Page 8 of Break My Fall

“Of course I’ll look out for her, man. I always do. She’s a nice girl and I hate what she’s dealing with. Not so sure about telling you everything though. She didn’t exactly seem friendly with you,” Nico pointed out.

“I know and I totally deserve that. We left her behind and we never should have done that,” I sighed. “We have a lot to make up for, but we really do care about her Nico.”

“Fine,” he gave in with a nod. “I’ll keep you in the loop, but hurry the fuck up with whatever you’re planning. There’s only so long I can hold back from kicking that fucktard’s ass,” He added as he nodded toward Maddie’s husband, who was laughing smarmily with a group of other assholes at this bullshit party I’d been dragged to. But I couldn’t complain when it had brought me back to the girl I had been in love with since I was seventeen years old. She belonged with us and nothing was going to stop us getting her back.

MADDIE

It was after one A.M. by the time we got back home. I paid our babysitter, Kiri, with the money Edward had given me in the car on the ride home, for just that purpose, then showed her out as I thanked her, watching her walk down the street until she was safely home. She was a young teaching student who lived with her parents down the street and babysat for extra money. She was a nice kid and Willow loved spending time with her.

As Edward stood in the kitchen pouring himself a glass of red wine, I bypassed him to check on Willow. It was never a good sign when he continued drinking after a function like the one we had attended, so I planned to leave him to it and slip into bed. I was exhausted and feeling lightheaded, having barely eaten that day. I just hadn’t had time, and now I was way too weary to start making anything.

I smiled when I slipped into Willow’s jungle themed bedroom and found her fast asleep with Mr. Roar, her stuffed lion, which she carried everywhere with her. Her bright blonde hair was wild as always and she was snoring just ever so slightly. She looked angelic as I placed a gentle kiss on her cheek.

“Night, night, peanut,” I whispered as I pulled the blankets up over her shoulders, before slipping out of the room.

As soon as I got into our bedroom, I slipped off the long dress and laid it on the bed, then headed for the bathroom to wash up.

Glancing in the mirror as I washed all of the makeup from my face, I hated the person who looked back. She looked old and exhausted, with too pale skin, dark smudges under her eyes, and a gaunt look to her face. I didn’t recognize myself in that woman and yet I knew it was me, or who Edward had turned me into anyway. Day by day, week after week, month after month, and year after year he was chipping away at me. I feared he would erase me completely before I was able to escape him.

Unable to look at myself any longer I turned my back on the mirror as I brushed my teeth. I didn’t have time to dwell on it all. I had to get some sleep before getting up at six the next morning to start the day all over again.

Once I was finished with my nighttime routine I returned to the bedroom to hang up the dress, ready to be dry cleaned, then I pulled on some black leggings and a baggy t-shirt that comfortably fit over my baby bump. They were more comfortable than my pajamas and I really needed some comfort after being tortured for hours in that dress and heels.

I was pulling back the comforter, ready to collapse into bed, when Edward appeared at the bedroom door. His suit jacket and bow tie were gone, his shirt sleeves now rolled up to his elbows. He had a large glass of red wine in his hand as he casually leant in the doorway and glared at me.

“Who was he?” he demanded, his words a little slurred.

“Who?” I asked on a sigh.

“That fucker at the party!” he yelled.

“Nico?”

“No! Not fucking Nico! I know who fucking Nico is, don’t I?” he snapped as he stormed into the room and stopped at the foot of the bed. “That other fucker you were making googly eyes at!”

“I wasn’t making g…” my words were cut off when he threw the full glass of wine at me, the cold liquid shocking me into silence as I recoiled back. It landed right in my face and ran down my t-shirt and onto the white bedding and cream carpet below.

“Don’t even fucking bother denying it. I watched you with both of them. You’re a whore!” he yelled as he threw the glass at the wall behind me, the loud smash echoing through the room. He took a menacing step closer to me and grabbed my arm in a bruising grip.

“Edward, please. Nico…he’s my boss and I d-don’t even know the other guy,” I cried as he wrenched me into his front.

“You’re a damned liar!” he spat as he turned me around violently, keeping a hold of my arm in the process until I felt something in my wrist pop. I cried out as pain shot up through my right arm. It was unbearable for a few moments, and I panicked he had broken something, but Edward wasn’t done, and as he shoved me forwards as hard as he could, I used my good arm to try and catch myself on my knees before my baby bump hit the ground. The pain that ricocheted through my wrist had me crying out again, as did the kicks to my ribs Edward quickly followed with. I did all I could to protect my stomach, but he was wild, hitting and kicking anywhere he could reach and I feared for my baby and myself.

“Edward please!” I cried. “Th-the baby!”

“I don’t want that fucking thing!” he sneered as he shoved my exhausted throbbing body down onto my side. I curled into a ball and he laid into my back. “It’s probably not even mine!”

Then my worst nightmare happened.

“Mommy!” I heard Willow scream as my bedroom door crashed open against the wall. I looked up panicked, but I was too late. Willow ran right over to me and got into the way of Edward’s attack.

“Get out you stupid little brat!” he roared as he grabbed her and shoved her hard at the wall. She cried out in fear, then screamed in a way that told me she was hurt badly as she collided with the wall.

“Willow!” I cried as my heart seemed to freeze in my chest. Ignoring all of the pain of the movement I got to my knees and crawled with my good arm over to where she was crumpled in a ball on the floor where she had landed.

“Fucking whore!” Edward raged as he stormed from the room, but I didn’t care where he had gone as I finally reached my daughter. She was crying and cradling her left arm in much the same way I was cradling my right. It was clear there was a break in her forearm, from the odd angle it sat at, and tears filled my eyes as the horror of what I had done set in.

“Mommy,” she cried hysterically. “My arm h-hurts.”

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