Entangled in Darkness

CHAPTER TWO: BROKEN PROMISES

TW: Mention of Domestic Violence.

"Miss Herrington, apologies for disturbing you on your day off, but it's urgent. Your father wants you in the office immediately."

With a roll of an eye, Andrea pushed a warm blanket off her shoulders, a tea mug that had been cold for the past hour was long forgotten on a pile of scribbled notes, a faint stain visible from the side. Molly, her trusty personal assistant, knew well enough how valuable days off were for Andrea. They were marked in red.

Of course, being the solicitor for her family business meant no free personal life, but in the hope of humanity and naivety, a brown-haired woman pushed all the luck she could to spend a few hours curled in the blanket, a cliché romance novel in hand.

"Here goes my sanity," Andrea's voice sounded distraught.

However, she didn't hesitate any longer and stepped into the spacious shower, waiting for the cold water to engulf her body. She wasn't keen on leaving her quarters—considerably small, a two-bedroom flat with a close walk to the office, a nearby park, and all the cafés her heart could desire. It was a place she could feel safest, away from all madness, especially after the last incident. Don't. She couldn't push the flashes away. Terrors.

The remembrance of the events seemed faint. Heart pounding. Dizziness. Andrea didn't remember the details. She remembered the feeling of her body being trapped in a trance.

"No... no—stop it!" The scream wasn't one she recognized but could swear it was her own.

The smell.

Her stomach churned. I need to make this stop.

Gasping for air, Andrea shoved the damp hair back. Her haunted eyes stared back from afar in the darkness of the bathroom. A dim light shone from above, casting a dark shadow onto the face she recognized as her own.

"Why can't you be normal for once?" She asked herself in the mirror.

With a clenched jaw, Andrea didn't let her mind wander any more. Through the last week, she figured that placing herself in a tight grasp, not letting her body move on her own, was the safest way of keeping terrors away. Work helped. Maybe that's why I am not making a fuss about having to work on a day off.

She pushed the thought away. Double-check. Her subconsciousness yelled. She wanted to curse it out, but her body involuntarily pushed a key again, checking.

"Hey... Andy! Wait up. Can we—um, talk?"

David.

Her blood turned cold.

What does he want now? She hasn't seen him in the last few weeks. Well, it would be longer if not for the mistakes of the drunk self. She turned around to face the devil himself. That's a lie. David was no devil. Not at all. Sure, the thought of having close relationships with an ex always felt like a weird concept to Andrea, she seemed to never think bad of him. Even he did hurt her.

She wasn't a fan of David. They weren't right for each other. At least, that's what she tried to tell herself.

"David," Andrea forced a meek acknowledgement.

Her body was still stiff. Could this morning go any better? First Molly and the wishes of her father. Now David.

She was tired. "What do you want?"

He looked good... why does he always look good no matter the time of the day? Even without any attraction left towards the man itself, Andrea could note the superior qualities when it came to his appearance—tall, broad shoulders with arms coloured in dark ink. She saw him charm many girls with a wide smile, the dimple on his left cheek.