If I Fall In Love

Chapter Five

Three months later and Marley couldn't find the strength to leave him. She loved him and she believed that love was enough to overcome this. She began her first week at uni and enjoyed it. She loved the nursing course she selected and had no trouble making friends. Bianca, on the other hand, landed a job as a barista at one of the bars in the city so she was making good money. 

Marley's final lecture concluded and she spotted Brian's car near the front of the university. She tried to race to his car before she was noticed but stopped by one of her new friends.

"Hey... Mar wait up! You're walking too fast, girl" Izzy brushed up behind Marley and gave her a cheerful smile.

"Oh.. Hi Iz.. sorry" Marley stopped in her tracks and stared at Izzy.

"Are you done for the day? We could go for lunch" Her eyes sparkled with hope.

"Oh..." Marley stared at Brians car, knowing well enough he was growing impatient.

"I'm sorry Izzy.. I need to go. Take care" Marley smiled before rushing off and going straight to Brians car without any distractions. As soon as she slipped into the passenger's seat, she felt his hand slap against her left cheek.

"I'm sorry" she focused her eyes on the ground as she put her seatbelt on.

"You just love making me wait... don't you" He shook his head driving off. 

Marley had moved out and into Brians house. Her mother believed her daughter was happy and this was a big step for the two but she had failed to see her daughter's covert screams for help and rescue. Brian dropped Marley home and then left. This was the usual. She'd clean and make sure everything in the house was done before he returned later that night. Brian would then eat his dinner alone in the study leaving Marley eating by herself on the table.

Marley remembered every single detail in the house.

The light blue tiles in the bathroom floor because of her blood she had wiped the tiles squeaky clean.

The white patch against the light brown paint in the laundry room walls because of the time Brian had smashed her head into the wall and she had called a carpenter to fix it.

The now offwhite marble counter in the kitchen when Brian saw the other man inside the house fixing the wall and claimed that Marley was cheating on him and he pushed her into the counter, hitting her head.

Marley had learned to fix the house on her own. To cover up and paint. She didn't want to give Brian another reason to beat her. 

Slowly, Marley began to fade from the outside world. From her family as well. She felt lonely and dead inside yet she wasn't strong enough to leave.

That night Marley left dinner in the microwave like she always did and went into their bedroom to study after a shower. She laid in bed in her pyjamas with her glasses on and her black hair pulled into a bun. She had put makeup on to hide her bruises and scratches because Brian hated looking at her with all those ugly bruises.

"Hey bubba" Marley shifted her eyes to the door and saw Brian fresh out of the shower, with a towel wrapped around his waist. 

"Hi" Mar smiled moving all her work off into the bedside table so Brian could lay on her lap as she played with his hair.

"How was class, today?" He whispered into her lap.

"It was good. How was work?" Marley replied and found Brian asleep on her lap. She smiled. He looked like an angel while he slept. Marley slipped out of bed to turn off the bedroom light and lit up her lamp to keep a source of light in the room. 

As she climbed into bed she felt Brian stir awake. She had been through this enough times to know now Brian wanted nothing but to ravish her inside their bedroom. And Marley enjoyed it, taking it that Brian was still in love with her and her body. And the sex was amazing.

Although he was Marleys first and only, he was capable of sending her to a whole other world filled with sensations. And it hopefully meant that she was the only one he was sleeping with too. And by the time they were both done, she was sound asleep under the comfort of his arms. 

Marley woke up to an empty bed the next morning. She was used to this... feeling alone in this big house. She cleaned up and within the next hour, she was out and on her way to uni. She enjoyed the times where Brian let her catch the train to uni because it did give her a little time to socialise with the outer community. Where she could soak up a few hours of sunshine walking around uni and walking to the station. 

Can't pick you up after class. Go straight home.

Her phone buzzed as she entered her lecture room. She contemplated on texting. Marley needed to swing by Woolies to grab some groceries as they were almost out. Oh well, she could handle this after her class, uni was the one place where Brian couldn't reach her and it made her feel almost free.

"Hey chicka" Izzy whispered taking a seat beside Marley as the lecturer began.

"Hi Iz" Marley smiled shifting her attention back to the front. 

"You and your mans have such a perfect relationship" Izzy complimented.

This made Marley lightly chuckle. It just proved how no one knows what goes on behind closed doors and that everything is not as perfect as it looks. Marley thanked Izzy for the compliment but told her that her relationship was anything but perfect nor was it special. Marley had no intention in talking about love with her newfound classmate and decided to just nod at Izzy whenever she said something. 

As the class concluded, Marley walked beside with Izzy.

"Is your man picking you up?" - Izzy.

"No... I think I'll catch the train" Marley smiled.

"No, I can take you" Izzy linked arms with Marley as they continued walking.

"It's okay Iz... I prefer the train" Marley tried to convince Izzy but she wasn't having it. Soon enough, Marley was sitting in the passengers' seat of Izzy's car.

"Are you hungry? We should go out for lunch" - Izzy

"Okay... that sounds nice" Marley switched off her phone, not wanting to worry about Brian and left it in her bag as Izzy drove to a nearby cafe. Ever since she had moved in with Brian, she had slowly stopped talking to Bianca which meant she had no one else. So Izzy was the first potential friend that Marley had in months.

"So what made you pick nursing?" Izzy asked taking a bite out of her burger.

"I love helping people. Anyway I can."

"Do you have an idea on your specialty?" Izzy began picking at Marleys brain, attempting to break down her walls.

"I want to be an ER nurse... trauma is kinda my thing" Marley continued to eat her salad.

"Nice... I'm thinking of pediatrics... I love kids" Izzy smiled. Marley noticed this frequently about Izzy. She was a literal walking ray of sunshine and was just always so happy. Oh, how she envied her. 

An hour later and the girls were satisfied and on her way home with a quick detour to Woolies for Mar to grab some groceries. As Izzy pulled up in the driveway, Marley noticed Brians car in the driveway and her stomach began to turn.

"Thank you Izz... please drive safely" Marley grabbed both bags and began exiting her car. Brian, who stood near the front door stomped over to Izzys car.

"Oh hi... thanks for bringing my girl home" He smiled at Izzy before taking the bags off Marleys hand. Marley and Brian stood outside and smiled long enough for Izzy to leave.

"Hey so-" Marley turned around to Brian and watched him slap her to the ground.

"I have been calling you all afternoon. You didn't come straight home. And you brought someone home. Mar... why do you make me angry" Brian stared at her on the ground before stepping over her and walking inside to put the groceries away. 

Marley grabbed her cheek, wincing in pain as the tears left her eyes and landed on the pathway. She let out a long sigh before picking herself back up and praying before she entered the house.