𝕁𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝕎𝕒𝕚𝕥 𝔽𝕠𝕣 𝕄𝕖 // Anna Shumate & Eva Cudmore

𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙮 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙚

ANNA'S POV

I'm going to kill that mother fucker. I'm literally going to destroy him and relish in the feeling of his warm blood against my skin when I do it.

Eva had demanded I leave. She was so angry with me, I could feel the massive wall she was deliberately placing between us. She left me. Even if we weren't together-she left me. I could feel the finality in her words, sense the absolute decision in her steps and her body as she walked away.
But I couldn't be done. I couldn't finish it like that, so I start followed them.

I waited for them to leave with the car, and then I jumped into mine. I began to follow them carefully down the road, trying to always have a car to separate me from them.

We arrive in the suburbs, and his car stops in front of a huge house. A mansion. A majestic mansion.

I park my car at the end of the street and watch the scene: Eric gets out of the car and opens the door for Eva, he even offers her his hand, but she pushes him and together they head for the house.

She's far too strong for that.

God, I fucked up.

So, in that moment, I did what I knew I had to do. I wanted to take her pain on myself, give anything in order to free her of what he will do. I would take it, happily if it meant she was fucking safe and away from him.

So, I leave my car and go straight ot he house. I lifted my hands and moved to bang on the door, but my wrist was caught in a tight hold before I ever made contact.

"Don't you fucking dare," Ag's quiet voice demanded from me. I turned to meet her hard gaze over my shoulder. Her tense body stood firmly behind mine as she held me in place. "Don't fuck up what she's doing. If you let him know you're here, that you fucking care about her, he'll make it a million times worse for her. She's already given up something critical, something she's never given him. And she did that because of you, so don't make this any worse for her. Do what she told you, and go the fuck home, Anna."

"What the fuck are you doing here Ag-and get your hands off me," I tell her and remove myself from her grip.

"Take it easy blondie."

"Take it easy? Eva's in there with I don't know who, and you're standing in front of me.." I approach her defiantly, "you better run like last time. Or you can stay and tell me what's going on."

"Look blondie, I'm just a little soldier in the middle of this fucking thing. I'm just telling you trust Eva if you really want to help her." her voice is firm. I am still stiff and undecided whether to break her teeth or listen to her. But I am so emotionally unstable that I can't think straight.

"You tryed to kill her last time."

"It was a mistake. They told me to-"

"Who? Eric?"

"Listen, is something bigger than you. Trust me."

"I don't trust you."

"Don't think for a second that I can trust you." The words come out of my mouth like a hiss.

"I know. So, trust Eva."

I look at her with anger but thne I let my forehead fall silently against the door as tears pricked the backs of my eyes and fell through my lashes. "I can't fucking leave her," I whispered so that only Ag could hear me. "I can't leave her with him."

"You have to. Tonight, you have to." Ag's voice enveloped me as I collapsed to the ground. Hot tears fell from eyes and coated my cheeks in salty trails of pain and anguish.

I fucking hated it.

Rage coursed through my blood and ignited a fire deep within my chest. My mind still aches and racks with any answers I could have for this.

Fuck, I'm going to kill him. I'm going to destroy him for what he's done to her.

I was trembling while Ag seats near me. My body lit up with a mix of desperation and anger. I have to stay away from her, I have to do anything that will keep her safe when it comes to him.

But the desire to fix this, to protect her by destroying him, consumes me. It eats up every inch of my being with determination.
I can still take care of her while staying away. I have to.

That's when Ag finally pulled me to my feet and walked me to the car. I lost my shit on the drive home, crumbling internally until I crawled into bed.

And now I'm still trying to pull myself back together while I sit in this shower and let my mind wander to Eva. I wish I knew how she was holding up today. I wish I had some sort of idea as to how she was.

I'm tempted to text her or try and call her. But I'm also worried that she'll ignore it, or that it will rehash the open wounds I've left on her. I think she needs space, but I hardly want to give it.

"Anna? You almost done in there? We want to leave in thirty minutes." Emma's care-free, cheerful voice breaks through the door of the bathroom and hits me like a sledgehammer. It cracks though my shelter of self- deprecation and I'm forced to lift my head and turn it towards the door. I rest my cheek against my knees, which I've pulled up to my chest and silently let the tears stream down my face in sync with the scalding water.
"I'll be ready," I reply, loudly enough for Emma to hear through the sound of my shower.
God, I want to escape for a little while. Forget about everything going on and simply live.

Emma walks away, seemingly approving of my response and I struggle to pull myself together enough to stand up and get out of the shower. It feels odd, dressing up and doing my make up in order to go to this party that Sab and Cooper had mentioned last week.
I don't feel in any mood to celebrate anything, especially now that I know what Eva has been going through with Eric. But I told them I'd go, and they still don't know about what happened.

I can't back out without a reason and I'm not telling them about the last twenty-four hours.

I spend the next few minutes drying my hair and applying minimal make up. Because I want to be comfortable tonight, I throw on a pair of distressed jean shorts and a white tank top. Nothing crazy, but I won't be layered in hot clothes while I'm potentially drinking.
Because I think I might give into the pull of surrendering tonight-letting go and trying to relax.

When I step out of the bathroom, the others are huddled near the front door. I don't think they heard me approach until the very last second.
I pause for a moment as their heads whip towards me.

"Ready?" I ask, ignoring the tension between us as I step forward.

I want to escape tonight, let go of everything that's been weighing me down and then revisit it tomorrow. I'll make these decisions tomorrow.

"Yeah, let's go. Come on, we're already late," Sab interrupts drawing our attention back to her and the urgency to head out.

She shuts the door behind us, and we make our way to our vehicle.

My mind lingers on Eva, on the past twenty-four hours, the last two weeks since she arrived here from Canada.
On where I was, who I had been and who I'm rapidly becoming. Things are changing, and while I'm still worried about Eric making contact, I'm also a little more prepared for the encounter.

I'm a little braver, a bit stronger, and I think Eva is the one who's been pulling that strength out of me.

Reminding me that I'm not that small, fragile sweet girl. I'm the entire fucking forest, and I'll light this bitch on fire before he would even notice.