We've Only Just Begun

Part 36 - A Familiar Face

I turned to Nathan. "Keep Steph talking, don't let her see me do what I'm about to do." I told him seriously. He looked confused for a second but then agreed.

I walked furiously up to Dylan, Stephanie's ex boyfriend who she broke up with almost half a year before we moved to LA. He had a stupid smile on his face which angered me so much that I gave him a forceful push into the back of his car.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him in a furious whisper.

"I came to talk to Stephanie." 

"Oh you did? Well too bad. She doesn't want to see you."

"How do you know? She hasn't even seen me over here yet." He replied. I turned around to see Nath, Jay, Steph, and my parents all still chatting on the other side of the car. I hoped Nath came up with a good excuse as to where I disappeared to. I turned back to Dylan.

"She doesn't. She's happy with someone else now. How'd you even know we'd be here anyway?" I asked.

"I went to her parents house to try to talk to her, and they told me she was arriving today." 

"So you thought it was a good idea to come all the way to the airport and ruin her visit from the very start? No wonder she broke up with you. Get lost, asshole." I said. I turned to walk away then when he grabbed me hard around my arm and yanked me back. I struggled against his grip for a few seconds, trying to push him away.

"HEY!" I heard Jay yell, then turned to see him and Nathan running over to us with angry faces. "What the fuck man! Let go of her!" Jay pushed him, making Dylan let go of my arm, and then Nathan pulled me into his. I turned to see Stephanie standing there looking at Dylan with the most disgusted look on her face. She didn't say one word, she just turned around and walked back to my parents who were standing there, baffled. 

"Who the hell are you?!" Jay asked him.

"No one, Jay. Just some loser..." I said turning back to Dylan. I gave him the death glare before returning back to the car with Jay following me and Nathan, who still had me tight in his grasp. 

"Do I need to call security?" My dad asked once we got back to the car.

"No, dad. Everything's fine." 

We piled into the car and Steph was already sitting there, looking down with a blank look on her face. 

"What was that all about?!" Jay asked as we finally got settled into the car and began driving off. I looked out the window and Dylan was still posted up against the back of his car with the smuggest look on his face. I just wanted to slap him.

"Nothing!" Stephanie said before I could say anything. "We'll talk about it later." 

What Jay and Nathan didn't know, is that Stephanie dated Dylan for a little over two years, and they were extremely happy, but only during the first year. During the second year, he became extremely verbally abusive towards her, and even a little physically abusive too. She would come to work with bruises on her arms from where he grabbed her, but she would never admit to him doing it. It was always very evident to me though. Obviously things haven't changed, since he just did what he did to me. It took every little bit of her to finally end things with him, with mine and my sister's help. And now he wants back in. This was scaring me.

The drive was very long, and very quiet. We dropped Stephanie and Jay off at Steph's parents' house. I got out to help them with their bags. 

"Are you going to be okay?" I asked her.

"Yeah. I'll figure something out. Are you okay?" 

"Yes I'm fine I promise. I'll see you soon. Please call me if you need anything." I hugged her and then got back into the car. Once we drove away I explained everything to Nathan. My parents already knew the majority of it. Nathan was in shock.

"I don't know how anyone could be daft enough to lay hands on a woman." He said. He was so mad. 

"I know. It took all she had to let go of him too. But ever since she did she's been the strongest person. I've never seen her so happy, and now that she's with Jay it just makes it that much easier on her... but now he's back and I'm scared. He's a freaking psycho!" I was about to cry. I was so worried that something terrible was going to happen. 

"Don't worry babe. We'll be back in LA in three days. She just needs to steer clear of him till then." 

"I wish I was with her." I was so fidgety. I just wanted to make sure that Dylan didn't go anywhere near her. Nathan gave my shoulders a squeeze and kissed my forehead. We were pulling up to my house then. We got all of our bags inside and upstairs to my room. My parents were surprisingly okay with Nathan and I sleeping in the same bed together under their roof. I was expecting to have to put up a fight, but then again they've always been very realistic, and they know that I'm mature enough to sleep in the same bed with the person I'm in love with.

When we got to my bedroom, Nathan looked around at all of my pictures from high school, and my walls which had quotes and lyrics painted on them. He had the biggest smile on his face. I sat on the bed, still worried about Stephanie, but just simply watching him in wonder and amazement took so much of the anxiety away. I just wanted to grab him and kiss him, which was exactly what I did. It took him by surprise but he fell into it after a couple seconds, then started giggling.

"What was that for?" He asked pulling away, still laughing.

"Just 'cause." I smiled back at him. "I love you." I said. He kissed my nose.

"I love you, too baby." 

We laid down on the bed together, just staring up at the ceiling for about ten minutes before my mom came up and decided to ask Nathan a bunch of questions. It was annoying for me, but he was really enjoying talking about his family and where he was from, his music, all that. He was seriously such a natural and I could tell that my mom really liked him already. 

Then we went out to dinner with my dad and sister and the questions continued, and even Nath asked my parents some questions. I was so happy to see this all unfold so naturally with everyone. 

I felt my phone vibrate, it was a text from Jay.

"Should I be worried?" was all it said.

"Not about her, she's the most loyal person I know. But he's a scary guy. Just keep a look out for him."  I replied. 

I set my phone down and I guess my sister noticed the look on my face, so she asked me what was wrong. I filled her in on the Dylan situation and then her face began to look like mine; pissed off and scared. The table was completely silent for a good 3 minutes. 

"I don't know what to do." I said, looking down at my hands. Nathan squeezed my leg under the table.

"There's nothing we really can do, Abbs. Unless he gets close enough to hurt her again, we just have to hope that he stays away from her until y'all go back to LA." Maddie replied. 

"You seriously think he'd just give up like that? No. Dylan was a conniving asshole who would stop at nothing, you think he'd just change in six months? Let alone in one night? He's already seen her with Jay, it's just gonna fuel his fire." I said. She looked at me seriously, and then down at the table. She knew I was right. "We have to do something."