I sat in the car with my three best friends, Natalie Dunn, Missy Webber and Jana Johnson, outside my boyfriend's house. He's been a bit angry lately and I didn't wanna go in the house if he was home. I mean, he was supposed to be working on a movie right now but I never knew when he was gonna come home. My name is Davina and I am the victim of domestic violence. Nobody knew that though. Just me. I was living in silence with it. I wanted so many times to tell my best friends, the friends I'd had since middle school, but once I opened my mouth, I couldn't form the words. I was afraid. Cole, my boyfriend, was a huge director. His name was everywhere and he was known world wide. He could end my career as an actress if it got out that he was abusive. So I was forced to stay quiet. Not to mention the fact that he'd blatantly threatened my life multiple times. It was much easier to just live with it than test those waters.
Anyway, back to the car. I had gone out with my friends to celebrate the fact that I had been picked to be on one of the most famous competition TV Shows, Dancing With The Stars. I had no idea who my partner was gonna be but it didn't matter. I was afraid to tell Cole. I didn't know how he was going to react or if he would even let me do it. I hoped so. I'd watched that show for so many years and I was definitely interested. I had no dance experience what so ever. I could bump and grind and shake my ass but that was it. I had no ballroom dance experience and I thought it would be cool to have that.
"So, have you made up your mind?" Natalie asked. "Are you gonna do Dancing With The Stars?"
"I don't know." I said. "There's a lot to think about."
"What is there to think about?" Missy asked. "It's usually a simple yes or no."
"What if a movie comes up?" I asked.
"They're always making movies." Missy replied. "They make new movies practically every day. But they don't give invites to Dancing With The Stars every day. You're lucky to be chosen."
"I just have to think about it." I told them. "Thank you guys for tonight. I really needed it. I'll see you guys later." I got out of the car and walked up to the door. I didn't wanna get out of the car but they were just gonna keep going on about this show and I couldn't talk about it anymore. Not without the truth slipping through and I couldn't do that. I was too afraid to let it slip. I walked into the house and it was pitch black in here. I flipped on the living room light and Cole wasn't sitting on the couch like he normally was. I let out a breath of relief before walking to the bathroom and starting the shower. I looked in the mirror and my face turned from relief to sadness. I couldn't look at myself. I didn't like what I saw. I used to be a good girl. I used to be the kind of person who looked at life like a gift and now I couldn't stop questioning mine. I was a sweet, innocent girl who never got in trouble and always knew what she was worth and how she should be treated. A year with Cole and all of that went out the window. After a year, I didn't recognize myself anymore. I didn't know who I was. But I did know that I was an actress and I knew how to pretend around my friends and family. As much as it hurt to do it.
I slipped out of my clothes and climbed in the shower before letting the hot water run down my body. There were bruises on my right side from where Cole had kicked me last, a few days ago, because I didn't cook him what he wanted for dinner. But we didn't have the ingredients for his slow roasted, Italian seasoned, baked chicken. I didn't even have the time because I had a benefit thing to go to but after Cole threw me against the wall and kicked me in the side multiple times, I couldn't go. The bruises were very prominent two days ago. Today they weren't as dark and they were fading. The more the hot water ran over my body, the more it felt like they were washing away.
I climbed out of the shower after I'd finished washing my hair and body and I covered myself with a towel before making my way to the bedroom. I flipped on the light and Cole was sitting on the bed. I gasped and put my hand over my heart. "You scared me." I said. "I didn't hear you come in."
