Fighting For Freya

Chapter 2: Home Is Where You Pour Your Heart Out

   After driving for what felt like an hour (but was only twenty minutes) we arrive at the small emergency hospital. I check in with the receptionist and give her my information, then I sit down to wait and Aiden sits next to me, watching the TV thats mounted on the wall. 

   After waiting a few minutes we get called back to a room where a middle aged nurse examines my head. After running a few tests she tells me I am good to go home. No concussion and no need for stitches, but if I start feeling dizzy then she tells me to come back. 

   Thanking her, I get up and walk out with Aiden not far behind me. "Where am I bringing you to?" he asks. 

   "My aunt's home." I reply, giving him the address to put into his GPS. After he typed it out, he looks surprised. 

   "You're related to the Steward family? I know their daughter Kristen. Nice chick." he comments. 

   "Yes," I respond, "She's my cousin! I can't wait to see her, its been a few years now." 

    I'm so ready to see my family. I've missed them for such a long time but Alex isn't very fond of them for some reason. After we met he was quick to woo me and lock me away from everyone. He was a very kind man at first but after about a year of being together he started becoming someone else entirely. He would make rude remarks about my weight, cooking.. anything he could criticize. 

   Once the emotional abuse and yelling didn't get a rise out of me anymore he started slapping and hitting me, he even locked me in our bedroom sometimes with no food. He was smart about it though.. 

   Isolating me from my friends and family, not letting me have a cell phone, convincing me to quit my job. He made me completely 100% dependent on him to live. I started stashing away cash I would find in his clothes while doing laundry until I saved up enough to run. That car I was driving I "borrowed" from him while he was out at a meeting. No way was I going back for that.

   After driving for a little while we pull into the familiar gravel driveway. The small tan home sits on two acres of land. I spot my aunt tending to her rose bushes by the front door. Looking up from her gardening her eyes meet mine. Gasping she rushes right over to us. I open the door and step out, Aiden doing the same. 

   "Honey what are you doing here? Is everything okay? Its been such a long time since I've seen you!" she says as she pulls me into a hug. Hugging her back I inhale her signature scent that hasn't changed a bit since my childhood, roses and vanilla. 

   I pull away glancing at Aiden who is standing there a bit awkwardly. "Aiden, this is my aunt Jennifer. She's Kristen's mom." I state, introducing the two of them. 

   "Hello Ma'am. Its a pleasure to meet you." he says sincerely, shaking her hand.

    "Oh goodness, the pleasure's all mine! Thank you so much for dropping my niece off. Would you like to come inside for a late lunch?" my aunt asks, extending the offer of food in thanks. 

   He nods his head as my aunt leads us inside. We both sit at the kitchen table waiting patiently as my aunt finishes putting some sandwiches together for all of us. 

   Kristen comes into the kitchen and shrieks in joy when she notices me. She runs up and hugs me so hard I almost fall out of my chair. Laughing, I hug her back.

    "Where have you been? I've missed you so much! I have so much to tell you about, well, everything." she exclaims as she sit in the seat next to me, grabbing a ham and cheese sandwich and taking a bite. 

   "Oh you know, just the same old place with Alex.." I trail off. My aunt glances at my face probably noticing the frown as I think about that bastard.