Page 59 of 4-Ever

“About a month after we started dating.” She paused and rolled up her jacket sleeves.

Holloway gasped. Or maybe that was me. Both of Ciara’s arms were littered with violet bruises.

“This one on my wrist is from three nights ago. I was late getting home. He doesn’t hit as hard when he knows I have to report to work. Not as long as I do as he says.”

It shouldn’t happen at all. No wonder Ronin had confronted Dallas.

“Ci, no one should hurt you like that,” I implored. “No matter what.”

Ciara’s eyes welled up.

“I know. I know. I just… I just don’t know how all this happened. How it got so bad. When I moved to New York, I didn’t know anyone. I felt so alone. Suddenly, Dallas was there, and he was relentless in pursuing me. I just couldn’t help falling, at first. But then,” she paused and wiped her eyes. “After we were dating a few weeks, things were different. He started in on me, telling me I’d forgotten things, like when to meet up for our dates. I started to wonder if maybe he was right. Maybe I was stupid and forgetful. Then he told me to stop texting Ro. Said I was too dependent on my family, I needed to toughen up. I knew something wasn’t right, but I kept thinking it was just my imagination. I thought it was just me.”

She leaned forward and let out a shaky sigh. “Then Dallas started losing his temper at the slightest thing. When he hit me the first time, I was too shocked to believe it. We’d been at a bar that night, and he thought I was flirting with someone else. He slapped my face so hard my jaw ached for a week. But he was apologetic afterwards, said it would never happen again. Until a week later, only, this time he made sure to hit me where no one would see. And what could I do? He’s a police officer. Who would believe me?”

She wrung her hands together, pausing to wipe her face.

“Dallas didn’t want to come down to Nashville, but I insisted. Something was telling me I needed to see Ro. I thought maybe, I could finally admit what was going on. But I was still scared. And now Ro’s hurt, and you’re hurt, and it’s all my fault.”

Her words were muffled by her sobs as she shook her head.

“Hey, no, it’s okay. Ro’s fine,” Holloway reassured her. “So’s Faise.”

I nodded. “I am. And you’re gonna be too.”

“I’m scared to go back home.”

I reached for her hand, and she tentatively took it. “You can stay with Ro for now.”

“But my life in New York, my job, the lease?—”

“You can find another job. And apartment leases can be broken.”

“Yeah, what Faise said.”

The sudden interruption of Ronin’s voice had fresh tears welling up in my eyes.

A nurse wheeled him into the room. Ronin was pale, with dark circles under his eyes, and a large bandage on his chest.

When his eyes met mine, I knew right then that tomorrow couldn’t wait.

“I’m so sorry about all this,” Ciara whispered. “I’m so embarrassed.”

“Nothing to be embarrassed about. We’ve all dated dickheads,” I remarked, trying to ease the tension.

“You have,” Ronin quipped from the other side of my bed. “Not me.”

I gave him my favorite finger, and he blew me a kiss. We were back to status quo.

Ciara shook her head and looked at me and then Ronin. “You guys never change.”

“I don’t think that’s entirely true,” I replied as I stared into Ronin’s unforgettable blues.

The intense look he gave me told me that maybe, just maybe, he was thinking the same.

A lot had changed. For the better or worse, I still didn’t know yet. But I knew I had to find out.

“Everything is so fucked up,” she sighed.

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