Break Away

chapter 1

"His piercing blue eyes locked onto mine, the same ones that once melted my heart. But now, I couldn't escape the dread I felt as I braced myself for what was to come.

"Alex, I need to talk to you," I stammered, trying to keep my voice steady, as my fingers trembled through my brunette locks. "I think we need to end things."

His eyes widened in disbelief as my voice trailed off. I could see him frantically searching for a way to reverse what was happening. Then, he stood up and towered over me. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as he closed in. Before I could react, he pinned me against the wall with one arm, while using the other to force my face towards his. I struggled, but his grip only tightened. My resistance crumbled as I succumbed to his will.

"You'll leave me when I say so," he growled, tears streaming down his face. "Do you understand?"

My mind was numb with shock, as I gazed into his venomous eyes, struggling to comprehend how someone I loved could turn into a stranger. He leaned in, his hot breath tickling my ear, sending shivers down my spine.

"You're not leaving me," he whispered, his lips barely grazing my skin. "You belong to me...forever."

I jolted awake, my heart pounding, drenched in a cold sweat. The nightmare felt all too real, as if the past was reaching out to haunt me once again. The pain was palpable, as if I was reliving that fateful day all over again. I thought I had finally overcome it, but now I knew that it would forever be ingrained in my mind.

A year ago, I left Alex, in search of a life free from his empty promises and abusive behavior. I escaped in the dead of night, climbing out of my apartment window and never looking back. But now, as I lay in bed, I realized that I may have been wrong to think I was truly free from him.

I stumbled out of bed, glancing at the clock and groaning. Ryan was coming to pick me up for a movie at noon. I quickly threw on a shirt and jeans, headed to the bathroom to do my makeup. As I reached for my black makeup bag, I noticed the journal I kept hidden inside.

I applied just a touch of eye shadow and mascara, trying to keep my appearance natural. After cleaning up, I walked over to my phone, which had fifteen unread messages. Most of them were just updates from social media, but two stood out. The first was from Ryan, confirming that he would pick me up at 11:40. The second, from a number I didn't recognize, sent chills down my spine.

"You thought I forgot about you, darling? You thought you could leave me? Well, you're wrong. It's been a while, we need to catch up. Check the mailbox before you leave for your date."

Tears welled up in my eyes as I struggled to process the message. Could it be? Was Alex back in my life, determined to haunt me? My hands shook as I sat down, trying to steady my nerves. After what felt like an eternity, I knew that I couldn't ignore this. I needed to confront my fears head-on.

Trembling, I walked down the hallway to the mailboxes and fumbled with the key to open mine. A small package fell out, unmarked and anonymous. I returned to my apartment, heart racing as I opened the package. Inside was a familiar white box, containing a necklace that Alex had given me as a gift in the early days of our relationship. But at the bottom of the box was a white note, reading: "You're mine forever, Raine."

I stared at the note, unable to comprehend the implications. Was this really happening? Was Alex truly back, determined to claim me as his own? My thoughts were interrupted by the doorbell ringing. I hesitantly opened the door, to find Ryan standing there with a bouquet of roses in hand. He dropped the flowers, pulling me into a comforting embrace, but as I looked into his eyes, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched, and that my past was closing in on me.

"What's wrong?" He asked, gently stroking my cheek where tears had fallen.

I tried to smile, but he could tell something was wrong. "It's just-" I started, but the pain was too much to continue.

He looked into my eyes and knew now wasn't the right time to talk. He leaned in and kissed me, and for a moment, my worries disappeared. But then reality set in and I pulled away.

"I'm sorry, Ryan. I'll tell you soon," I said, hoping he would understand.

He sighed, "I understand. But I wish you'd trust me enough to tell me what's going on."

"I'm just worried about my parents," I lied. "They haven't called me since the memory loss from my accident."

Ryan frowned, "I'm sorry. Why don't you call them?"

"I lost all their numbers after the accident," I explained, "Alex said he called them when I was in the hospital, but they never came to visit. I thought they would at least show some concern if their daughter was hurt."

Ryan looked at me skeptically, knowing I was hiding something. He took the note I was clutching and read it. His expression changed from confusion to anger.

"If he hurts you, I'll-"

I interrupted him with a kiss. "Everything will be fine, I promise."

"Ryan scrutinized me, trying to gauge if I was being truthful. "I'll stay here with you until the end of the week," he declared, tucking my hair behind my ear. "I promise I won't leave you."

That night, Ryan stayed up with me until I eventually drifted off to sleep at one o'clock. But I woke up in the middle of the night, trembling and in tears, having the same nightmare again. The memory was still so vivid that even after I woke up, it felt like the dream was still playing in my head like a movie. Ryan held me close and stayed awake until I finally dozed off again.

The next morning, I turned to look for Ryan and was greeted by a note instead. My heart rate spiked as I read it: "I'm just going to grab my stuff from my place. I'll be back before you know it." I breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that he was just getting his things. I got out of bed, took a shower, and got dressed.

As I was entering the living room, I thought I heard a loud noise coming from my bedroom, like something had fallen and been clumsily picked up. But I was too scared to go check, so I tried to push the thought out of my mind and started making breakfast, something I never do. I was cooking bacon and eggs when suddenly, Ryan's arms wrapped around my waist. I smiled as I recognized him. He spun me around and kissed me.

"You cooked breakfast?" He asked, surprised. I never ate breakfast.

"I don't know, I was craving bacon," I replied with a grin.

I went to the fridge and retrieved the leftover strawberry shortcake from the previous night's dinner.

Ryan chuckled, "Dessert first?"

"Of course," I giggled.

"So, what do you want to do today?" He asked.

"Anything with you is good," I smiled.

"In that case, I'll surprise you," he said with a twinkle in his eye. He grabbed our jackets and took my hand, leading me to his surprise."

I let out a laugh and climbed into Ryan's sports car. However, when he turned the key, the engine wouldn't start. He stepped out and lifted the hood, only to find a complete disaster inside. Clearly, someone had intentionally caused the damage.

As Ryan tried to identify the problem, I scoured the car for any clues. My gaze fell upon a piece of paper lodged in the cup holder in the back seat. I retrieved it and read the message silently:

"This is just the start. If you don't end things with him, things will only get worse. -Alex."