A Thousand Tiny Wishes // Ed Sheeran

Chapter Seven - Bend and Not Break

Ed's POV:

Numbness coursed through the tips of my fingers from clutching my phone so tight, but I didn't let it go. I didn't move.

"You didn't assume this was free ride, did you lad?" the guy asked, his voice coarse, laughter threatening to escape his throat. I hadn't noticed the stench of alcohol on his breath until that moment.

The sound faded in my ears, and with a blink I'm five years old again, a red cap settled over my hair while my mother held my hand and made me promise to never talk to strangers. The flashback vanished the second I opened my eyes, his breathing snatching me back down to reality. The reality itself is bleak and while I sit stiller than stone, I find it hard to believe I'd gotten myself into such a situation. My mind raced along with the pound of my heart against my ribs, and although I envisioned shattering the window with my elbow, the strength I've got comes second to that of the glass.

I flinched when he reached over the console, trying to stay focused on keeping his hands off me and how to get out. On how to survive.

"Don't," I said in the only stern defense I could muster, my hand shoving his away from where he brought it toward my thigh.

My stomach sunk when the heat radiated off his fingers and hovered heavy in the air inches above my leg. Aside from the swirling fear in the pit of my gut, sweat beaded at my temples, even though the weather beyond the window was close to freezing.

He exhaled a partial laugh through his nose and the smile etched over his mouth faded once he turned his face toward me. He seized my arm faster than I could have prepared for it.

"It can go one of two ways, Ed," he snapped, placing emphasis on my name in the same instance he tugged my arm to hold me still, "you can give me what I want the easy way, or I can take it from you the hard way."

I fought back, hands trembling with fear while I pulled. I was successful in breaking free when I dropped my phone and shoved my bag at his face. But without thought his fists deflected it and he showed his anger and strength in the way he yanked me back harder than the first time. Panic sat heavy in my stomach when he moved his hand and clutched the back of my neck so hard I had no choice but to hunch up my shoulders.

Out of complete fear, my knees trembled, and as hard as I scratched and pulled at his hand on my neck, he hardly loosened his hold. I continued the fight, bringing my hands from his to swing and hit whatever part of him I could to fend him off.

With a hard swing my fist caught just under his jaw and he spat a curse, his hand falling away to cradle his aching throat. I could hardly focus on breathing when I hurried over the console and climbed into the back, kicking my guitar case out of the way and scrambled for the door handle, finding it unresponsive just the same as the front had been. Without wasting a second I tried the other door, not surprised when it didn't budge. My fists pounded the window and I jabbed my elbow against the glass until it hurt too much to carry on.

I stopped to ring out my hands and the car fell silent after he pushed open the front door. My bag settled in the dirt with a thud once he chucked it out and climbed from the car.

My eyes darted to the front to contemplate an escape, but there wasn't a chance I'd get away unscathed with him stood beside it. When he ripped open the back door I scrambled to find anything to fight him off, only my guitar sat against the back seat. Having no other option or weapon, I shoved the case at him once he leaned in. Crushing fear rocked through me when he grabbed it and tossed it to the dirt, the hollow wood echoing inside the case when the metal latch popped and it opened at the force.

I kicked at his hands when he reached in for my ankle, but he proved to be faster and more focused. It felt as if my body surrendered when he won with a hard pull, my head knocking against the window when he dragged me down. My hands scrambled to find something to grab, but the fear forced its way into my bones, crippling me when he flipped me over to my front and shoved my face into the cold leather seat. I fought to turn my head to breathe, his weight sinking over me against the car seat.