"Hey, Alli right? I think I've seen you around before. Hi, I'm Dash." He was sweet, handsome and looked like a genuinely good guy. I looked, making sure Karl wasn't anywhere around.
"Dash, I'm Alli. It's nice to meet you." I smiled up at his sweet eyes.
"What do you do around here? What's your poison?"
"I'm a sports analyst." I smiled up at him
"Very nice...so, a critic?"
"Of the sorts, yes."
"Got any opinion of the Revival?"
"Honestly-"
"Alli, now." I heard Karl'a voice and instantly rushed to where it came from
"Yes sir?"
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"I was talking to Mr.Wilder about the tag team divisions for an article that's due next week...
"I doubt Mr.Wilder wants to hear what your dumbass has to say, it's cute that you think you're a big girl with your important job." He patted my head but pulled my hair hard when he heard Dash approaching us.
"Anderson..." he looked at Karl's hand and then looked back at me.
"Wilder..." Karl tightened his grip in my hair and I tried not to wince.
"It was really nice to meet you Alli, if you ever need anything, let me know." He looked at Karl dead in the eye and said "I'll see your ass later."
That night, the Revival ruled the Club. And Karl wasn't happy when he got home.
"Hi, honey." I smiled and handed him his drink the same way I always did.
"You dumb bitch. You think I don't know you're cheating on me? You think I didn't notice the way he looked at you and the way you made eyes at him." His hand wrapped around my throat and lifted my feet off the ground. I clawed at his hand, begging to breathe. He slammed me down hard on the bed. "How many times do I have to prove to you, you're mine and there's nothing you can do to change that." It hurt but I knew better than to say something. "Say that you like it, admit that you want it, you live for it." I know if I didn't, the punishment would be much much worse. He got his and went to bed. I laid there and thought about Dash. His kind eyes and smile. His genuine curiosity and interest in me. His sandy hair and toned body. There's no way he would ever want a broken girl like me. I slowly drifted to sleep with thoughts of the handsome boy in my mind.
Karl kept me away from wrestling events for weeks, I sat at home and wasted away. One day there was a knock at the door. I answered wearing only a robe and fluffy house shoes.
"Yes?" I said before I looked up and saw Dash standing there...as perfect as I remembered. "Dash, you shouldn't-"
"He hurts you doesn't he? He hits you and does god knows what else. Everyone sees this shit we just don't talk about it? That's not how I work. Okay, ever since the other night I haven't been able to get you out of my head and I don't know what to do. Now I know he hurts you and I just wanna fucking kill him and whisk you off into the sunset and make sure no one ever hurts you again but I doubt you even thought twice about me.
"Dash..." I whispered, "I can't stop thinking about you."
"Then come with me..."
"It's not that easy..."
"I'll make sure he never ever hurts you again. I promise, please trust me...." something in his eyes said I should trust him, so I took a chance and I did. "Go get dressed, pack some clothes and we're gone." I hurried off to the bedroom and grabbed anything I saw. As I was packing I heard someone else come in.
"What the fuck are you doing in my house?" Karl did that evil chuckle he did when he was frustrated.
"Alli, I came to get Alli. Then I'm leaving, with her. Your ass will never ever see her, contact her or even think about her again. Do you understand me?"
"You think you're so tough? That's funny. She likes it, and she loves me. So good luck." I stood in the door with my bag.
"I'm ready, Dash..."
"Come on, baby girl." He held his hand out and I walked towards him before Karl threw his hand up and slapped me down, hard. I whimpered and fell on the floor. Dash tackled him and just kept swinging blindly. "I meant it, stay the fuck away. Alli , lets go." I just stared at him..."Alli, baby, we don't have time for this. Let's fucking go." I grabbed his hand and we ran down the hall, down the stairs and out the door.
"Dash, what the fuck did you do?" Scott seemed panicked when he saw me come through the door.
"What I had to." Dash rinsed the rest of the blood off of his hands. "Scott Dawson, Alli. She's gunna stay here now." He placed a hand on my back and kissed the side of my head.
"Nice to meet you actually, Al." He smiled and drug Dash into the next room.
"The hell are you doin'?"
"She needed me."
"Now you need a lawyer. Have you bothered to ask her how she feels about you yet? What if she didn't want to be saved? You jumped the gun, Dash..."
"Was I supposed to leave her there to die?"
"No you we-"
"Then I did what I should have done. Okay? She'll be fine. She can sleep in my room. I'll sleep on the couch." He walked back through the door. "Come here, I'll show you where your stuff can go, okay?" I nodded and followed him down the hall. "Alli, we can get you your own house, would you like that better?" I shook my head no. "You're okay with this? You feel safe here?" I looked around his bedroom before nodding my head. "Say something, Al.."
"I'm just scared, what if he finds me?"
"He won't...I promise."
"You found me with him?"
"Come here..." dash said, his voice defeated. "I'll protect you, no matter what." He kissed my head again and I looked up into big pretty eyes. He was everything I could dream of in a boyfriend, or a friend even. He was so nice and genuine...I felt my heart fighting with my brain to trust him. My heart won and I kissed him softly. He just smiled and held me tight. "You take the bed, ill take the couch or the guest room. Do you want to sleep in that? Can I get you a t-shirt? It'll be big but girls like that right?" He was nervous now.
"Can I please have a shirt?"
"You go pick, they're in the top drawer on the right." He smiled and sat in the chair by the big bookshelf.
"I wrote this..." I picked up a copy of Pro Wrestling Magazine that was opened to a article entitled "Fuck the Revival?"
"Pretty harsh too..."
"It was to get Bullet Club mainstream American press. And besides, I put you guys over in it." I smiled and grabbed a grey long sleeve t-shirt.
"You're good at your job..." Dash just laughed. "The bathroom is right through that door." He nodded so I could change. I looked hard at my reflection and almost didn't recognize the girl behind it. I winced as I took my shirt off..the welts and bruises were still pretty new. "Holy fuck..." Dash stood behind me in the doorframe.
"Don't, please...go back out there, Dash..."
"Let me help you, let me take care of you..please? They need cleaned and I know you can't reach all of those.
"Fine." I pouted as he grabbed rags and alcohol to clean the wounds. I yelled as he pressed firmly on the deep reminders of what I thought love was.
"Shhhh, you're doing so good. I'm so proud of you. Four more, okay?" I nodded and bit my thumb as he padded the deepest one. The way he fussed over me and cared made me wonder why I dealt with all I did...After all my wounds were dressed, he kissed my shoulder and slipped the tshirt over my head. "Now come to bed." He lead my softly back to bed and let me lay down before he even sat on the bed. "Get comfortable, love." I laid on my tummy with my head on his chest. He ran his fingers through my hair and I drifted off to sleep.
I woke up in the middle of the night, my body dripping in a cold sweat. Dash pressed my head to his chest and shushed me softly. "It's okay, I'm right here. No one or nothing can hurt you. I'm not going anywhere, I'm going to protect you." He soothed me back to sleep, but when I woke up again he was gone. I reached in the spot I expected him & was disappointed. I sat up, ran my fingers through my hair & stretched. I followed the sound of laughing from the kitchen. "Morning, gorgeous." Dash caught me and set me up on the counter before kissing me harder than he had before. I put a hand on his cheek and he wrapped his around my waist. "I think I like you & I like you being around and I think I want you to be mine. Let me keep saving you."
"My hero, huh?" I giggled
"Only if you'll let me be."
"Always, you make me feel safe."
"That's my job." He kissed me slowly before we returned back to reality. This, this is what love feels like and Dash saved me from whatever else I ever could have thought it was, Dash made love worth it.
