Stitched Together By Hate

20

~Alina~

The next day I wake up bright and early for my 3rd day at work. I decide that today I'm not going to wear a dress, not because Karlos told me so but because it's more comfortable.

I leave my apartment after I'm dressed and all my makeup is done. I leave a little early today because I want to pick up some coffee at my favorite cafe.

Once I reach my favorite cafe I ask for 2 black coffees and shortly after drive straight to work. Honestly I still haven't figured out the maze that I work in. Once I enter I dodge any incoming obstacles to avoid being burnt by the coffee and head to the elevator. When I enter the elevator it seems that the whole entire building has to enter with me. However when I'm with Karlos it's always just me and him. God I'm getting smushed at the back of the elevator. Yes the top floor is great but this is also shit.

I reach the top in one piece and head to Karlos' room. I knock and he calls me in and I hand him his coffee. He doesn't even say thank you but directly takes a sip. Honestly I shouldn't be treating him with the towns best coffee but this is my job. He then demands the daily schedule and I tell him everything he's got planned for today.

He dismisses me off to my room and I get to work. Even since I've started working I've slowly started to fill the draws, of mostly pointless things. It feels odd to be that they were so empty so I practically filled them with anything I could find back at my apartment. After hours of work it's finally late. The sun has set and I'm waiting for Karlos to send me home. I've finished all my work so I'm just playing on my phone. Then I get a text.

It's from Lily and it says
'Hey girl, I miss you sm. Let's meet tonight at The Pearl.'
The pearl is one of the most exclusive clubs in London. I really wanted to see Lily so I said yes and told her to meet at mine in 30 mins. The time hasn't reached 7 yet but I'm sure Karlos wouldn't mind.

I walk to his room and knock. I enter and say, "Mr Reed is it ok if I go home now." He lifts his eyes from his MacBook for the first time today. "Why?" He asks.
"I've got nothing left to do, if you don't need my help anymore can I please leave." I ask politely.
"No I don't care about that, where are you going?" He asks in a demanding tone.
"Me and my friend Lily were going to meet up." I say. He nods his head and tells me I can leave.

I reach home as quickly as I can and open my apartment door to find an envelope directly in front of my door. I open it quickly and it reads:
Hello Alina
This is Alex.
My jaw drops but my eyes can't help but read further.
I would've never thought I'd be sending you a letter from jail but here we are.
Jail?
The reason I'm writing to you is because I miss you, and I don't even care what that dick Karlos says.
What the fuck is he talking about?
The day when I last saw you. I saw you kiss him I knew it was you. Are you still a good whore like old times? I'm sorry I haven't come to visit, but it's not my fault. You should really pattern your over protective boyfriend. I don't know how I ended up in jail when he was the one beating me the day after I last saw you. He made me promise to never talk to you again but I can never seem to keep away from you babe.
I love you.

I don't know whether to cry laugh or scream. I want to do all three but luckily somebody knocks on the door. I open it and Lily comes rushing in. She immediately realizes somethings wrong and snatches the letter out of my hands. I wait for her to read and when she finally stops she glances up at me. My eyes are filled with tears but Lily doesn't let them fall.

"Hey it's ok. I don't know how but he's in jail he can't touch you that way." She reassures me.
"Alina I know this is very hard for you but tell me exactly what happened that night." Lily says. I start by telling her how I was leaving and Alex was chasing me until I found Karlos and kissed him. Then I tell her that he took me to his home and took me to his bedroom. "Stop right there. How do you know it was his bedroom Alina." I fray my brows and try to think of the room I was in a year ago. It was a normal room but nothing special in it.

"You told me once that Karlos likes black. Was his room black?" She questions.
"No." I answer. I carry on telling her how I woke up in his clothes but Lily doesn't seem so convinced.
"Is it possible that you slept in a spare room and he gave you some spare clothes. Alina remember you were really drunk that night. It's not like you remember what happened you just assumed what had happened.

Then the memories come rushing back. How I insisted for him to take me anywhere else but my home and where I removed my heels and when he took me to a spare room and gave me something comfortable to sleep in. "Fuck Lily fuck." I shout while pacing around the apartment. "How the fuck did I not realize this." I shout again. She quickly grabs me to hug me and says, "Alina it's not your fault."

"But what about Alex, what happened between the two of them?" I question.
"I don't know but from my perspective it seems as if Karlos helped keep Alex away from you." Lily replies. I shake my head and head to my room. Lily follows and questions what I'm doing. I tell her I'm trying to find an outfit for The Pearl.

She tells me we no longer need to go and that we shouldn't stay home and watch a movie or something but I insist. I tell her that I want to go have some fun to forget about all of this. She asks multiple times if I'm sure and I repeatedly answer with yes each time.

I put on a tiny white top that sits above my belly button. Then I wear a black pleated skirt to go with it. I mean are you really having fun if you're not dressed inappropriately. Lily doesn't ask my any further questions about the letter as she doesn't want to ruin my mood.

We head off into my car and drive to the club.