home, I hit the ground running. I run in, slamming the door behind me. “Austin!” I yell but hear nothing in return. I run through the living room, and then up to the stairs, my panic rising.
“Austin! Answer me!” I yell again and then listen, before heading upstairs.
Just as I get to the top of the stairs, I hear her door close, so I beeline for her room. I jiggle the door to find it locked. What the hell is going on?
“Open up, Austin, or I will break this door down, so help me God!” I yell.
There’s some shuffling from the other side, and finally, she opens the door. She looks a mess, but she’s safe as I pull her into my arms and just hold her. She’s safe and is here in my arms. Everything else I can deal with. When my heart finally calms down, I notice the state of her room.
Her closet is open, lights on, and it’s a mess. There are bags on her bed. With clothes strewn around them. She’s packing.
I pull back from her and hold her at arm’s length to get a good look at her. She’s been crying, and she’s in the oversized clothes she wears to comfort her, when something is wrong. Even though she looks beautiful to me, I know something is wrong.
“What’s going on?” I ask her.
She shakes her head and pulls away, walking to her bed and turning her back to me.
“I can’t do this anymore.” She says, but she refuses to look at me.
Who knew those five little words could break my heart? But I refuse to accept it. Something else is going on here. I’ll get to the bottom of it and won’t let her push me away.
“What the fuck happened?” I ask, trying to keep my emotions under control and failing. I walk towards the bed and notice she’s crying and my heart shatters.
Something isn’t adding up. Something is very, very wrong.
I pull out my phone and text Landon.
Me: Did you talk to Austin?
Landon: No. Tell me she’s OK!
Me: Physically, yes. But she’s really upset and won’t talk to me.
Landon: Well, she’ll be fine. Give her some time.
Me: No, she’s so upset she’s packing, saying she can’t do this anymore.
Landon: Do what?
Me: She won’t say. Maybe us? Maybe living here?
Landon: I’m twenty minutes out. Keep her there, until I get home.
Me: Will do.
I sigh and run my hand through my hair.
“Baby girl, talk to me. Tell me what happened.” I say in a soft tone, hoping she will open up to me.
She cries harder and covers her face with her hands, and that’s when I notice the wrist brace she wears, when she works on the computer. I gently take her hands in mine, and she winces in pain. Her wrist was fine, when I left this morning.
I start to remove the wrist brace, and she tries to pull her hand away, but I hold her hand above her wrist a little tighter. When the brace comes off, and I see the bruises, my throat closes up. They’re dark purple and nasty looking.
Someone did this to her. Someone put their hands on my girl and hurt her, and I wasn’t here to stop it, because we mixed up the dates.
“Baby girl,” I say, but get choked up, before I can say anything else.
I keep eye contact with her, as I remove her sweatshirt, so she’s in just the tank top she wore under it, and I see some scratches and light bruises up her arm.
“Who did this?” I ask, keeping my voice gentle, but my insides are raging. Whoever did this to her is going to suffer.
When she doesn’t answer, I say the first thing that comes to mind and hope it’s not true.
“Was it Branden?” I ask, in a whisper praying I’m wrong. But he’s in the forefront of my mind after talking to the private investigator earlier.
She nods, then bursts out crying again. “Oh, God.” She says, as I pull her into me and hold her.
I swear when I get my hands on that little asshole. I want to kill him, but the only thing stopping me from doing so is this girl in my arms. Killing him will take me away from her, and I can’t have that.
I grab my phone and call Landon and get him on speakerphone.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” He says.
“Austin has a nasty bruise on her arm and some scratches on her arm. She admitted Branden hurt her.” I tell him.
“Motherfucker. I’m going to kill him myself!” Landon lashes out.
“Austin, baby, tell us what happened. Please.” I keep my voice soft and coaxing. I can tell the last thing she needs is me upset, too. “We can’t help if you don’t tell us.”
She takes a moment to get herself under control, before she speaks.
“I was just relaxing when you guys left. I took a bath, watched some TV, and then, I heard the kitchen door. Thinking it was one of you, I went to start lunch, but it was Branden. He wasn’t himself.” She pauses.
“I think it was drugs. He was dirty, wrinkled clothes, red eyes, and acting off. Like some of the guys on tour who would party all night, before you guys put the drug ban in place. He’s Dave’s son, did you know that?” She asks.
She tosses that in there, like it’s no big deal.
“We just found out today from the private investigator,” I tell her.
“Well, he was going on and on about how, when Dave doesn’t manage you guys, because the label is forcing him to retire all the money he’ll lose, when all this happens. Then, he grabbed me.”
I tense up. The thought of his hands on her kills me. I have to remind myself she’s here, she’s safe, and she’s in my arms.
“Then, he demanded I break up with Dallas. He knew we were together. How I don’t know. I swear Landon, you’re the only one who knows. He said I was to marry him, or he’d send you two to jail for a long time with some evidence he has. From the sound of it, it’s fake, but I don’t know. He gave me one week. He handed me a key for an apartment.” She says, and then buries her head in my chest.
“Where is this key?” I ask her.
“Over there on my nightstand, along with the card with the address.”
She doesn’t move, but I turn my head and see a sliver house key, sitting on top of a white card with an address scribbled on it just like she said.
“Of course, this is all for the money,” Landon says and sighs. “Okay, we’re pressing charges. Austin please don’t fight me on this. We’ll get our lawyers on it. We have the best ones there are, and there’s nothing in our pasts that can send us to jail. But he will be going. I need you to trust us.”
“Okay.” She whispers.
“I’m upping security. Today, was our mistake. We both thought the other was with you. The three of us will have bodyguards around the clock, and security around the house. That’s the way we can deal with this. I know you hate not having alone time, Austin, but this isn’t forever just until he’s behind bars, okay?”
“After today, I’m okay to never be alone again.” She sniffles, and I hold her tighter, but smile a little. I know she doesn’t mean that in the long run, but right now, I will give her that and make sure she’s with me as much as possible.
“We’ll talk more, when I get home,” Landon says.
“Drive safe,” I say, before hanging up.
Austin and I just stand there with our arms around each other. Neither of us moving or talking. Soaking in what we might have lost today. Her mind is racing as much as mine is, so I let her think as I hold her. I will stay here like this, as long as she needs me.
Finally, I sigh and then do the one thing that will calm me. I pick up her bags and carry them to my room and start unpacking them. I made room in the closet and dresser the other day, but I will get Landon to help me move her dresser in here, too. There’s plenty of room for her stuff, and after this, there won’t be a single night where she’s not in my arms, so it’s time to make it official.
She can keep stuff in her room. Turn it into a reading nook or whatever she wants, but she won’t be sleeping there anymore.
I turn, and she’s standing in the doorway, watching me with a look of love on her face. In this moment, all the day’s horror from her ex is forgotten. It’s me showing her that I’m taking a stand, and that she isn’t pushing me away.
“You are mine, baby girl. Always. I will fix this.” Taking her hands in mine, I give her a soft, comforting kiss. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too, Dallas. I never was going to marry him. I was just trying to buy us some time, until I came up with a plan.”
“That’s for us to do; the private investigator gave us a few leads that will help us. We’ll talk when Landon gets here.” I pull her into my arms.
When the door closes downstairs, she stiffens up again. This time I’m here for her and nothing is going to happen.