Drunken Love

Chapter Five

Five

I stumble to Mrs. Williams' back door that leads to her apartment above the studio and knock shakily crossing my arms over my body careful with my left wrist that is aching terribly. I shake in fear and stand close to the wall to avoid the cold rain that makes my small cuts along my face sting. I wince as my ribs ache and step back when Mrs. Williams' opens her door gasping softly.

"Victoria! What on earth happened?" She looks at me and ushers me in the doorway frowning when the light reveals how bad I am. "Oh please tell this isn't Bobby's work again?"

I nod slowly and keep my gaze down trying my best to just stay upright. "I'm sorry, I just had nowhere to go and he can't know where I live. I-I can't let him near my friends."

"It's alright, dear. Come on upstairs and I think I will call Matthew to come look at you." She says helping me up the stairs to her apartment and I shake my head.

"No!" I gasp and realize that if Bobby hadn't found me tonight I might be with Matt instead of here. "I don't want you to bother him, Mrs. Williams."

"Well, we could just take you to the hospital..."

I shake my head solemnly and sigh sitting down once we're up to her living area. I came here once before when I was hurt terribly by Bobby and she practically forced me to the hospital against my will, which only made me have a panic attack from the violent memories. I hold my head in my good hand trying to stay calm but everything in me hurts from the injuries but more importantly, my heart is racing in anticipant to see Matt. My vision blurs a bit and my head pounds making my stomach churn, the alcohol from earlier isn't much help either.

"Yes, I know it's late but a girl of mine is hurt badly and hates hospitals...Who?" She stops speaking into the phone and looks to me. I roll my eyes and motion for her to tell him hoping he will come but not out of pity. "It's Victoria. Thank you, Matthew. She is..."

Her voice trails off as she goes in the kitchen and I hear her opening cabinets. I get up with a wince of pain and hold my side carefully walking to the door. "Sorry for being all wet, I walked some to stay awake."

"Don't worry about it, dear." She turns and comes over to me pushing my hair out of my face gently with a sigh. "What happened?"

"My roommates and I wanted to go out to celebrate Rose's engagement but we ended up doing our own thing..." I close my eyes for a moment and rub my head groaning softly. "I had gone outside to make a phone call and he came up grabbing me."

"Was he drunk or something?"

"Probably, I tried fighting but like my father when he drinks, he's even more determined to hurt me." I sigh and wince holding my side again as I try to stand straighter.

"What about your friends?"

"They thought I left, I guess." I shrug and hold back a groan of pain moving to go sit back down. I hold my head in my hand and shiver as my wet clothes stick to me sighing as I realize that some of the wetness is blood. That very thought makes my stomach heave and I quickly stumble down the hall to the guest bathroom retching into the toilet with a sob.

"What can I do?" Mrs. Williams asks and kneels at my side rubbing my back gently.

I shrug and flinch slightly when I hear knocks on her doors turning my head to be sick again.

"Be right back, dear." She says and heads downstairs to let in whom I hope is Matt.

I slump down a bit more and blink back the tears I did not realize had come up holding my head embarrassed that he's going to see me this way. I swallow the guilt that has eaten at me for the past few days since seeing him just downstairs in the studio and said I would call. My heart squeezes at the thought that I was about to call him when I got hurt and could have been with him.