Bent. Not Broken (On Hold)

Chapter 1

The whole scene kept replaying in my head as I walked home. I could hear his words as clearly as if he was standing right next to me saying them.

How could he do this to me? Why did he do this?

"I'm sorry Tasha. I never planned on hurting you.

Did I do something wrong?

It's not because of anything you did, I'm just...going through a lot right now."

The way he looked at me, with those big chocolate eyes, and the strain of his voice made me melt. When he looked at me like that I always melted.

Too bad for me I was so stubborn. He had offered to take me home, insisted. But I didn't listen. I told him he had done enough and walked off. That's how I ended up walking home in the rain at six o'clock at night.

As if to make matters worse it started pouring when I was still fifteen minutes from my house. I stop and tilt my head back to look up at the sky. At least the rain would hide the tears streaming down my face.

"Hey!"

I was so caught up in my thoughts that I hadn't noticed the silver car slowing down next to me. My hand goes to my pocket where I usually keep my keys and pepper spray only to realize I left my keys at home.

The window rolls down and my heart starts to race in my chest.
"You're Natasha uh Walsh right?" The guy from inside the car asks.

I instinctively step away from car. I've seen way to many crime shows to know where this could go. I'll get close to the car and the guy's partner will jump out and shove me in the trunk. Next thing I know I'll be sold in Mexico. No thank you. "No. Sorry." I reply before putting my head down and continue walking.

"Don't tell me you don't recognize me." The guy laughs as if the whole situation was amusing instead of terrifying. "It's Remy Collins."

My footsteps slow as I hesitate a moment. I knew that voice sounded familiar. It's just my luck that he's here to witness my sad walk home.

"We have Second and third period together." Remy continues, his car coming to a stop beside me.

I stop as well, but don't turn to face him just yet. "You stalking me?"

My question is met with a low chuckle from Remy. "No, uh well kind of. I saw you at the cafe."

So he was following me. How much did he see, how much did he hear at the cafe? I get dumped and he's there to witness it. Both him and Tanner were on the football team. It would only take a day for the news of my humiliation to spread through the school.

"Do you want a ride home?" Remy asks, his voice breaking up my thoughts.

I turn to face his car. He turns on the lights inside so I could see his face.

"Unless you'd prefer to walk in the pouring rain and catch a cold." Remy speaks again, arching one of his bushy eyebrows at me.

What's the worse that could happen? Actually let's not think about that. I was too tired and cold to argue with him so I nod my head. I climb into the passenger seat and relax into the warmth of the car. "215 39th circle." I tell him once I'm buckled.

"That before or after the Fred Meyer?" Remy ass as he pulls the car back into the road.

Shock shows through my clouded mind. I wasn't expecting him to know where I lived. "After."

Now that I was warm and starting to dry my mind was able to wander back to Tanner. All I could hear, all I could see was Tanner's face as he told me those five words.

"I'm breaking up with you."

My heart shattered when he said those words. I couldn't believe he was actually saying them to me. Two years of my life I spent with him and he just tosses me to the side. Tells me he's done. It wasn't fair.

"Hey, you in there?"

I blink and see a hand waving in my face. "Huh? What?" I turn to find Remy staring at me, eyebrows drawn together and his lips in a frown.

"I asked if you were okay." Remy repeats. "You look like you're about to cry."

I open my mouth to reply but all that comes out is a sob. My hands come up to my face and I cry into them. I didn't care that I was sitting in an almost stranger's car bawling my eyes out. Right then I was just a girl who got dumped.

"I saw what happened at the cafe." Remy's voice was soft, a nice contrast to my ugly sobs. "If you wanna talk you can."

I shake my head, sniffling very unlady like. I wanted to scream, punch something. "He just broke up with me. He even said it, I'm breaking up with you. That what he told me." I swipe my sleeve under my nose and looks up at him. "He said he wasn't feeling it anymore. That it was him and not me. He said he didn't want to hurt me, but he did." The tears seemed to have stopped, my hurt replaced by anger. "That bàstard." Regathering my composure, I wipe my eyes and sit up straight. "Thank you for the ride home."

Remy nods his head before looking out the window. "Doesn't look like anyone is home."

I follow his gaze to my dark house. "My parents are out of town and my brother is at a friend's." It was my parents anniversary so they treated themselves to a Caribbean cruse. "I have a key." I turn in my seat and grab the door handle. My hand pauses in the door handle. "Shit."

"What?" Remy's asks, concern lacing his voice.

I shake my head and push open the door. I didn't need to bother him with any more problems, bad enough I already broke down in his car. A hand rests on my shoulder causing me to turn around. Remy stares back at me. The looks on his eyes told me he wasn't going to let me go without telling him.

"He was supposed to give me a ride to school tomorrow." I mumble and look down at the center consul.

Remy's following silence made me nervous. "I'll be here at seven."

My eyebrows furrow in confusion then slowly widen as I realize what he meant. Was he really offering to take me to school? My head starts to shake, before I could say anything Remy holds up a hand. "Now get out of my car." He sounded more tired than irritated.

"Okay." I nod my head and he removes his hand from my arm. I exit the car and walk up to my front door. When I glance over my shoulder I notice Remy was still sitting in the driveway. Now he was going to see I was lying about a key. He didn't seem like he was going to leave anytime soon. I lift up the welcome mat and pull out the spare key. Before going inside I turn and wave to Remy. He starts to back out a moment later and I slip inside.

*****

Picture of Natasha in the media.

What we think so far? Good vibes or bad from Remy?