So High School

You drew stars around my scars (pt2)

A/N sorry I left you on a cliffhanger guys but I wanted to go to bed :) here's part 2

TW

Travis's breath caught in his throat as he stumbled up the rest of the stairs, round the corner. The door to Taylor's music room was slightly open, and he could hear low murmuring coming from inside. He burst into the room, his eyes scanning for any sign of his ex lover.

There she was, pinned to the left wall. Joe had his hands around her neck, squeezing out the life from her body. Her eyes were closed, her hands frantically grabbing at his, trying to pull him away. He was stronger though, and grinned maniacally as he choked Taylor.

Travis ran at him, yanking him away. He let go in surprise and Taylor fell to the floor, laying their weakly.
"Fuck you!" Travis screamed, punching him square in the face. Joe tried to retaliate but Travis was too strong, punching him again, and again. The scrawny blonde eventually passed out, blood dripping down his face.

Travis rushed over to Taylor who was lying on the floor. He fell to his knees next to her, gathering her body into his arms.
"Tay, wake up, come on sweetie" he shook her carefully, praying with all his might that she would be okay. Her eyelids fluttered open, widening in alarm when she realised what had happened. She took a deep breath, trying to get the air back into her lungs. Bruises were already forming from where Joe had choked her.

"I'm sorry" Taylor croaked, her throat raw.
"You're sorry? What for?" Travis asked gently, stroking her hair. Taylor just shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut as tears ran down her cheeks.
"Hey, don't cry" Travis murmured. "You're safe now, he's not going to hurt you anymore"
"I thought he was going to kill me" Taylor whispered, her voice scratchy.
"You're safe now baby, you're okay"

About ten minutes later the police arrived, promptly handcuffing Joe who was awake now.
"Hi, I'm officer Chen" one of the officers came over to the pair, smiling sweetly. "What are your names?"
"I'm Travis" Travis told her, Taylor still nestled in his arms.
"I'm Taylor" she looked up at the woman, her eyes wide. Her hands were gripping Travis's shirt tightly, almost as if she thought they would take her away.

"Do you want to come to the sofa? We've got some questions to ask you" The officer gestured to the burgundy sofa on the other side of the room, and Taylor nodded.

She sat in Travis's lap, the officer sitting across from them on a chair.
"So, Joe Alwyn was your boyfriend?" She asked, and Taylor nodded. "How long have you been dating?"
"So, um, I dated him before, for three years, then I broke up with him because he was doing bad stuff. Then I dated Travis for five years, then we broke up and I went back to Joe. For about six months" Taylor's voice was still raw, taking painful. Travis stroked the back of her hand gently, letting her know he was there.

"Okay, and what did he do to you? If you don't mind telling me"
"He would hit me and kick me. He has tried to strangle before too, and he... Um, he sometimes raped me" her voice was quiet, filled with pain.
"Okay, I'm sorry. Do you mind telling me why you got back together? And what led it the attack today?" The officers voice was soft, calming.

"So, um, I was in a bad place when me and Travis broke up," she looked up at Travis, and he gazed down at her, his heart breaking with hearing what she had gone through. "And Joe messaged me, asking if we could talk. I said yes, and we met up in the park. He was different, I swear. He said he had been to rehab, had gone to therapy. We met up a bit more and then he asked me to be his girlfriend, he said that I had to say yes because no other man would want me" she took a shaky breath. "Then he started hitting me a couple of weeks after that"

She wiped her eyes, taking another breath. "Um, yesterday I went shopping, and I stopped for some coffee. I saw Travis, and he asked to sit with me. Then I realise that I had missed seven calls from Joe, my phone wasn't working or something" another shaky breath in. "I called him back, he was very mad. I went home and he was drunk. He... He hit me, then kicked me. Then, um, he said he wanted to have sex to cheer him up. And- and I'm on my period, so I didn't want to. But he made me"

Travis rubbed circles into the back of her hand, squeezing it tightly.
"Then, um, he saw paparazzi pictures of me and Travis." A beat of silence as Travis looks down at the shaking blonde in his arms, guilt coursing through her body.
"He yelled, started smashing things. He said I was cheating on him, but I'm not! I swear I'm not, I promise. And I told him that, I apologised over and over again... But he wouldn't listen" tears were rolling down her cheeks, soaking her tshirt. "He ran at me, he said he was going to kill me. I ran away and hid in my music room and called Travis. Then- then he came and started strangling me" she let out a sob, burying her face in Travis's chest.

"Thank you" the officer smiled sweetly, her expression filled with sympathy. She stepped out the room, leaving Taylor and Travis alone.

"Thank you" Taylor whispered, looking up at him.
"Im so proud of you Tay, you're so brave." He smiled, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

A/N why is school SO BAD