"Forget Me Not" {first published novel}

Ch. 20 ~ "The Weeping Willow"

Sometimes the oddest of people give most sensible advice, due to the fact that the ones who broke them, taught them how not to be nice.

I awaken to the beautiful green eyes and dark brown hair of a young man who showed me how to trust. His muscular arm is taught before me, revealing his biceps and veins. I clasp my hand in his and he pulls me up to my feet with a single yank.

Evan, my loyal boyfriends stands off to the side, glancing at the young man in utter jealousy and anger. When I peer over to him I feel an instant throbbing pain within my abdomen. His sadness is hurting me as well. I smile back over to Derek who is grinning widely.

"This is my boyfriend, Evan," I say to Derek.

"Nice to meet you Evan, I'm Derek. Allie and I used to be very close in middle school and high school."

"Used to," Evan mutters to Derek under his breath.

"I am so very sorry that I left on such short notice, Allie," Derek says, wrapping his big arms around the circumference of my thin torso.

I feel my hands pressed awkwardly against my thighs, and elbows tucked tightly against the small of my waist. This is all to much to grasp sense of. Why is Derek here? How is he alive? I am not exactly comfortable with all of the surprises portrayed before me on this scandalous morning.

"How are you here, Allie? Did the abundance of bush letters compel you to come to me?" He asks jokingly.

"No, actually Evan and I are here to talk to a woman, my-uhm...therapist," I say awkwardly, fingers unclasping from my thighs, pulling apart from the hug.

"And who might that be?" Derek says, continuing to show off his pearls between his lips in continuous positivity.

"Dr. Chrystie, uhm...," I trail off.

"..Elaine, Chrystie," Evan cuts in, helping me to remember the name.

"Right, Elaine," I say embarrassedly.

"Now is this not a coincidence? Dr. Elaine is most convieniently, my aunt!" Derek says smiling his million-dollar grin.

"Really?" I squeal in amazement.

"Yeah! Follow me, I'll take you to her!" Derek says, snatching my wrist from my pockets and leading me down the corridor.

As Derek is making his way down the lengthy hall with my hand in his, I feel the room sway and blur into a faded replica. The sudden illusion of nausea hits me in the esophagus and stomach, causing me to stop in my place at several reoccurring instances.

"Something is wrong, Derek," I say, clasping my little fingers around my knees and breathing harshly.

"You're just nervous, love. But this will be all cleared up in a matter of time."

I cringe at the word 'love'.

Don't call me that! You don't have the right to make me a part of you. You left me, you asshole. I went so many months grieving, breaking apart and almost commuting suicide because of you. You selfish piece of shit!

Yet I stay silent. My mouth is frozen and I can not speak. I just feel the hot tears start to burst from my eyelids and I drop to my knees. I cover my red-rimmed eyelids and let my sadness flow. It is a matter of a moment before he props himself down beside me with his arm around me. I shrug it away and he declines my angry gesture and continues to force his arm around me.

"Stop it! Stop!" I screech in frustration, and he wraps both of his arms around my rib cage with my arms flailing about trying to land a hard punch on him.

I start screaming for help, as he covers my mouth and starts to force me into a nearby conference room. I land several good jabs at his feet with my heel but it seems as though they do not even give the slightest jolt of pain, considering he does not budge. After continuous attempts to force me into the room, my hand slips from the door entrance, and I fall to the ground with a hard plummeting action.

Derek shuts the door, latches the both of us in the room, and then turns to face me. My heartbeat and pulse feels as though it is accelerating beyond possible. What on earth is he doing? He lowers himself down to me, who is sprawled out along the floor, shocked out of my mind.

"Why are you so nervous, babe? I'm here for you. Don't you see? It was a sign bringing you here to me, we can finally be together, in love."

"Fuck you, Derek! I have Evan, and I would never cheat on him," I say furiously.

"Well, well, well. I know deep down you still have feelings for me, and I will prove it to you," he says, grabbing my wrists and cuffing them quickly to the desk handles.

"What the hell, Derek! Let me go!" I scream.

He lowers his body directly on top of mine. He brings his face right before mine and I turn my head violently to the side. I begin screaming for help on repeat until he slams my head against the desk.

"Allie, this is a sound-proof room, nobody can hear you. Now stop screaming before I really hurt you," he says, pulling a switchblade out of his pocket and laying the thin blade against my throat.

My whole body is trembling in fear, and as his brings his face close to mine, I try to turn it away but he takes the hand that used to contain the switchblade, and forcefully turn my jaw to face his. He presses his lips against mine as I try to move, and begins to caress my spine underneath my shirt and I continue to cry in fear.

I can feel every muscle on his body against mine and the thought of him taking advantage, disgusts me. He then stops kissing me and sits up so that he can tower over me, and starts to undo the buttons of my shirt.

"Fuck you! Get the hell off of me!" I say moving my body so that he can not successfully unbutton my top.

"Stop struggling!" He says, as he forces one hand around my throat as the other continues undoing my top.

I can not breathe and as the room starts to fade away, he releases my throat so that I can breathe. As I as gasping for oxygen, I feel him unlatch the hooks of my bra, and places his hands on my breasts. I scream and manage to get one leg free. I kick him hard in the middle of the rib cage causing the wind to be knocked out of him. With the other leg, I kick him hard in the face and struggle to get to my feet. I free my hands from their cuffs and run towards the door.

I hear pounding at the door and I cry uncontrollably while running to it, unlatch it and fall back as it swings open to show Evan with the most worried face imaginable. He looks over and me curled up beside the door with my hands wrapped around my upper torso in embarrassment. Evan's worried face instantly changes into one of anger, as he sees what has just happened and runs over to Derek, punching him over and over until Derek's face is unrecognizable with the cuts and wounds, and blood puddle covering every inch of his facial skin. Derek's body does not move and as Evan continues to punch him even though he is clearly passed out, security and bystanders come flowing into the room piling around Evan trying to pry him off of Derek's body. 

I have never seen Evan in such a state, his angry bloodshot eyes, pouring tears almost as much as mine, and his kicks his legs and arms ferociously, trying to get another few punches on Derek as workers pull him away. The whole situation bewilders me as it seems I am in a trance and the room disappears to black nothingness. The next thing I know, it is two days later as I wake up to a large white room, and who I presume to be Elaine Chrystie's face two feet away from my own.