Page 8 of Loving Ladybug: Part One
This was someone else entirely. One that could kill me.
A body slammed into me, knocking me face first into the hallway wall, further aggravating the cut on my head. He spun me around, alpha body crushing me, as his hand smacked my face, then wrapped around my throat.
A tear trickled down my face as pain shot through me. How could I have ever loved him? Wanted to spend forever with him?
I kneed him the balls, and he let go.
“Fuck,” he yelped.
Free, I ran, fueled by fear.
“You’re nothing. You’re a fucking nothing who will never fucking make it,” he yelled as I careened down the stairwell, taking them as fast as I could.
I didn’t hear or see him follow, but I kept running until I reached the subway station, stopping occasionally to wipe the blood out of my eyes. I pulled my hoodie on to cover the blood on my face and continued to try to stem the flow. First, I’d go to the rink, use the first aid kit, and get myself together.
That sounded good.
Getting on my phone, I changedallmy passwords. I blocked my location from him and took a picture of my face.
And ignored Austin’s mean texts.
“Are you okay?” a man who’d gotten on at my station asked. “Are you bleeding?”
“I… I’m on my way to get fixed. It’ll be fine.” I ducked my head more, not liking the attention.
Clark had texted.
Clark
Sorry I missed your call. Is everything okay?
Me
Broke up with Austin. Going to the rink to work shit out.
Someone should know where I was for safety.
By the time I reached the rink, Austin had stopped rage-texting me, so I replied.
Me
It’s over. I’ll be by after work tomorrow to get my things.
That was my only response. Maybe Clark and Carlos would come with me. I didn’t want to go by myself.
Where I’d put my stuff–or go–I didn’t know. It wasn’t like I had much. My hockey and class stuff, and some clothes.
The rink was nearly always open, but nighttime was quiet. I should find the first aid kit and get cleaned up. Instead, I found myself at the small rink, my tennies slipping slightly as I walked to the center and laid down in the darkness on the ice, exhaustion coating me.
It was comforting to lie on the ice, reminding me of better times when I’d do this on the pond at my nonna’s.
What had happened? I’d come home to a guy who made me brownies and left to someone throwing a skate at my head.
He’d never even raised his voice to me until this past year, let alone pinned me to a wall and tried to choke me.
I swallowed a sob. There was so much I didn’t understand. His deal. The complete mood shift. Why couldn’t we still be together even if he had to work for his dad?
Not that I’d give him a second chance. He hit me. That was it. No amount of apologies in the world would fix that.
