The Guy Next Door

Chapter 5

Travis looked into his neighbors eyes as Candy left his apartment. He let a smirk touch his lips. He knew what she was thinking but he actually didn't sleep with this woman, yes she was in his bed but she was passed out the entire time. He had decided against it once they got to his place he just couldn't bring himself to do anything.

Vanessa dropped her eyes to the floor and he thought he had seen something on the side of her face but didn't mention it. Instead he stuck out his hand to introduce himself. "I think it's time we introduce ourselves. My names Travis." He waited for her to take his hand and noticed hers trembled slightly when it touched his. "Friends call me Trav for some reason but I'm cool with it."

Vanessa let a small smile touch her lips but she never looked fully at him. Her hair was over her face eyes bouncing from the floor to his eyes. "I'm Vanessa, my friend calls me Ness. It's nice to meet you." With that she removed her hand from his grip and reached into her purse to get her keys. "I...I have to go it was nice to meet you Travis." She saw his nod in response and walked to her door to unlock it.

She saw his eyes stayed on her and it made her stomach fill with butterflies. She turned to wave at him before she entered her apartment and her hair slid off her face showing what she'd been hiding behind it. She watched as Travis pushed himself off his doorframe and walked to her. His hand rose up to the side of her face and pushed her hair back and tucked it behind her ear. Her jaw was turning purple and she had what looked like claw marks on her neck. She whimpered as she pulled her face away from him and tried to get inside her apartment.

His big hand wrapped around her arm and gently held her in place. "What the Hell happened Vanessa?" He growled as he thought of the scenarios for the marks on her pretty face and neck.

"It's nothing." Vanessa said as she tried to recover her face. "I was walking to work and someone pulled me into an alley and hit me. His nails dug into my neck as he threatened me. He took my money and slammed me against the wall. I'm fine really just need to rest." She said as she shook free of his grip and slipped into her apartment. She almost shut the door before Travis stopped her.

"Did you file a report?" He watched as she just nodded and let her close the door. He stood outside her apartment for a moment and turned to go back to his. As he did he thought he saw someone lurking around the corner and walked over to see who it was, but when he got there no one was around. He shrugged it off and went back to his apartment and shut the door. His mind never leaving the tiny woman next door.

Vanessa slid down her door as her memory played back todays events. What she had told Travis wasn't the full truth but she didn't even know him and didn't feel the need to let him know her problems so she just made it sound like she had been robbed. She had been walking to work when out of nowhere she had been forced into a dark alleyway. A strong and familiar hand wrapped around her throat as the other hand punched her in the face. Her jaw felt like it had exploded once again and she begged for him to let her go. This only caused him to slam her body against the brick building he had her pinned to knocking the wind out of her.

"You should know better then to think you can escape me you little bitch." George growled at her as he held her tight. He smiled when she whimpered at the loss of air. He watched as her eyes bulged a bit as she tried to gasp for air. Oh how he missed this he thought as he tightened his grip a bit. "I thought you learned your lesson the last time you tried to leave me? Don't you remember how that worked out for you? What could possibly make you think it was a good idea to have me arrested and try to leave me again? Answer me!" He yelled as he released her throat just enough to let her speak.

Vanessa sucked in some much needed air as she tried to answer him. "I didn't ha.. have you arrested George. The hospital did that before...before I woke up." She tried to explain but he was not going to tolerate it and she knew it just by looking at him. She watched as his face turned red from anger and saw his fist ball up. It was like slow motion as his hand drew back, she saw it coming but someone spoke on the street and it stopped him.

"What's going on here?" The guys voice rang out as he stepped forward a bit to take in the scene before him.

George's hands went soft as he covered the side of her face he had already bruised with it. His hand around her throat loosened as he made it look like he was caressing it. He leaned his big body into hers keeping her pinned against the wall. His eyes never left hers warning her to keep her mouth shut. "Nothing's going on here except my lady here is a bit to eager to wait until we get home if you know what I mean." He said suggestively as he placed a couple kisses on her unharmed cheek. "Sorry if we disturbed you sir I will take her home and she will just have to wait for the rest." He replied smoothly as the guy nodded his acceptance before leaving.

George's eyes went back to their cold gaze once the guy left. His grip tightened on her throat once again as he kept his face close to hers. "This isn't over bitch." His voice was full of anger. " I will find you again and you will pay dearly for everything you have ever done to me." He smiled as she cried out when her head bounced off the wall behind her. "You will pay." He said again before he released her and walked out of the alleyway and back onto the street.

Vanessa stood still trying to get herself together again. Her trembling hands rand over her face, neck and head to see if there was any blood. Luckily there wasn't any so she pushed herself off the wall and steadied her breathing before she headed on into work. She figured it was best to just go in just in case George was still watching her. She had lied to Travis when she said she filed a report she knew George would kill her for sure this time if she did.

Once she arrived at her job she put on her apron and clocked in. Tony the owner took one look at her and came to where she was standing getting ready for her shift. She worked at a small Italian diner as a waitress. It wasn't much but it paid the bills and she liked the people she worked with and the customers were wonderful. "Vanessa I don't know what is going on with you but I need you to go home. I can't have you serving people looking like that." He said as his hand motioned over her face. "I like you but I have to let you go. I just can't have this in my company, I can't afford any trouble. I'm sorry." He said as he turned to leave.

Vanessa tried to beg for her job but he was not having it and forced her out the door. Defeated once again Vanessa started to cry as she turned on her heels to walk slowly down the street. He had done it again she thought. He had ruined her life and now he knew where she was. She kept her head down as she walked home. She would normally take the bus but she needed fresh air and it really wasn't that far to her apartment only about four miles.

Once she got home it was probably around eleven in the morning. As she got two doors down from hers a door opened and her eyes met the new guy next door to her. A tall red headed woman came out of the opening as his eyes stayed on her. She heard someone say something and watched the red head leave. Vanessa's eyes bounced from his eyes to the floor as she tried to keep the side of her face hidden from his eyes.

Now here she sat on her floor curled up wishing it would just open up and swallow her whole. He knew. That was the only thought in her head. She finally picked herself up and went to the sofa and just let her body fall onto it. Her day was brutal and she just wanted it to go away. Everything had been fine this morning why did it have to go so wrong. What had she ever done to deserve any of this?