“Not happy to see me?” His voice makes my stomach turn, and all I want to do is run and hide somewhere. Chris looks absolutely crazy, his eyes have nothing but anger and hate in them. I start to scream but Chris grabs my hair by the ponytail and pulls me back to him, clamping his hand down over my mouth to silence my cries for help.

He pulls me back against him and I can feel his breath on my neck. I feel him press something hard against my side. “You scream one more time and I’ll put a fucking bullet in you. Do you understand me?” I nod my head. “I’m going to take my hand off of your mouth. Don’t try anything. I told you I wasn’t letting you go, Madison. I’m leaving town tonight, and you’re coming with me.”

“Chris, don’t do this, you don’t need me.”

He laughs at me. “You’re right, I don’t need you.” There is no way that is was going to be that easy. “But I want you and you are mine.” This was what it has always been about with him...control and being able to treat me like I am his possession. “You’ll pay for all the shit you did here, Madison. Once we get to New York, I’m going to have some fun with you.”

I start to cry, and I feel like I am going to throw up. He pulls me to him, intent on kissing me, but I instinctively turn my head. Chris grips my face so hard I let out a yelp.

“You won’t deny me what I want anymore, you little bitch.” He crushes his mouth to mine angrily, and then moves down my neck. At this point, I just want him to kill me. Anything would be better than this. Just then, he bites down on my neck so hard that I yell. He leans down to whisper in my ear, “I’m going to mark you so much that you’ll never forget you’re mine again. This is enough for now, though.”

He throws me to the floor, laughing as I yelp from the pain. He steps toward me, but I get to my feet and move so the kitchen island is now in between us.

“You can run all you want, Madison, but you know I will always get you. You can’t escape me, and this time there is no one here to save you.”

“Yes there is. Jason is on his way over. He’ll see your car and call the cops.”

He starts to laugh. “I had a hacker friend of mine forward me your messages. Jason is still twenty minutes away but nice try.”

My heart stops. I can’t do this alone.

“There is no one coming to save you this time Madison. Now stop prolonging the inevitable and just come with me.”

My heart speeds up, I can’t believe someone can be this deceitful and evil. He is my greatest fear—the thing that haunts me every time I close my eyes. I’m about to sink to the floor and give up when I see the look on Chris’s face. It’s the same look he has always given me when he hit me or degraded me.

I’m so sick of him thinking he can do whatever he wants to me. It’s like a switch inside of me flips. I’m not going to let him take me even if it kills me. “I’m not going anywhere with you.” I back up and feel the pot that’s sitting on the counter poke me in my back. I reach behind me, grab it, and fling it at his head.

Not even waiting to see if it hits him, I run for the bedroom, shut the door, and lock it. I go to the nightstand and grab the gun that Carter has been teaching me how to shoot, trying to remember how he showed me to load it. Chris is now screaming and pounding on the door, and I have no doubt that he’ll break it down any minute. I keep fumbling with the gun because my hands are shaking uncontrollably. I finally get the bullets in the gun and stand up as he makes it into the bedroom.

When he sees me standing there pointing the gun at him, he laughs. “That’s cute. You actually think you have it in you? Come on and just make this easier on everyone. If Jason does get here, I’ll have to hurt him, and it will be your fault.”

That’s it. “You are not going to hurt anyone I love ever again.” I squeeze the trigger, letting the shot ring out. The bullet strikes him in the chest, but he continues to come toward me. So I squeeze it again, and again, and again until it only clicks and nothing more comes out. He falls forward and lands on me, knocking me to the ground. I scream and try to push him off of me. It takes me a few tries before I can scramble out from under him.  I crawl backward until I’m leaning against the wall.

Then everything goes black.

Carter

My phone rings and I see that it’s Jason. “Hello?”

“Where are you?!” He’s yelling and I can hear the panic in his voice. My stomach drops instantly knowing something is wrong.

“I’m working but I should be done in about twenty minutes, what’s wrong?” My voice shakes with fear that Madison is hurt.

“I need you to come to the house now.”

“J, what is going on?” He is being so vague and his tone tells me that he is trying to hide something.

“Listen, I can’t say right now. Just come here, okay?” Why can’t he say?

“Alright, just tell me, is everybody okay?” I need some sort of reassurance from him.

“Yeah, just hurry up. I’ll see you when you get here.” The phone clicks in my ear.

I tell my boss that an emergency came up and apologize, not waiting for permission to leave. As soon as I turn the corner, I see multiple police cars and an ambulance. I throw the car in park and race up to the house, noticing an expensive sports car parked in the driveway. I’m trying not to assume the worst, but the only thing I can think of when I see that car is that Chris is here.

I walk in and start yelling Madison’s name. I see everyone crowded around her She is sitting on the couch, covered in blood. Jason is sitting next to her and has her in his arms. I run to her, trying to see if she is hurt. I wrap my arms around her when I don’t see any noticeable wounds. “What happened? Are you okay?” She doesn’t respond. “Madison! Talk to me babe.” Still nothing. I look over at J. “What happened?”

“I walked in and found her and Chris in the bedroom. He had a bunch of bullet holes in his chest and she was crouched against the wall. She hasn’t spoken or moved since. One of the cops helped me move her in here so they could examine the bedroom.”

A paramedic walks up to us. “If she can’t communicate to us whether she is hurt or not, we’re going to have to take her to the hospital for a full examination.”

I look back at Madison. “Maddy, please talk to us. Talk to me.” She isn’t responding, and the paramedic mumbles something about going to get the stretcher and then walks away.

“Baby, please. Come back to me. It’s over now. You did it. You’re free.” Her eyes meet mine for the first time and I breathe a sign of relief. Her head crashes against my chest while her fingers dig into my skin. Sobs wrack her body and I swear to God if she didn’t kill the asshole I would have.

“It’s going to be okay babe. I promise.”

I rub her head hoping I can keep that promise.

Epilogue

Madison

3 months later

I walk onto campus for the first day of my sophomore year. This summer was not what I envisioned it would be. After what happened to Chris I needed some serious therapy. I have gotten a lot better and am finally starting to feel like myself again.

I had been having horrible dreams all summer. I would wake up crying, and panting, unable to catch my breath for a few minutes. It’s been hard on Carter too because he couldn’t fix this. Getting over my past was only in my hands. I think I may finally be there.

I feel a set of strong arms wrap around my waist. “Hey beautiful.” He kisses my neck and can’t help but giggle.

“Hey, handsome.” I turn to face him. “You ready for this semester?”

He gives me a quick kiss on the lips. “Baby, after last year, this year will be a piece of cake.”