A Victim's Revenge

4. A red rose (flashback)

Jace busts through the door of Katie's small building that she lives in across from her parents house. She jumps in her spot on the couch and sits down her book hastily like she's up to something.

"What have you been doing while I've been at work," Jace asks accusingly while keeping eye contact as he puts down the bags.

"Nothing, just reading," she assures him while he glares at her. Even though it's the truth she trembles from knowing that he likes to make up things she does and act like it's the truth.

"Good because I have a present for you," Jace announces proudly as he begins digging through the bags.

Katie sighs under her breath and plays with the red rose necklace around her neck. She rolls her eyes, trying not to laugh, at the utter shock of yet another present. Every week it seems Jace gets her presents for their big fights to make it up to her. Katie's parents are sure that he uses gifts to make her stay with him but since she likes being pampered she allows it. Most of the time it's not expensive things and 90% of the time it's food which is even better.

Jace turns around with a red rose and smiles widely. "I got you a rose to say I'm sorry for yesterday. It even matches your red necklace! Do you like it?"

"Yes, of course!"

"That's what you always say," Jace screams as he throws the rose at her. "I know you never like anything I give you and you're never happy! Why aren't you happy!?"

Katie hesitates and looks around at anything but him. "I don't know, you know I've had depression all my life! I'm just hungry, did you get anything to eat?"

He turns toward the table but then turns back around to gape at her. "You know what no! I'm tired of you being like this. I got you a freaking $600 phone and you still act like this! Give it to me!"

"No," Katie moans as she crumbles into a ball on the couch.

Jace sprints to the couch with his mouth constantly screaming obscenities about her as he throws her to the side to get the phone from under her butt. He looks at her maniacally before throwing it against the wall.

"No, now I can't talk to my friends!"

"What friends," Jace looks at her and halts his body as if someone pushed the pause button on him.

"I sort of made some friends online."

"You have me that's all you need!"

"You have friends!"

Jace chuckles. "Yes, I do have friends because I'm an adult who has a job. I told you I don't want you talking to anyone but me."

Katie blubbers, "but they're just girls! I'm not flirting with anyone I just want someone to talk to and laugh with!"

"No, you have me and that's all you can talk to," he says in an oddly calm voice.

Katie looks up questioningly as Jace comes to her and picks her up. She sighs happily, hoping the fight is over and she can just relax. He looks at her sadly before saying, "well you can stay in here until I go to work tomorrow and think about if it's worth the risk to try to talk to anyone else again."

Katie looks between his eyes, hoping she will understand what he means before he throws her into the bathroom. She screams in shock while trying to spin the door when he shuts her in. She hears some scratching and a hard tug on the door as she realizes he rigged the door from the outside so that she can't get out.

Katie lays in a ball on the floor too numb to cry.