Winona was hiding under her bed, hand over her mouth to muffle her sobs. The tears in her eyes were making her phone screen blurry but she managed to get to Ashton's number. It was 2 in the morning, she prayed he kept his ringer on.
The phone dialed. "C'mon," she whispered. "Please please please please-"
It clicked. A groggy voice answered. "Hello?"
She spared no time. "Ashton you were right." She bit down on her thumb, flinching as she heard him shattering things downstairs. He was shouting at her to come down.
Ashton was wide awake now, sitting up in bed. His free hand gripped onto the covers.
"W-what do you mean?"
"Can you come get me?" She choked out. "Please."
He was already out of bed, sliding slippers onto his feet and making his way out the door. "I'm coming. Can we stay on the phone?"
"No, I-I have to pack a bag still."
"Alright." He started the car. "I'll be there in less than 10 minutes...Wyn?"
Her eyes were screwed shut. "Yeah?"
"It'll be okay."
The confidence in his tone carried through to her. "Okay," she whispered back and hung up the phone.
She was a shaky mess as she grabbed a backpack and starting shoving clothes into it, not taking the time to fold or organize anything. When it was stuffed to the brim she zipped it up, holding her breath as she opened the bedroom door and crept down the hallway to the bathroom. Toothbrush, hairbrush, a thing of mascara. She winced as glass shattered from somewhere downstairs. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her tear streaked face, her exhausted eyes and bruised up body. This wasn't even her anymore.
She adjusted both straps onto her shoulders and took a breath to steady her nerves.
Down the stairs, out the door. Down the stairs, out the door.
Down the stairs. The thought made her head swim. One step at a time she slowly made it to the end of the hallway. Then she went down each step. He saw her right away as her feet touched the wooden floor at the bottom.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm leaving," she replied shakily. "I'll be back for the rest of my stuff sometime this week."
He strode towards her, latching onto both her wrists and holding them against his chest. "You can't leave me Wyn. I don't like who I am when you're gone."
She pressed her lips together. "I don't like who you are when I'm here."
He harshly released her wrists, his hands forming fists by his sides. His eyes turned dark.
"So that's it, you're giving up on me."
"We've tried long enough. I can't live like this anymore."
She went to move past him to the door but he stopped her, slamming her against the wall.
His watery, bloodshot eyes made contact with her own. "You don't love me?"
Her heart ached as she gazed at him. "I'll never stop loving you."
"Then stay," he pleaded. "Please stay. You can fix me, I know you can."
She shook her head, voice heavy with defeat. "I can't fix you. I thought I could but I can't, I'm sorry."
He grabbed onto her hair and yanked her to ground. Her eyes watered in pain as she tried to shield her face from his feet.
