what I want no matter the cost." he stressed the last words as he finished shoving in the last of the bags.

He definitely knows something, I thought, Or perhaps that's my paranoia talking.

"I'm so proud of you babe," I brightly smiled as I closed the trunk.

Andrew approached me as I was about to climb inside the car and held out his hand.

"I'll drive," he said, his tone slightly darker. It was barely noticeable, but I immediately caught it. I guess you can call it female intuition.

"No. You just flew in, and you probably have jet lag. Let me drive, and I will not take no for an answer," I glared at him.

He probably could tell that I wouldn't let up, because he simply shrugged and gave me a smile, as if it was no big deal. But I knew it was, and I shuddered inwardly at the thought that if we weren't in public...

The ride was silent for a couple of minutes as I drove us out of the busy airport traffic and onto Interstate 105.

"We should stop at that cafe on the way home," Andrew suddenly announced, breaking the chilly silence and nearly making me jump. "I could use a cup of good coffee after the long flight, and I know that you wouldn't mind a good latte as well."

"I don't know. Maybe we should just-"

"No," he interrupted me a little too forcefully,"I insist."

I simply nodded, deciding that it would be best if I just agreed instead of bringing up an argument. I thought about texting Scarlett to let her know the change in plans, but not only was I driving at the moment, the risk was too big to take. I didn't know what was going on in Andrew's head, but I always trusted my gut. Okay, usually. And my gut was telling me that something was wrong. The way he was talking to me: his tone, demeanor, energy, everything. Something was off.

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom. I'll be right back," Andrew informed me once we had ordered our drinks.

Immediately after he left, I seized the opportunity to call Scarlett and let her know what's going on. Sure, I could have texted her instead, but there was no time for that. I needed to make sure that she was made aware of the change in plans.

And she definitely was worried when she answered my call on the first ring.

"Audrey! Are you okay? I was worried that-"

"He knows, Scarlett," I whispered.

"What? How? Where are you?" Her concerned voice resounded through the phone speaker.

"I don't know. Something is off about his behavior. We stopped at the Mirage, that small cafe about two miles from our apartment? And he's in the bathroom right now. We're still on our way, but Scarlett... Please be careful. If you want to back out now, I'll understand."

I blurted out the last part as I didn't want her to get hurt because of me. This wasn't her fight. It was mine. Nobody else's. I chose to stay with him after what he did to me when I could have just immediately left, and I stayed for what? A place to live and an easier life in terms of money? Of course, my main reason was being scared of how he would react if I tried to leave him. I've heard enough true crime shows and horror stories about boyfriends/husbands killing their girlfriend/wife when she attempts to leave. I didn't want to end up like them.

Additionally, I lied to Scarlett from the very beginning. I couldn't understand why she's still around in spite of everything. I didn't deserve her. Not her concern, her love, or her will to protect me.

I was a cheating and cowardly liar. I had stayed with my homophobic mother, because I was too afraid to brave the outside world and earn my own way in life. I decided to endure her hate and control because I was afraid. Afraid to stand up for myself. Afraid to make changes.

"What? Are you crazy? Why would I want to back out?" Scarlett huffed. As I was about to say something, she cut me off. "No. I care about you, and if you're in danger, I don't care what happens to me. I..."

I had taken my eyes off the bathroom door for just a few seconds, so when I glanced back in that direction, Andrew was walking out and his eyes landed on me. I saw his brows furrow as he quickened his pace towards me.

"Omg, I have to go. He's coming back-"

"Who are you talking to?" Andrew demanded from behind me.

"Just a friend. She wants me to train her puppy tomorrow," I answered calmly as I hung up.

He squinted his eyes at me in suspicion for a couple of seconds before he lightly chuckled and his face relaxed.

"I was just asking. You act like I'm the police or something."

You're worse than the police, and that's saying a lot.

"You startled me," I nervously chuckled.

To my relief, one of the baristas called Andrew's name, and he went to pick up our orders. When we were finally back on the road, I watched him from my peripheral vision. Even though he wasn't showing any signs of being mad, I still didn't trust to keep my eye off him.

I wasn't sure about what he knew, if anything, but if he did, then he's doing one hell of a job at hiding it.

LATER

Walking up the stairs towards our apartment, I felt Andrew's hand touch the small of my back and I immediately tensed; his touch spread shivers up my spine, and not the good kind. I felt as if I was imprisoned and waiting for the right chance to spread my wings; to be set free from the shackles that chained me to Andrew.

I had absolutely no idea how Scarlett was going to deal with him if or when he'd lose it. There was no telling what his reaction will be, but one thing is for sure: I dreaded the event.

Scarlett has assured me a million times that she knows what she's doing and will be more than capable of handling Andrew if he tries to do anything, but how could I trust her words?

I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I was startled to find that we were already inside the apartment. It's funny actually how much a person can be distracted by what's going on in their heads that they're completely oblivious to their surroundings.

"Home sweet home," Andrew announced happily as he dropped his bags on the floor and proceeded to take off his shoes.

Okay, this was it. All I have to do now is lure him into the bedroom and break up with him. I was previously confused as to why Scarlett would choose the bedroom, but it made more sense when she explained that it was the furthest room away from the kitchen that contained knives and countless other kitchen utensils that are easily converted into murder weapons. I mean, I guess it's less risky? But either way, it was pretty smart and raised my suspicion that she'd been in a similar situation before.

"You know what would make it sweeter?" I asked, putting on my seductive smile as
I licked my lips, "You. Me. In the bedroom. Right now."

He raised his eyebrows, looking me up and down as realization filled his face.

"I should get washed up first..." He said hesitantly, but I could see that he was turned on and wanted nothing more than to have me.

"That can wait," I said, coaxing him with another smile as I took his hand and led him through the bedroom door.

He complied, following me like an obedient dog. Once we stood near the bed, he grabbed me by the waist and pulled me closer to him as he kissed me. I couldn't take it. Maybe it's because I've already tasted Scarlett and was unable to tolerate Andrew's mouth. I felt like I was in hell and being slobbered on by a demon-dog.

I gently pushed him away and wiped my mouth. He stumbled back a little, confusion in his face.

"What's wrong?" He asked worriedly, "Did I do something wrong?'

I looked at him, standing there with his genuinely concerned face, and suddenly I felt guilt creep up on me. I was going to tell him that I'm breaking up right after I brought him to the bedroom under false pretenses.

But just as suddenly, the image of his furious red face when he pushed me flashed in my mind. The promise that I made to Scarlett that I'll end the relationship today no matter what, and that I was intent on doing it. Besides, did I really want to continue to live this way? After all, the main reason I was with him was because my mother set us up. I wanted to please her and meet her expectations to the point that I agreed to date Andrew. Even though I had developed a form of love for him, this whole relationship was a façade, all arranged by my mother.

I took a deep breath, and swallowed the lump in my throat. It was now or never.

"I'm breaking up with you." I said, looking straight into his eyes.

Andrew squinted his eyes at me, then burst out laughing. He threw his head back as fits of maniacal laughter escaped his mouth and filled the room.

I stood there as confusion and fear overtook my mind. What the hell did I say that could have emitted such a response from him?

"Are you done?" I asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, I am babe. That was a good one, I mean, you almost had me," he gasped out as his body stopped convulsing from his fit. He grinned at me amusingly as he took a step towards me.

"What? No, I'm not joking. I'm breaking up with you. We're done." I hissed through clenched teeth.

"Huh?" he frowned.

"I've been meaning to do that for months. Ever since... that." I waved my hand in the air to demonstrate what I was talking about.

His face suddenly contorted into fury.

"I've apologized to you a hundred times. How much longer do I have to say that I'm sorry until you forgive me and get the fuck over it?"

"'Get over it'? Get over the fact that you lost control of yourself over something so trivial and expect me to just 'get over it'?"

Frustration and rage filled me as I clenched my hands into fists, the memory of that incident playing fresh in my mind as I felt a tear roll down my face. I could never forgive or forget that incident. No matter how many times he apologizes or crawls on his knees. You can't just erase something like that; when the person you thought loves you is capable of inflicting hurt. Enough to have you wake up in the hospital with a concussion and twenty stitches in your head.

"So it's just like that... You don't want to be with me anymore..."

"That's it," I firmly confirmed.

He suddenly lunged at me and pushed me onto the bed, his face contorted with demonic rage as he punched me in the face. Not slapped, punched. The excruciating pain that followed immediately was enough for me to lose focus as I laid there dazed, my blurred vision darkening into a black void. My face felt as if it was being prodded by a hot cattle iron as my head throbbed from the impact. I felt paralyzed as I gasped for breath, unable to move or breathe. I felt as if I was dying. This was it, I thought, This was how I was going to die, and nobody, not even Scarlett, will be able to save me. I felt his legs lock tightly around my thighs; preventing me from moving as I heard the unmistakable and chilling sound of his zipper opening. Despite my dazed condition, I knew immediately what he was planning to do. Panic exploded in my mind as I weakly struggled to shake him off.

Suddenly, he was thrown off of me, and he landed on the floor with a loud thud that shook the room. Through my blurred vision, I managed to see Scarlett walk furiously around the bed and kick Andrew in the face. Blood spurted everywhere and stained the wall behind them.

"You fucking shit!" Scarlett yelled. "You're the same fucking trash that you were in high school!"

I watched as Scarlett punched him in the face, a loud bone-crunching sound reverberating throughout the room as Andrew covered his face with his blood-stained hands as he howled in pain.

"Fucking bitch!" He seethed, his face a gross mix of pain-stricken rage as blood-stained tears streamed down his face. He charged at her, only to be met with her fist as she punched him again with a right hook, knocking him to the ground once more. He must have stayed down this time, because the next thing that I saw was Scarlett's blurry face near mine. She lifted my head up with her hand and readjusted the pillows underneath me to keep my head level. I dimly heard her imploring me to breathe deeply. She loudly inhaled and exhaled until I followed suit; breathing in the sweet air that contained traces of iron in it.

"Are you okay?" By this point, my blurred vision had cleared enough for me to see her staring at me with distraught etched all over her face. She brushed my blood-stained hair away from my cheek.

"Yes," I whispered, as pain seared through my face from the movement alone. But I gradually felt myself grow stronger as I continued to take slow, deep breaths.

At that moment, I caught sight of Andrew standing behind her; a glowering scowl on his face as he was about to attack her. Before I could open my mouth to warn Scarlett, she quickly whirled around and kicked him in the groin, sending him crashing down to the ground again.

Except this time, Scarlett didn't stop. She continued to land blow after blow on him before I finally recovered enough to jump in. I attempted to pull her back before she could commit an irreversible mistake.

"Hey! That's enough!" I shouted. I threw my hands around her chest and tightly clasped my fingers together as I dragged her backwards.

"Why do you care what happens to him?" she yelled at me, her face full of fury that terrorized me, but I didn't let go. She struggled in my grasp, but all those days of training has made my body immune to her resistance.

"It's you whom I care about, you fucking idiot!" I hissed. Her body immediately relaxed a little at my words. Just a tiny bit.

"You fucking scumbag," she seethed at Andrew; who decided that the ground was the much safer option at the moment. "You didn't change at fucking all. You're still the same fucking bastard that you were eight years ago when you coerced me into doing what you wanted!"

Scarlett was breathing heavily in my arms as tears started to roll down her face. I felt her body convulse against me, and that's when I realized that I wasn't the first woman he hurt. And out of some freak coincidence, he's my boyfriend. I mean, out of all people, how was Scarlett involved with him as well? This wasn't some small town in Missouri or Texas where the cashier at the gas station is the Sheriff's niece. This was West Hollywood.

Andrew stayed down on the floor and didn't even attempt to get back up. His face was a bloody mess, and I could tell that he most likely had something broken. His right eye was fully closed and already partially swollen as his other terror-stricken eye stared wide-eyed at us.

I didn't expect Scarlett to react that way, at least not with the amount of rage and strength which she displayed today. When she told me that she can handle herself, I didn't think she meant to the point of attempted murder.

And to be honest, her reaction today terrified me as I stood there holding her back.

I kept my grip tight around her waist as I started back out to the hallway through the bedroom door. I had relaxed for only one brief second when she suddenly escaped my embrace and rushed towards Andrew. He yelled as he threw up his hands in front of his stupid face to cover himself.

"Scarlett!" I yelled.

But as Scarlett was about to punch him in the face, she stopped her fist inches away from his left eye. He had his face turned away and cowered in the corner like a fucking coward. I stopped a few feet away, deciding that it was apparent that if she wanted to harm him even more, I wouldn't be able to stop her. She stared in his frightened face, and I strained to hear her next words which she uttered in a low voice barely above a whisper.

"Do you know what's stopping me from killing you right now? Huh? You're a worthless piece of shit. You're nothing. You're a monster, and I'm not going to go to jail over some rotting garbage. I won't do that to Audrey. But I swear on my life, if I ever see you anywhere near her or I find out that you're tracking her movements, I'll..."

I watched as she tilted her head to the left, and I watched with bated breath as she slowly smiled.

"You know what will happen."

And I stared in shocked amazement as he nodded once in acknowledgment. Just a few minutes ago he was a confident and arrogant bastard; now he's a trembling bloody mess.

"Gather your things and let's get out of here," Scarlett suddenly said, jolting me out of my thoughts. I hadn't even noticed that she was already standing in front of me and was gently holding my arm, looking at me with love and urgency. She had switched completely in just a matter of seconds.

I readily complied, as I wanted to get the fuck out of there as fast as possible. I had already packed everything a few days ago after my confession to Scarlett. She grabbed the two heavy luggage bags, and I followed her out of the apartment with my backpack and small bag which just contained my laptop and several chargers.

Before we walked out of the bedroom, Scarlett turned towards Andrew, who visibly flinched, and added:

"I hope your face is disfigured for life, you fucking garbage."

As I walked behind her, I saw her bloodied knuckles gripping the handles. She glanced behind her shoulder to check if I was behind her and then returned her attention forward.

And strangely enough, I was even more attracted to her than before. I mean, shouldn't I be scared of how recklessly Scarlett had reacted? I did have a fleeting moment of terror when I grabbed her and she snapped at me, but I didn't have an ounce of fear as I followed her out of the apartment.

All it showed me was that Scarlett was willing to do whatever to protect me. She nearly killed a man for me. The way she leaped out from under the bed and tackled Andrew to the floor kept replaying in my mind. How she kept punching and kicking him. And the satisfaction I felt when I heard the sickening impacts of her fists against his flesh.

Whatever feelings I had for her, which were still not official nor determined, they had increased exponentially at that moment. She protected me. She risked her life and her freedom for me.

Maybe I'm weird for being turned on by the attempted murder of my ex-boyfriend, but suddenly, I desired her then and now more than ever. So after Scarlett placed my bags into the car and turned around to face me, I did the one and only thing that felt more than right.

I pushed her up against the car as our lips pressed together. Her eyes widened in surprise but her lips parted slowly, allowing my tongue to dance its way to taste her warm and soft mouth. Her eyes fluttered close and in an instant, her body melted into me as I pressed her against the car door even harder, grabbing her waist with my searching hands. She softly moaned as I nibbled at her bottom lip, her hot breath like ambrosia drifting into my mind. Her touch, her smell, her taste has made me completely forget about my pain as I roughly kissed her.

She may have anger issues and a temper, together with problems that I don't know about yet, but I could care less. She was my avenger.

My TrustFall.