The Broken Tale

One night be my choice

Whelp, that's Layla.
I can see why Ali thinks she's so hot.

Layla barely got to see Ali the next few days. He texted her every now and then to tell her that he would not be coming home and that she could go out of she wanted. Layla spent most of the time with her friends and for a while, she felt like she was a normal twenty-three year old girl, her only worries were college and hanging out with her friends but a small voice in the back of her head always reminded her that that wasn't the case. She always knew that there was a large possibility that Ali had not changed at all. That sooner or later he would be back to his old ways.
One afternoon, just a month after Layla got discharged from the hospital, she sat alone in the kitchen having lunch. Ali was still asleep upstairs, he had not even bothered to wake up. He had hurt her for a month, he hadn't yelled at her, hit her or assaulted her.
As Layla stuffed a piece of beef stake in her mouth, her phone buzzed with a text. She put down her fork and picked up her phone.

Talya:
Rise and shine, Laili!

Layla:
Oh shut up you damn bitch.
I've been awake for six hours.

Talya:
Let me guess.
That bastard is home.

Layla:
Yep.
He was home last night too.

Talya:
Did anything happen?

Layla:
No.

Talya:
Do u want to hang today?

Layla:
Can't.
I've got three months of college work to catch up on.

Talya:
Tmrw then?

Layla:
Yeah, we'll see.

Layla set her phone back down on the table.
She picked up her plate and set it down in the sink, she let out the water and started to wash her dishes.
"What's that amazing smell?" Ali asked as he came into the kitchen.
"I made stake for lunch." Layla answered, "Do you want me to get you some?"
Ali set down the tray of breakfast she had brought up for him in the morning down on the sink. He hadn't touched any of it.
"Yeah. I wasn't in the mood for breakfast." He replied, sitting down at the table.
Layla put the dirty dishes in the sink for her to wash later. She set three pieces of the meat down on a plate along with some rice and lettuce.
She set it down Infront of him, "Do you want some wine?"
"No, some water would be fine."
Layla filled a glass with water from the jug of iced water in the fridge and set it down for him.
"Thanks, babe." He said with a smile.
Layla gave him a small smile, "sure."
"Leave the dishes, you can do them later." He said when she turned to wash the dishes.
Layla obeyed.
She pulled out a chair and sat next to him.
"Do you have any plans for today?" He asked as he began to eat
Layla shook her head, "No, I just want to study for today."
"I'm going out for today if you want to have your friends over." He suggested.
"No, I have a lot of work to catch up on."
He shrugged his shoulders, "If you say so."
Layl fidgeted with the hem of her jacket.
"Aren't you going to ask where I'm going?" He asked.
"I didn't want to overstep my boundaries." She mumbled without looking up at him.
Ali laughed and pecked a kiss on her cheek, "My gorgeous wife."
"Anyway, where are you going?" Layla asked, "If you don't mind telling me."
"Lloyd's grave."
Layla was shocked.
This was the first time he had mentioned Lloyd in five months, the last time they talked about him was when he attacked her. She was shocked at how calmly he said it, as if it was so normal.
"Oh."
"I haven't went in a while."
"D-Do you want me to go with you?"
"No, honey, you can catch up on your studies."
Ali sighed and stood up. He set his plate down in the sink.
"I'll see you later tonight." He said.
Layla nodded, getting to her feet.
"Do you need anything?" She asked.
He shook his head, his eyes glued to his phone.
Layla stood awkwardly fidgeting with her hands as Ali stood scrolling through his phone. Finally, he put his phone back into his back pocket.
Without another word, he gave Layla a quick smile before he left.
Hours ticked by one by one. Layla sat at the dinning room table surrounded by books, Raina and Noah's notes, and her laptop.
She drank heavily to ease the stress that was clouding her mind.
At times she felt that it was hopeless. Why was she even studying? What good would a degree do for a stuck, battered wife? She would ask herself why she was carrying this heavy weight if it never do anything for her. But everytime those thoughts plagued her, she would pour herself another drink and remind herself that if she were to ever escape, she wanted a stable job instead of being a waitress.
As the hours ticked by, bottles of wine emptied as well until soon it was close to midnight and Layla was surrounded by four empty wine bottles. It was completely silent in the entire mansion, completely calm. But it was completely disturbed in less than a moment. As the front door slammed shut, the entire mansion shook. In one second, Layla's entire peaceful environment collapsed on her.
"Layla!" Ali's voice bellowed.
Layla quickly bolted to her feet, knocking over one of the empty bottles by her feet. Ali stumbled into the dinning room, his eyes red sore and his heavy footsteps rang through the house.
"What the fuck is this mess?" He shouted.
Layla's entire body started trembling.
"I-I was s-studying." She mumbled, "I-I'll p-pick them up."
Layla knew this day would come, she knew Ali's mask of kindness was paper thin. He marched at her, his eyes were swollen...he had been crying. But they were full of rage. He knelt down and picked up one of the wine bottles. He stared at it for a moment before he looked up at her with anger.
"You've been drinking my wine!" He shouted at her.
"I-I didn't know i-it was yours, I swear." She stuttered fearfully, "I-I'll just go get you more."
She could smell the alcohol in his breath. He had been drinking more than she was.
Layla prayed that he would leave her alone now. But it had been five years since she was plunged into this hell, she knew that the devil wouldn't just leave her alone.
In just a blink of an eye, Ali swung the bottle at her, the all too familiar feeling of numbness ran over her head as she fell to the floor. Shards of glass, some stained with blood, her blood, splattered over the floor around her.
"Haven't I told you not to touch my shit?" He spat at her.
Layla was in too much shock to answer or to even cry.
She could feel the blood running down the side of her head but no pain, just numbness.
But reflexes overcame her, she remembered what happened the last time she was not able to outrun his hands. She knew he could kill her.
She bolted to her feet, he was in shock and too intoxicated to grasp her defiance right away. She was smaller than him so she easily slipped through a gap between him and the table and bolted out of the dinning room. She ran to the kitchen, she could hear his footsteps right behind her. She reached for a knife right behind her and swung around to face him.
"Stay away from me!" She screamed.
Ali laughed out loud.
"Or what? You're going to kill me?" He asked mockingly, "Go ahead then. Kill me, stab me!"
Layla's vision was blurry, the alcohol in her blood was starting to take it's toll on her. She didn't notice Ali slipping a spatula into his hands but she couldn't miss the blow he delivered to her with it.
She dropped the knife, the entire right side of her face burned sorely. Ali's eyes shifted to the rice cooking on the stove.
"Why isn't dinner ready?" He asked.
"It's cooking, are you fucking blind?" She blurted uncontrollably.
She didn't want to say that, she knew she would regret it but the pain, alcohol and adrenaline in her blood took over her body. Ali grabbed a handful of her hair, he removed the pit with one hand.
"It's eleven p.m and your lazy ass couldn't get anything ready yet?" He yelled at her, "I'll teach you some discipline!"
He grabbed one of her hands and pinned it on the burning eye of the stove.
Pain shot through her arm like a shock of electricity. She screamed at the top of her lungs in pain, she tried to struggle free but he was stronger than her.
"Let me go!" She screamed.
"Does it hurt?" He asked sadistically, "Oh, Layla, I love it when you scream."
"Let me go, I'll do whatever you want, let me go!" She begged between screams.
Ali laughed, "I will but we'll have some fun first."
The pain had violated all the neurons in her mind but she could think enough to know what he was talking about.
He held her hand down on the stove with one hand and removed her yoga pants down with the other, exposing her to him. She could feel him undo his jeans. She couldn't stop herself from screaming, the burning pain in her hands didn't decrease at all. Once she felt him inside her, she screamed even harder, her pain got worse.
"Let me go..." she pleaded helplessly as he continued to thrust into her.
He ignored her, continuing to thrust into her as roughly as he could to purposely add to her pain.
Layla's screams died down into sobs of desperation and pain. Finally, the uncertain, fake painting of heaven dropped and again revealed the hell she lived in. Those few minutes felt like hours, years. Before Ali finally pulled out and got off of her. She fell to the floor, burying her face in the cold tiles.
"Oh, shit, look at your hand." He commented lightly, as if he was merely telling a joke, "let me help."
She heard his footsteps walk to the fridge and back to her. He pouted the jug of cold water on her, laughing as he did.
"There you go. That must feel better."
He laughed one last time mockingly at her before he left. Layla heard the front door shut, she heard his car speed out of the mansion. She was left back in the same position she had been in for five years, burned, hit, raped and humiliated in a pool of her own blood and cold water. But this time, staying home was like staying in a burning fire pit, she knew she could not face this pain alone any more. She slowly forced herself to her feet. She fished a towel from a drawer and pressed it up against her bleeding head. She stumbled out of the kitchen and picked up her phone from the dinning table, dialing Brian immediately.
"Hello?" Brian picked up the phone.
"A-Are you home?" She asked.
Pain was visible in her voice.
"Yeah. Why? Are you okay?"
"Can I come over?"
"Yeah, yeah of course." He answered immediately, "Are you okay?"
"I'll tell you when I come over." She stuttered, rather drained.
"You know the address right?"
Layla nodded to herself, "Yeah. I'll be right over."
Layla didn't even bother getting a jacket or a coat. She grabbed car keys and her phone. She ran out of house, bumping into the wall at times but she got into the car. Driving was hard when her vision was blurry, her head hurt and she had to drive with one hand, leaving her swelling, burnt hand in her lap. Tears ran down her face the entire thirty minute ride there, her hand shook on the steering wheel.
Brian lived in a fancy apartment building. Layla kept her head down the entire time, wearing her hood to hide her face from anyone who may recognize her. Not many people were out at that time of the night. Layla was able to take the elevator to the ninth floor and walk down the hallway to Brian's apartment in solitude. She rang the door bell and waited. As the door swung open. Layla's jaw almost dropped. Brian was wearing nothing but a pair of basketball shorts, his blonde hair was wet and droplets of water hung on his skin.
"Come in." He said, pulling her inside before anybody could see them.
His apartment was luxurious. Lights lit up the entire place so brightly that it hurt her eyes, he put his wet hand on her back and gently guided her to the living room. She sat on the L shaped red couch that curved around, facing the large, curvy TV. Layla kept her face down but Brian only needed one look to see the bruises and blood on Layla's face. He pulled off her hood, holding her face, he gazed at the side of her face, his eyes almost plunging out of his head. He looked down at Layla's burnt hand in her lap. He leaped to his feet, taking Layla's good hand in his and pulling her behind him. He lead her down a bright, white hallway decorated with many paintings to the bathroom on the right. He opened the cold water in the sink and held her water in it. Layla gasped at first at the cold water rained down on her burns.
"What the hell happened?" He asked, still holding her hand in the water.
"He drank himself away on Lloyd's grave and took our his pain on me." Layla explained indifferently.
Brian let out a deep sigh. He shut off the water and reached for some antibiotic ointment from the cabin. He rubbed the ointment on Layla's burnt hand, sending shivers down Layla's spine, before he reached for a roll of bandages and wrapped her hand carefully.
"Thank you." She said when he finished.
Brian smiled.
"Do you want a drink?" He asked.
Layla nodded. Layla followed him out to the kitchen. The kitchen was big, the pale blue counters were spotlessly clean, small, glass white pots of flowers sat on every inch of the kitchen along with glass jugs, colorful soup bowls and beautifully patterned coffee mugs as decoration. He poured some coffee into two mugs for them and handed one to her.
"Can I stay here for tonight?" Layla asked in a small, ashamed voice.
"Of course." He said kindly, taking a sip of his coffee, "I wouldn't let you go back even if you wanted to."
Layla gave a smile of gratitude and sipped the warm latte. Brian watched her in silence for a while, Layla found it ironic how she was thinking if he was thinking about what she was thinking. Finally, Brian sighed, he set his mug down on the counter and took her in his arms. Layla couldn't stay strong anymore, she had to give into her pain. She broke down in tears, her walls collapsed down on her entirely.
He shushed her, "It'll be okay, Laili."
"You've been saying that for the past month and look and where I am now." She sobbed.
"I know, I know. But you need to be patient, you need to be strong."
He helped her sit on the counter, his arms still around her.
"Please, Layla, don't do this to yourself."
"It hurts...everything hurts." She complained hysterically.
"What hurts?"
"I don't know...everything."
Brian sighed, stroking her hair slowly. The same confusing emotions found its way into her mind but now, Layla reliezed what those feelings were...desire. And then, Layla's mind was completely overcome, her brain shut down. Her instincts took over her body, she lost all common sense. She stepped out of Brian's arms and threw herself at him, claiming his lips before he could stop her. She was tired of people making choices for her, she was tired of life forcing her into things she never wanted. For once, she wanted to take control of her own life, she wanted to make a choice for herself even if it cost her her life. Brian pulled away from her.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" He shouted in anger and confusion.
"Oh cut me some slack!" She shot back, "Ali's going to kill me anyway, it's only a matter of time!"
"No, we-"
"If I'm going to die anyway, then I want to make one choice for myself before I do!" She interrupted.
Brian was frozen, his blue eyes radiated of confusion, he was lost. Layla placed her hands on his deep chest, she could feel his heart racing under her touch.
"Please, Brian, just one night..." she pleaded, "For once, I want to know what mutual love feels like... I want to be in control for once..."
He sighed.
"Please, Brian... just one night, I promise you'll never be in danger, just give me this one night."
Brian shook his head, holding her face with sadness in his gorgeous, captivating blue eyes.
"Why would I want safety when you're in danger, Laili?" He asked, "I'm not worried about myself, it's you I'm worried about."
"I'll be okay." Layla reassured, she got on her tip toes, closing in on his lips, "I want this, Brian, I need this... please."
Brian hesitated.
With doubt still in his eyes, he leaned in closer to her, gently brushing his lips against hers. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up bridal style, not leaving her lips. He carried her to the living room, gently setting her down on the sofa.
He climbed on top of her, his lips went down on her neck and shoulders, Layla wrapped her legs around his hips. Brian slowly unzipped her jacket, pulling it off and tossing it on the floor. Layla herself slipped off her tank top, throwing it on the beautiful, white coffee table. Brian took a moment to gaze her, Layla's blood boiled in her head as she noticed his eyes plunging with desire. Brian came back to her lips, this time, he wasn't gentle, he was passionate, hungry. But he didn't hurt her, there was no pain in her body, she didn't want to run, she wanted more. Soon, all their clothes lied in crumbles over the living room and Brian was already inside her. Layla could feel how cautious he was being, how careful he was being.
"Brian..." Layla moaned over and over again.
Brian bit her lower lip, "I'm right here."
Layla's moans soon turned into screams of pleasure. The adrenaline rushed through her blood. The thought of what boundaries they were breaking, how much danger they were putting themselves into, the excitement and pleasure only made them crave more. Layla loved feeling like she was being in control, she loved feeling powerful.
Hours ticked by, the night went on and by the time it faded into a dim, yellow dawn, she had dozed off into peaceful slumber in Brian's arms.
Layla woke to the horrible noise of her phone ringing. Brian was asleep next to her on the sofa, his arm around her. She tried to make as little disturbance as she could as she reached for her phone.
Ali.
His dreadful name stared back at her. Layla's heart dropped to her stomach. As she looked at her phone, the reliezation of what they had done suddenly dawned on Layla.
What had they done?
How could she have been so stupid?
She had put both of their lives in danger!
"Pick it up." Brian urged, still half asleep.
Layla's hands trembled as she answered the phone.
She pressed the phone up against her ear, "H-Hello?"
"Where are you at?" He asked calmly.
He was so cool, as if nothing had happened.
"A-At Raina's." Layla mumbled fearfully.
"Get home now." He demanded coolly, "We have shit to do."
Layla glanced at Brian with fear radiating off of her.
"Yeah. I'll be right home."
Without another word, he hung up on her. Layla's frightened eyes met Brian's.
"What...wh-what have we done?" She asked in a trembling voice.
"It'll be fine, Laili." He assured calmly, "He won't find out."
"What do you mean 'he won't find out'?" She asked, "We didn't use any protection, Brian, we're fucking screwed!"
"You won't get pregnant with one time after what your body's been through."
"How do you know that?"
Brian shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know. I'm just hoping."
Layla stared at his calmness in disbelief.
Brian reached for his shorts, "Plus, we'll get you away from him long before you start to show if you do get pregnant."
Layla wanted to snap at him for how lightly he was taking it.
But she remembered everything that happened last night, she remembered how hesitant he was and how much she had pushed him. She had caused this, he had tried to stop her. She had no right to be mad at anyone but herself.
Brian put on his shorts and went off into the kitchen, leaving Layla to change in solitude. Layla stared at the heep of clothes laying around the living room for a moment, still unable to grasp the reality of what she had done. But finally, she forced herself to reach for her clothes. With trembling hands, Layla got dressed, she regretted every heart beat she felt in her chest, she regretted being born. Brian came back into the living room with a cup of coffee and a sandwich on a plate.
"Eat something before you go." He suggested, setting the food down Infront of her.
Layla looked up at him. His blue eyes captivated her gaze, she gazed at his perfectly toned abs and well built chest. He knew that his life was in danger now if Ali ever found out what they had done but he gave her a bright, kind smile. Layla hated herself for putting him in such a horrible, life threatening situation, how could she have done this to such a kind and beautiful person? He had his entire life ahead of him, how could she have cut that short?
"No, Brian, thank you so much but Ali will burn my face this time instead of my hand if I'm late."
Layla grabbed her phone and car keys. Brian sighed and followed her to the door. Layla stopped at the door and turned to Brian.
"Thank you...for last night." She mumbled, too ashamed to look up into his eyes.
He gave a nod, "Be safe."
"I'll try."
Layla was met by the same dreadful silence as she walked into the house. The shut of the front door rang through the entire mansion like church bells. Layla's footsteps echoed through the place as she made her way to the living room. Ali was sitting on one of the sofas, typing on his laptop. Layla forced her feet to take step after step, ignoring her instincts and fears.
"H-Hi." She stuttered nervously.
Ali's eyes bolted to her, fixating on her like shards of black glass. Paranoia hit Layla like a bolt of lightening. What if Ali smelt Brian on her? What if he suspected something? The few moments he took to scan her entire body from head to toe felt like a thousand years.
"Your bruises aren't that bad." He commented.
Layla nodded, "Yeah, they're easier to cover."
Ali turned his focus back on his laptop, "Good. Cover it well for tonight and find something to wear."
"Why?"
"There's a business party later tonight." He answered shortly, "Some FBI agent will be there too so I don't want any bruises and shit on you, am I clear?"
Layla couldn't believe his audacity. He had put those bruises on her! But what else could she do? Her remorse over the previous night disappeared almost immediately.
She let out a sigh, "Okay."