I Would Have

Bruises

Song for this chapter:

Bruises- Lewis Capaldi

"I've been told, I've been told to get you off my mind
But I hope I never lose the bruises that you left behind
Oh my lord, oh my lord, I need you by my side"

*Isadora*

She couldn't deny it. She'd had a rough upbringing, most of her decisions were questionable. After her ex, she had vowed to focus on herself and no one else. And then she met him.

With a heavy sigh, she tied her hair, dirty blonde at the roots, black halfway down, back into a bun and finished her preworkout. Her hair, a lingering memory from her ex, made her cringe when she saw it. It took her back to her past, and how she barely escaped.
Her dogs rose from the couch with a groan, tired but willing to accompany her on her run. They knew the drill by now. She ran when she felt her chest getting tight. They accompanied her, and kept her safe if she should see him. Without a word, she slipped the head collar over her Great Dane, and a collar over her Dalmatian. Clipping the leashes, she grabbed her phone and tucked her earbuds in her ears, listening as the loud, angry music gave her motivation to run until she couldn't anymore.

The dogs weren't used to this type of angry run, but they loyally kept up as she ran mile after mile, breathing heavily as she finally stopped to breathe. He was in her nightmares again. She couldn't do much about that. She was doing the steps in therapy like she was supposed to, working, relying on her friends... and it wasn't working. He was still there.

Her phone chimes. A new notification from Snapchat. Him. Ryot. He never failed to reach out when she needed it most.

"Hey, you okay?"

Shaking her head, she typed back a response.

"Not really, no. But I'm fine. Get some sleep."

Her Great Dane pants and sits at her feet, while her Dalmatian pants and looks at her while she decides to run more or go home.

Having mercy on her girls, she turns and begins the trek back home. A silver Jeep Renegade rounds the corner, and for a moment, she doesn't recognize it. The license plate comes into view, and her heart stops.

It's him. Her ex.

With a strangled cry, Isadora turns to run. Her dogs jump into position at her reaction, hackles raised. Her girls, the farthest thing from aggressive, were ready to fight for her. She didn't have a chance to run before the vehicle stops, and she's trapped. He gets out of the vehicle, slowly, his gun in hand.

Her hands, shaking, grip onto the leashes and fumble for her phone, sending her location to her last message with a "He's found me."

She can't check his response. He has the gun pointed at her Dane. Ida Jean Bean. Her big baby. Her brain switches to panic mode, and she's quick to give her girls a command to save them.

"Ferse Sitzen. Mit mir."
Heel, sit. With me.

The girls back up, not taking their eyes off the man, and sit at her feet.

"What do you want from me? The papers were filed. You need nothing from me." Her voice is braver than she feels. Just a little longer.

"Why did you leave? I miss you. I want you to come back home, so we can work things out. I love you." He responds, keeping his gun low on her dogs. I love you. The words leave her nauseated.

"What you did was not love." She keeps her voice steady. It's stronger than she feels. Braver, even.

He smiles and shakes his head. A sinister smile. She can't move though. She had no doubt he wouldn't hesitate to shoot her, or chase her down if she did. She could only hope her message had been seen.