Audrey's POV

One Week Later

"Augh," Scarlett grunted as she hit the punching bag, her strength causing the bag to nearly topple over backwards.

It was about 11:30 PM and we were at the gym where Scarlett told me she went to "transfer her negative energy into animated objects". I sat cross-legged on the bench while I watched her strike the bag over and over again without stopping. She had her luscious red hair tied up in a ponytail that bounced against her back every time she swung at the bag with full force. Even from where I was, I could see drops of sweat flying in multiple directions. The way her tall, toned, and lean body flowed with every hit made me feel mesmerized by her every move. Her shiny tanned skin glistened with sweat from the overhead lighting as she punched the bag.

The bruises on my face had healed by this point, and even though I still felt sharp stabs of pain when I washed my face or touched it in any way, at least appearance-wise it looked good. Scarlett constantly asks me if I'm okay whenever she kisses my face, especially when I unconsciously flinch at her touch.

These past few weeks have been... difficult to say the least. More than half the time that I woke up, I would notice Scarlett staring listlessly out the window or at the wall with a blank expression on her face. And when I would try to ask her what's wrong or if I could do anything for her, she always told me to go back to sleep and to not worry about her. Which irritated me most of the time, because I could tell that she was going through something emotionally complicated, and I wanted to provide her with the support and understanding that she has given me.

However, every time I tried to offer my help, she would push me away. I knew there was something that she wasn't telling me, especially based on her reaction when Andrew started to... hit me. I may be a little disoriented from the incident, but I could tell there was some sort of history between them, a history that she refused to talk to me about. As much as I wanted to confront her, it would make me a hypocrite since I've never told her about what happened between me and my ex-girlfriend Julia, or the fact that my mother is homophobic.

I understood why she wanted to keep her past away from me. We've only known one another for a couple weeks. You can't expect couples to know everything about each other within a short time frame, right?

Living with Scarlett and her Colombian roommate has been pretty amazing so far. Carmen had offered to give up her bedroom for me, but I had refused because I didn't want to impose. Scarlett, however, had a King-size bed, and when she attempted to assure me that she could sleep on the floor while I took the bed, I felt as if I was punched in the gut. Sure, it was a little early, but we were dating though. But I finally managed to convince her to sleep in the same bed with me after some coaxing and pressuring.

A loud thud brought me out of my contemplation with a jolt. My attention immediately returned to Scarlett as I watched her lift the fallen Bob dummy back up from the ground. I knew that the base of the dummy holds thirty-three gallons of water, which was equivalent to 280 pounds, so I was impressively shocked that she knocked it over with a punch and lifted it up with such ease.

She noticed me staring at her, probably with a dumbfounded look on my face, and she winked at me. I felt my face heat up and there was no doubt that I looked like a blushing idiot. Thank God the gym was empty.

"Audrey!" Scarlett shouted, excitedly waving me over. "Come here!"

I sighed loudly as I stood up from my seat and walked over to where Scarlett was standing with a smirk on her face.

"Enjoying the view?" She asked, a mischievous smile appearing on her face as she grabbed my waist and pulled me close to her so that I was pressed up against her sweaty body.

"Very much so," I agreed with a smile and gave her a peck on the lips.

Her sports bra was damp with sweat, and I could smell the sweet-sour moisture that acted like a pheromone to my mind. I didn't mind the lingering odor on my clothes as she released me and gazed intently into my eyes.

"I remember you mentioned that you did martial arts when you were younger?" Scarlett suddenly asked, breaking the dangerous tension that had begun to develop.

"Uh...yes," I stammered, partially because of the arousal in the air but also, I didn't expect that she would remember that tiny detail. I only randomly mentioned it once a while ago, and I could barely recall when I said it. "But that was a long time ago."

"When was the last time you ever punched a punching bag or a dummy?" Scarlett squinted at me.

"I'm not sure... um, probably four or five months ago? Why?"

"Because I want you to give this Bob a few punches," she raised her eyebrow.

"Oh... no. I... I don't think I can," I slightly chuckled. "It's been a while and I'm a bit rusty."

"Never say that you can't do something," Scarlett replied firmly. "I know you can give this dummy a beating of its life. You just have to believe that you can."

"But why?"

"Becuase I want you to be able to release your emotions out on something. And no," she interrupted me as I was about to retort. "I can tell that you need something more than just running and lifting weights. This..."

She paused and shakily drew in a deep breath.

"This has helped me overcome any problems that have invaded my life. Releasing my... emotions with my fists has sort of been a form of therapy for me. And since it has worked for me so far, I just want you to try it."

A small tear rolled down her cheek as she cleared her throat. Exhaustion and sadness replaced the previous mischievous look on her face. Pain tugged at my heart as I watched her draw in another deep breath. Whatever was hurting her, I wished that I could absorb all the pain and carry it for her.

I took her hand and bent down to kiss the inner of her palm as I gazed into her eyes reassuringly. She sniffed and smiled as she briefly cupped her hand around my face. But as abruptly as her distress had appeared, it disappeared and an encouraging smile quickly took its place as she gently removed her hand.

I knew there was something that she wasn't telling me, and it created a pit in my stomach that she couldn't share it with me so that I could at least hold some of her pain. Even though I was also harboring several painful parts of my past, I couldn't control the feeling of not being trusted by Scarlett. What if she decides to never tell me anything? Such as: what was the deal between her and Andrew?

I quickly shook away my anxiety that had started to creep up on me again. Scarlett was looking at me pleadingly and... I didn't want to disappoint her. I hated disappointing people, and Scarlett was most certainly not an expectation.

"Okay," I said reluctantly with a light laugh. "But if I break my wrist, you'll be the one paying my hospital bills."

"Don't worry. I won't let that happen," Scarlett chuckled. "Hold on. I need to adjust the height."

After she lowered the Bob a couple inches, I took my fighting stance position in front of the dummy that was staring at me with a grumpy and angry expression. I sighed, readjusted my feet so that they pointed a bit diagonally, bent my knees, and punched the dummy's stomach. It barely moved and a minor sting spread throughout my knuckles.

"That was... weak," Scarlett pointed out dishearteningly. "Let me show you something."

She came up behind me and placed both her hands on my hips, pressing her body against my back as she placed her chin on my shoulder.

"Most of the power in a punch comes from your hips. So you have to twist them at the same speed as your punch. Gather the power and force your right hip forward as you punch. Like this."

My figure moved in sync with hers as she turned both our bodies. I could feel the power erupt from my hips, and I unconsciously threw a punch, causing the dummy to shake a little more than previously.

"That's progress!" Scarlett said with a hint of approval in her voice.

Before my next punch, she wrapped her fingers around my right wrist and adjusted the position of my thumb on my tight fist.

"Remember. Never let it stick out like a sore thumb," Scarlett whispered in my ear, her hot breath tickling my skin. "Or you'll break it on impact."

She pressed her body closer to mine and with a sturdy hold on my hip and right wrist, she turned in sync with me while guiding my punch towards the dummy's head. It snapped backwards on impact and I could feel myself blushing from pride.

"Oh my god, that was great!" Scarlett said proudly. "Now you have to do it on your own."

She released her grip on me and stepped back to give me space. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, reopened my eyes, and punched the dummy's chest with everything that I've got. This time, the dummy trembled a little more, but not nearly enough. A frustrated sigh escaped my mouth. I saw Scarlett shake her head and inaudibly mutter something.

"What?" I inadvertently snapped.

"You're not channeling your emotions into that punch," she folded her arms over her chest. "You need to find what makes you angry, and direct it fully at the target. That's the whole point of this exercise, and the reason why I want you to try this."

I exasperatedly sighed and faced the dummy again. All I wanted to do at the moment was to go home. I don't want to be here "channeling my emotions". But I also didn't want to disappoint Scarlett, so I inhaled deeply and willed myself to search for the motivation.

My ex-girlfriend, Julia, immediately came into my mind. The way she left me for Australia just like that and ceased to communicate with me as time went by. I thought about when Andrew hit me and nearly disfigured my face.

I dimly heard Scarlett mention something as the world around me seemed to disappear, and all I could see was the dummy in front of me. I imagined Andrew's smirking face and vein-popping body in its place. Each trembling breath I took began to increase in pace as hot, angry tears welled up in my eyes.

The anger, the rage, and the exasperation that have collected over the last few years exploded all at once. With a blurred vision, I screamed and attacked the dummy. The punches that followed escalated in force and speed as I continued to dump my emotions into my hits. I could barely hear Scarlett's voice as she shouted for me to stop.

My next punch knocked the dummy backwards, crashing onto the floor. The momentum caused my body to fall forwards onto the Bob face-first. My brain barely registered the stabbing pain in my face as I quickly gathered myself together and continued beating the dummy.

"I hate you! Why did you do this? Why?" I screamed at the dummy. I felt hot tears streaming down my face as I choked on my sobs.

"Audrey!" I heard Scarlett's panicked voice and felt someone's hands under my arms. I attempted to resist, squirming in the person's grip as they dragged me off the dummy.

"Audrey! Stop! That's enough!" Scarlett yelled, her voice reaching my ears a lot clearer this time. My last squirming resistance caused her to lose her balance and we both sprawled backwards. Scarlett's iron grip around my waist didn't loosen as she landed on the floor with me on top of her. I attempted to struggle out of her grasp for a few seconds before I gradually started to calm down, my chest heaving up and down as I fought for oxygen.

My entire body trembled with every ragged breath that I took. My vision was blurred as I tried to blink through my tears that streamed down my burning-hot face. Each tear carried the heavy weight of pain that had accumulated over the years. I felt as if my lungs were crushed under pressure as my breathing became more painful.

"Shh. Breathe, baby. It's okay. I got you," Scarlett whispered in my ear as she rocked me back and forth. "Breathe with me."

I heard her take a deep inhale as she stroked my hair and after a few tries, I managed to deeply inhale, the sweet and delicious air flowing through my nostrils and into my lungs. I felt my anxiety attack begin to subside as I took one sweet deep breath after another.

"That's a good girl," Scarlett gently said as she brushed away a wet strand of hair from my eyes and kissed my damp cheek, her embrace loosening just a tad bit. "You're doing good. Just keep breathing for me, baby."

Ten Minutes Later

Eventually, I was breathing normally and my brief panic had subsided. I was sitting on the same chair that I had been seated on earlier.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Scrlett asked me as she crouched before me, her eyes filled with concern and uneasiness.

I drew in a quivering breath. Scarlett deserved to know what happened in my past. After everything she has done for me, it's only right for me to do the right thing, correct?

No. I wasn't ready to share my past and recount my life. I will tell her someday, but not today. I was exhausted and emotionally destroyed.

"Not right now," I whispered.

To my surprise, Scarlett simply nodded.

"I understand. Whenever you're ready to talk about it, I'm here. I'll always be here for you. Okay?"

"Do you promise? That you'll be here for me? Always?" I asked, uncertainty and doubt teeming from my voice.

"I don't make promises that I don't keep," she answered with a reassuring smile.

Scarlett stood up and leaned towards me to kiss my forehead.

"I'll quickly grab my things and check everything before I close up. And then we'll go home." She gave me another smile before she quickly walked away.

As soon as she left, my phone rang, the loud ringtone echoing throughout the gym. I dug the phone out of my pockets in annoyance. Before I swiped the hangup button because I was not in the mood to talk to anyone, I noticed the name on the screen and I froze. My heat stopped beating as I couldn't believe the name that flashed in my eyes.

I accepted the call and pressed the phone to my ear, unable to speak.

"Hello, babydoll." The voice that answered the phone made my breathing stop as the sweet and euphonious Aussie sound that I so adoringly loved kissed my eardrums like a gentle symphony.

"Julia...?" I breathed, unable to hide the shock in my own voice.

I heard her chuckle on the other end.

"It's been... awhile," she said, taking a deep breath in between.

"Yeah, it has been..." I slowly sounded out the words.

"How have you been?"

How have I been? How dare you ask that question? How do you think I've been, huh?

"I've been doing okay," I answered instead, keeping my voice low and looking around to see if Scarlett was within earshot. "And you?'

"I'm quite well, " she replied.

"That's... good to hear," I said with a hint of sincerity. "Why did you call me? And now? After almost a year of not talking since you ceased communication?" I was unable to stop myself from blurting out those questions, my vision once again blurring from a new set of tears.

There was a long pause, and I even checked my phone screen to make sure that the call didn't end. After what seemed like an eternity, Julia finally broke the silence.

"I'd rather tell you in person, Audrey," she said softly.

"In person? What are you talking about?" I asked confusingly, panic rising up in me again.

Julia's voice broke as she said the very words that I dreaded to hear:

"I'll be in America in three days. I'm coming back for you, babydoll."