Maia is head over heels in love with her abusive boyfriend Jake. She's risked everything for him. Her family, friends, home, even her own identity. But when she meets Oliver, a mysterious, famous gymnast, she begins to realise what it's really like...
Five hours had passed of me lying down on my bed. My mouth was severely dry, and I couldn't bring myself to move. Jake hadn't bothered to check up on me. In fact, he had just left the house without a reason why. I was used to it.
It was a Saturday. 4pm. I desperately wanted to call Oliver, but it was the middle of the night in Tokyo, and I knew how important sleep was to him at a time like this. I had been wanting to call him all day but had to ignore the desire due to Jake downstairs. If only he could have decided to leave earlier.
I felt dead inside. Was I just being dramatic? Oliver had only left for a month after all, and he reassured me about Anita. Although I still had some doubts, I didn't completely distrust Oliver. He was too pure for me not to. Which showed I was making progress, seeing as a few weeks ago I felt as though my inability to trust was no longer functioning.
The weight of everything seemed to press down on my shoulders as I laid down in the brink of despair. My head was still throbbing from a few days ago, along with the bruise Jake gave me last night after pushing me onto our table. But I never said a word. I hid my suffering through a plastic smile, simply playing along with Jake's delusional world. It was my only way of surviving.
Some time had passed. It could have been a few hours, maybe even a day. My windows were hidden under thick curtains and my light was switched off. I hated the darkness, but couldn't bring myself to look outside, knowing that Oliver had the privilege of enjoying the Tokyo sunshine whilst I remained silent in my room, completely isolated.
What if his words of reassurance were all lies? Oliver was my last remaining strand of hope left in this cruel world. The possibility of being betrayed by him was too horrifying to come to terms with. However, I had been manipulated by men many times in the past, who had led me to believe that they were extraordinary when in reality they were anything but. Who was to say that Oliver was any different? I had only known him for a week after all.
I closed my eyes, allowing my last remains of moisture to fall down my cheeks, the slow trail of tears soon turning into violent sobbing. Crying had always been a healthy release, but to me it was now a habit. Everything that gave my life meaning had now been diminished and crushed, with no remorse or deliberation. Just as I found someone who supposedly "loved" me for me, he had to be taken away from my life in a matter of seconds. I knew deep inside that this would be the end of us both. Why would he wish to come back to a girl like me? Maybe his escape to Tokyo was his blessing in disguise. Maybe he will use this time to realise how broken and unmendable I am.
My whole body jumped to the sound of the door opening and soon found itself rushing around my room, opening the curtains and getting myself ready so that Jake wouldn't find out what mess I was in. I hadn't prepared food for him or even had a chance to drink. I rushed to the bathroom and instantly gulped down cold water from the sink before tying up my hair and running downstairs to the kitchen.
"You alright?" Jake smiled, his voice soft and genuine.
I nodded, too shocked to bring myself to speak. It was 7pm and I hadn't cleaned the house nor cooked any meals. Jake had never let this type of stuff slide. Why was he so calm?
"I'm sorry about... suspecting things with Oliver." My entire body froze and without thinking, sharply turned to face him. The majority of his face was now hidden underneath a newspaper, his quizzical, joyful eyes glued onto whatever he was reading. "I don't know what was into me...why I'd think he could have been interested in you."
"What's happened?"
Jake's gaze now turned towards me, his eyebrows raised. "You don't know?" I remained staring at him, completely frozen, until my trembling legs made their way towards whatever my boyfriend was looking at.
No...
"I'm so sorry for ever thinking you both..."
I couldn't will my lips to move. My mind was blank and eyes wide as I stared at the picture in horror, my heart falling silent.
"Why do you look so damn sad?" Jake's eyes desperately searched mine, yet I couldn't bring myself to hide my despair.
Almost robotically I found my hands grabbing the newspaper, lifting it up to my face as my eyes shone with disbelief. I knew that my shock would anger Jake, but I no longer felt any need to care. So what if he wanted to kill me? What is there left for me anyway, is my life really worth fighting for?
I staggered backwards at the feeling of a rough fist whacking across my face, the force of his blow causing my head to slam into the wall behind me. Black dots covered my vision as my weak body collapsed onto the floor, the consequence of his anger causing me to let out a startled little gasp of pain. Yet all I could think about was that picture.
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