He walks over to me and stands in front of me. “Does this have something to do with Carter James?”
“I’m sorry, Chris, but yes.” He slaps me across my face. I yelp in pain as I take a step away from him.
“You are not going to leave me, Madison.” He pushes me to the ground.
“This is not what’s going to happen!”
Kick in the ribs.
“Especially not for someone like Carter.”
Kick in the back.
He leans down and wraps his hands around my throat. “I already told my parents you were coming home with me for winter break. You will not make a fool out of me. Do you understand?”
I could only nod my head. I am starting to get lightheaded and I feel like I am going to pass out. He took his hands off of my neck and I struggled to be able to breathe normally.
“Now, you’re going to talk to that asshole on Friday and tell him you chose me, right?” I nodded again. “If you think about trying to trick me, Madison, just remember that I now have a license to carry. In his case, that means I have a license to kill.”
No! I won’t let him hurt Carter. I’m not sure how I’m going to do this to him, but I have to.
* * *
Friday morning, Chris came with me to make sure I told Carter exactly what he said to. When he sees me coming he smiles, then he sees Chris behind me and his whole body stiffens. When we get closer, he reaches out his hand to me and Chris slaps it away. “Don’t you touch my girl.”
The look on Carter’s face is horrible. “What do you mean ‘your girl’? Maddy, what’s going on?”
I can’t look him in the eye because if I do, I won’t be able to do this. “Carter, I don’t want to be with you. You were just a way to pass the time. I want to be with Chris. We never had anything real between us.”
He leans down to look at me. “No, Maddy, I can see it in your eyes. What did he do? Don’t do this because of him!”
Chris just laughs. “You’re making yourself look pathetic. Oh, and here, take this.” He threw my birthday present at Carter. I hate that Chris took that from me too. I tried to tell him it was from Nicole, but he saw right through me.
The look on his face will haunt me in every dream I have from now on. “Maddy, please, wait! Talk to me, dammit!”
I swear, I think he has tears in his eyes. I am walking away from Carter, the only person I’ve ever loved and who loved me in return. Not only that, but I am doing it for someone who, I have no doubt, will eventually beat me so badly that I may never recover.
I had to do it, though. I love Carter so much. If being with Chris keeps him safe, then I’ll gladly do it.
I’d do anything for him.
Chapter Twenty
Carter
This can’t be happening! It doesn’t make any sense! I just saw her two days ago! I need to get to her when he isn’t there. She loves me, I know she does.
The fact that he had the nerve to throw my necklace at me made my blood boil. The person that I was talking to wasn’t Maddy. It was just a shell of her. I need to see if Nicole knows anything. I pull out my phone to text her, but I am so angry that my hands were shaking.
Me: What’s going on with Maddy? She just broke up with me for Chris and he was there through the whole thing.
Nicole: He’s been at our room since Wednesday, I swear he hasn’t left once.
Me: Are they really together?
Nicole: They say they are, but something is up.
Me: I think so too.
* * *
Maddy hasn’t been in classes all week and, apparently, she hasn’t been back to her room, either. She never showed up for the job Nicole got her, and she was so excited about it. I haven’t really slept since last Friday. I need to see her.
Tonight is the winter social and I know she is going to be there. Chris and his asshole fraternity brothers are the types who feel like they need to be seen there. This is my last chance to get through to her. Nicole texted me and said Chris came today and got all of her stuff.
Apparently, he is taking her home for winter break. I decided not to go home. I couldn’t face the questions my family would ask.
Being without her this past week was torture. I know that this isn’t her choice, but I don’t know if there is anything I can do to get her back.
I have felt like a zombie all week. I was here, but my mind and heart were somewhere else. I don’t know how I am going to move on if it was really over. She is the only girl I’ve ever fallen for and I’m not ready to give up on her.
Madison
The night of the winter social is finally here, and I am dreading it. I want to be there with Carter. I needed to find him. I have to tell him that I love him, and that I need help.
Chris hasn’t let me out of his sight since that day. When he is in class, one of his friends is assigned to babysit me and keep me in the house.
He made me email all of my teachers, and arrange to do the rest of the work outside of class. I was a pretty good student and didn’t have any absences before now so they were understanding. I almost wanted them not to be, though, so I could go to campus and try to see him.
I tried to leave one day and Chris’ friend texted him. He came home and beat the shit out of me because he knew where I was trying to go. I haven’t even seen Carter since last Friday when I told him I wanted to be with Chris. The look on his face killed me and I can’t get it out of my mind. I have to find a way to get him alone tonight, I just have to.
When I come out of the bedroom, Chris is sitting on the couch. “You took all that time getting ready and that’s the best you could do? Come on, let’s go before I change my mind.” Getting a glimpse of what love was the few days I had with Carter has made coming back to this life unbearable. He grabs my hand and takes me to the car.
Once we are in the car, he turns to me, grabs my face hard with one hand, and my neck with the other so I have no choice but to look directly at him. “You better not try any shit tonight, Madison. You stay away from Carter James, or you’ll regret it. Do you understand me?” I nod my head, and fight the tears that want to come out. It only makes Chris madder when I cry.
As soon as we get to the winter social, I am looking for Carter. He has to come tonight. This is my only opportunity because Chris is making me leave with him tomorrow, but I want nothing more than to spend Christmas with Carter.
I feel him before I see him. It is like my body could sense him. Chris is talking to his fraternity brothers so I turn around. When my eyes catch his, I almost lose it.
He looks horrible, like he hasn’t slept or eaten at all. He is with Nicole. She looks at me like she wants to come up and knock some sense into me. I truthfully wouldn’t blame her for it, either. I should have gone to one of them for help. I should have asked someone to be with me that day.
We’ve already been here for about an hour and Chris said we aren’t staying long because he has to drive tomorrow. I nod my head toward the bathrooms, and Carter seems to understand what I am saying. I let him go before I say anything to Chris. He hasn’t noticed him yet, and I want to keep it that way.
I touch Chris’s arm to get his attention and he looks down at me, as if I am a child interrupting an adult conversation. “I need to go to the bathroom.”
“Okay, make sure you come right back.” I nod my head and walk away.
It takes all the control I have not to run because I know Carter is waiting for me. I see him and run right up to him, wrapping my arms around him.