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“Don’t do that.” He slammed me against the glass, and I cried out again. “Shut up! Do not bring someone out here.” I nodded, letting out a whimper. “You do, you have a new man. I saw you together like Cinderella and her Prince Charming at the ball. Then I saw you all leaving work and having lunch together. Hell, you two even arrive together, Mia.” My name sounded like a curse when it left his lips. I shivered. I had heard his voice sound like this before. It had not ended well for me.
“Do you call out his name as loudly as you did mine?” Chad leaned in and licked the very same spot on my neck that Terry had. It made my skin crawl.
“Please,” I tried again, hoping he would let me go.
“Don’t worry. I am going to let you go tonight. I just wanted to let you know that I am watching you. I am back in town. So please do your best to get rid of your little fuckboy. You’re mine, Mia. Nobody else’s.”
Without warning, he slammed me back against the glass again and backhanded me across the face. I tasted blood immediately. Sliding down the door, I began to weep. The opening of the doors behind me startled me, and I looked up, eyes searching frantically for Chad, but he was nowhere to be seen.
“Miss, miss,” someone was saying to me. “Are you all right?”
I wasn’t. I was far from all right, but I wasn’t going to tell him that. I looked up at the elderly gentleman and nodded. He helped me to my feet, appraising me.
“You’re bleeding, miss. Let me get some ice.”
“No, no, I’m fine. Please, I’m fine. I have some in my apartment,” I stammered, praying he would just let me go upstairs to my apartment. Thankfully, he did.
“Okay, miss. But we should at least call the police.”
“No. Please, no. It’s fine.” I did my best to convince him. And I could tell he wasn’t buying it, but he didn’t stop me. I thanked him and made my way to the elevators.
Once in my apartment, I sank to the ground and let out a wail. Why? How? What would I do? All of these questions flooded my mind. I stayed on the floor for a long time. Too long. By the time I got up, I knew the swelling on my cheek would last for a while. I should have gotten ice on it sooner. My lip was also busted. Chad was good at things like that—hitting a woman and leaving multiple injuries with just one blow.
I ate nothing that night and didn’t sleep at all. Instead, I climbed into the shower and turned the hot water up as far as it would go. I stayed inside until my skin was red. I wanted his touch burned off me. I climbed into bed that night, but sleep never found me. I lay awake all night, alternating between finding the right lie to tell Ally and Terry and trying to figure out what I would do if I saw him again.
The monster was back in my city, and I was terrified.
