The Way He Lies | One

|Chapter Six|

I will be changing the story title to 'The Way He Lies', thoughts?

New character (photo up top): Kehlani

Previously in Stockholm Syndrome: As their thanksgiving stay continues, Demi starts to look back on how her and Nick's relationship got to where it is today. The only thing is though, she's trying to search for what she did wrong.

I panicked as the two girls, both being bigger than me, tackled me to the ground as they tickled my sensitive body. Although I was laughing, I was in pain and terrified of them finding the cuts and bruises.
"Ahh!" I hissed as Maddie accidently elbowed me in the ribs, right where a deep purple bruise sat.
Maddie jumped back as Dallas stopped tickling me, "Are you okay?"
I nodded, "Yeah, just sensitive skin, hurt me a bit"
"Oh, didn't realise I was leaning that hard, sorry sis" The younger girl told me, shrugging before walking into another room.
"Would you like to explain the bruise on your face?" Dallas grabbed me by the shoulder just as I was about to walk off.
My heart was beating a million miles an hour. I thought I covered it, I need to have covered it.
I acted confused, "What?" I asked,
"This!" She rolled her eyes, softly poking the purple bruise on my cheek bone as I winced at the pain, "Is he beating you? I've heard how he talks to you sometimes Demi, is he hurting you?"
I shook my head and let out a convincing chuckle, "No, I got swooped by a crow"
My older sister raised just one eyebrow, "A crow?"
"Yes!" I hissed, rolling my eyes, "I can't believe you'd accuse him of that, he loves me!"...

"You're going to be late" Nick huffed as I pinned my baby hairs back into my ponytail,

"I won't, I'll leave in a minute" I said, thinking about the memory that haunted me.
It haunted me because if Nick ever found out that anyone suspected, I would be in so much trouble.

The dark headed man pushed my body against the wall, his hand on the back of my neck as my face was pressed against the cold mirror, "Don't talk back to me, no one likes a rude wife"

"I'm sorry" I stuttered, composing myself as he removed his hands from their threatening positions on my body.
I knew not to talk back to him, after a few days of not walking on egg shells though, I needed to get out of the bad habit I seemed to have formed. "I love you" I called out, taking my handbag from next to my bed and slipping on a denim jacket,

"Love you too" Nick mumbled in reply from inside the closet.

Sometimes I wondered if he even did love me anymore. Sometimes I felt like I was his property rather than his wife. Sometimes, like right now, I realised how terrified I was of him rather than how in love with him I was.

"What are you doing? You are going to be late!" My husband snapped, as I stood staring at nothing in thought, he pushed his arms out to harshly meet my body as I lost my balance. It felt as if it happened so fast but so slow at the same time. I had always been clumbsy.
Somewhere between losing my footing and Nick running after me, I ended up at the bottom of the tall staircase, a sharp pain running through my torso and head, my left arm also aching somewhat.

"Don't touch me!" I let out, my voice breathy as I was somewhat in shock from the sudden fall and the pain.

"Baby, I'm so sorry" Nick knelt down beside me as I propped myself up against the railing at the bottom of the staircase, "Please forgive me, my love, I'm so sorry"

I shook my head, "No you're not, if you were sorry then you would stop trying to kill me! I need to go to work" I muttered, pulling my painful body from the floor before flattening out my clothing.

I stood up for myself, my fight or flight kicked in and for once it told me to fight.

...

My head was throbbing all day, and although the pain in other parts of my body had passed, I knew that a touchy bruise would have formed.

"Are you feeling okay?" Wilmer asked as I leant against the counter, my head in my hands as I tried to push past the sharp pains.

I nodded, "Yeah, just tired" I lied, although my eyes were feeling quite heavy.

"Well, if you decide that you're not okay then I'm here... I need you to come out the back anyway, there's someone I would like for you to meet" My boss explained to me, taking his hand lightly on my back as he lead me into the back room,

"It seems I'm always meeting someone new here" I chuckled, his hand on my back making me nervous. Not nervous because I was scared of him, nervous because I liked it.

"This time it's a new employee surprisingly" Wilmer joked as I caught a glimpse of a woman sitting on the staff room couch, "Someone you'll be training for the next few weeks since they're new"

A woman with a deep skin tone and long black hair came into view, she was extremely beautiful, how pretty she was made her somewhat intimidating to me. I had always been easily intimidated though.

"You chose me to train someone?" I asked, somewhat surprised that he chose me for the job, I was a nobody.

Wilmer nodded, "You know your way around, and you're a friendly girl"

Friendly girl.

Was I just friend zoned?

I internally laughed at the silly thought, I was married, and I couldn't even think of another man like that. Nick might actually kill me if he were to find out.

The girl approached me, and caught me off guard when she wrapped her arms around me before quickly pulling away, "I'm Kehlani, we're going to be great friends!"