After 4

Chapter 26

Tessa's POV:

I feel my heart beating out of my chest as I bolt for the exit.

"Tessa get back here!!" Richard's yelling continues echoing in the long corridor and I feel the blood rushing to my head. 

I try and pick up the fast but I can't. My legs feel like dead weights. I see the red sign flashing exit towards the end of the hallway and I pick up the pace.

"Tessa!!" Richard yells.

I reach the end of the corridor. As I turn to open the exit door, I slip and hit my ankle against the concrete. 

Shoot. Fuck. Ouch. I feel a throbbing pain pierce my skin two seconds later and glance back.

 My stupid accident has given Richard extra seconds to catch up. His face is red with anger and he is on my heel.

I hastily open the exit door and close it as fast as I possible. I am hobbling down the stairs when I hear Richard crash open the door.

"Your not leaving me and your sure as hell not going back to see him!" 

I keep running but I feel my legs giving out. I keep going but Richard is fast approaching me. I know that If I can get a taxi, I can leave him quick and go back to Harry.

Oh shoot. Harry. Where is he? Where's my phone? Shoot, I forgot that I left it in Richard's apartment.

I keep bolting down the stairs as I feel the pain in my legs start to worsen.

"Tessa, if you think for a split second that you are leaving me you are mistaken!!" Richard yelling continues echoing in my ears. 

My legs. I feel weak. I reach the last step on the bottom of the stairs when I feel my right leg start to give out. I grab the railing on the side but it's no use.

I knees come crashing to the ground and I try and use my arms to steady myself.

I try and get up but I feel heavy. Everything around me is spinning. My arms feel like jello.

I know I have to act quick before Richard gets to me. I feel sluggish but I use one hand to put on the railing  and the other hand to pick myself off the ground.

"Tessa stop running from me!!" Richard's voice booms in my ears. 

I manage to get myself up. My hand reaches for the last exit leading to the street when I feel Richard's hand graze my shoulder.

I feel the strength of his grip as his hand jerks the middle of my arm.

I turn my head around and I make eye-contact with him. There's a look of anger and rage in his eyes. 

His uses all of his weight to hold me against the door. He hand grips the rim of my neck and I start coughing.

"Tessa you know you are so funny. You think that you can just leave my apartment? Leave me? And preform this little stunt of yours and run away? Tessa, haha, don't you realize baby that I will always have you." He hisses between his teeth. 

"Richard.. pleasee.." I cough.

I cough again.

"Don't do this." The words barely come out of my mouth. 

I feel his hands tighten around my neck and his uses his other hand to steady me across the door.

"Ohh Tessa baby you do this to me. You run from me and you make you want me even more. Your doing this on purpose, your playing hard to get with me aren't you Tessa?"

"No, Richard I'm not...." The words struggle again coming out of my mouth.

"I want to go-"

"Yes you are!" He slaps me across the check and and I wince. 

I feel tears start to emerge from my eyes and my vision starts to go foggy. I have to act fast before he tries to hit me again.

"Richard please just let me go. I can't do this anymore."

"Do what Tessa? That's what I'm telling you. You don't have to do this anymore. You can be with me now. It's fine baby I'll take care of you." He starts peppering my nose with kisses and then moves to my neck. 

I act fast. I use my free knee to give him in the groin.

"Agh!!" Richard yells in pain.

"You little bitch!" He stumbles backwards from the pain. 

He releases the grip from my neck and I take the opportunity to bolt out the exit door. I force open the door and the head-ache that I have intensifies.

I feel the cold air hit my face. I shiver and start to worry because I have no idea what to do. I left my phone in Richard's place and it has stuff in there that I don't want him seeing. 

I stumble towards the next street. I keep walking a couple of blocks. I need to get as far away from that place as possible. 

Everything is foggy. People keep shoving past me and I keep getting dirty looks from men on the side of the streets. Everything is moving too fast. The cars are blurry and I can barely function correctly. 

I can't remember what I ate or drank tonight. The only thing I remember drinking was the wine in Richard's apartment.

I decide that I'm far enough from Richard's place when I see the crowds of people I saw earlier start to die town. I think I'm in a different place of town because there aren't as many lit up places.

I spot a bench outside a small grocery corner store and walk towards it. The bench is old and has a bunch of gum-ridden stains on it. I decide to sit on the other side of the bench, where it's cleaner.

I cling my knees to my chest and sink my head inside.

I don't know how much time passes before a taxi approaches me.

I hear two honks.

"Hey! You need a taxi somewhere miss?" The driver pulls down the window and motions for me to come closer.

"Whaaaat?" I lift my head up and his face is blurry. I can barely see. I walk towards the taxi.

"I said do you need a taxi?" His face comes clearer into vision.

"Can you please take me home?" I ask.

"Sure hop in. I'll take you to where you need to go." I hop in and can't wait to go back to my apartment to end this horrible night.