The One Who Got Away

Flooded

Mark walked out of the back room and said, "I got Sam in bed."

Seth told him, "I am going to get her in bed, she is beyond tired."

Mark nodded and said, "If you need anything, I am next door."

"Thanks, Mark." Ava said, sleepily.

He smiled at her sweetly and walked out the door.  Then Seth stood up and gently grabbed her arm.  She slowly stood up as he help her in the room.  He got her to the bed and asked, "You want to take a shower?"

"Yeah."  She answered.

"Okay, I will start it then."  He kissed the top of her head.

Seth walked in the bathroom to start the shower.  Ava exhaled as the day wore on her.  She then slowly took her shirt off and winced in pain.  She then noticed a full length mirror on the other side of the room.  She slowly moved off the bed and walked over to it.  She saw herself for the first time since everything happened.  She noticed her faced was bruised up from Will hitting her.  She then noticed a bruise on the side of back, and remembered him almost thrashing her against her car.  Then more memories came flooding back.  She remember the way he smelled, his voice in her head.  Most of all, she remembered his touch.  She tried to shake it but couldn't.  Her memories overpowered her with him inside her as she felt she was being ripped apart from the inside out.  The way he grunted into her ear.  The way she felt helpless and weak.  Tears streamed down as she looked down away from the mirror as she found herself disgusting.  She couldn't look at herself.  She cried as the memories played over and over.  Then she felt someone grab her wrist.  She gasped and quickly pulled away as she went to get away as her first thought was it was Will.  She tripped over her feet and fell to the ground.  She shook as she coward.  Seth quickly was at her side.  "Ava, it's me.  It's okay."

She looked up at Seth and he saw her eyes filled with tears and fear.  He quickly held her close.  "Jesus, Ava, I am so sorry.  I didn't mean to frighten you.  I should have thought better."

She buried her head in his chest and cried.  Seth held her close as she did as he felt helpless on how to help her.  Then she breathed out, "Why, Seth?  Why did this happen?"

"I don't know, baby.  But it shouldn't have.  No one should have hurt you like that."  He said, softly.

His eyes filled with tears as he hurt for her.  A tear fell from his eye.  To see her so terrified, hurt him.  He wanted to make her pain go away but had no clue how. 

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Seth laid next to her in bed as she finally slept.  He held her and watched her sleep.  For the first time, he could think since she woke up.  Everything happened so fast.  He was not scared of losing her once but twice.  When he saw her pack and heard what she said, he was sure he would never see her again.  Her moving in was the only thing he could think of so he wouldn't lose her.  But now he would have her everyday, he would wake up next to her every morning, go to bed with her every night and spend every waking moment with her.  He was overjoyed.  But it was short lived after how she freaked on him.  He thought for the longest she was taking everything entirely too well.  Then he grabbed her wrist after he called out to her a few times and she didn't respond.  To see her pull away and try to flee the way she did scared him even.  Cause it hit him how much she wasn't dealing with it.  How she is pushing it to the side for other reasons and seems strong, but she was frail and frightened.  What really did him in is how she coward, afraid she would be hurt again.  It made it all too real what happened.  Again his eyes filled with tears.  He tightened his hold on her and pulled her even closer to him.  He moved his face into the crock of her neck.  He began to cry as everything hit him too.  The woman he loved was hurt in a way no one should and it broke his heart.  Ava awoken as she felt him cry against her.  She questioned, "Seth?"

She went to turn to him and he mustered out, "Don't.  Please, don't."

She laid there and asked, concerned, "What's wrong, Seth?"

"Nothing." He tried to muffle his cries but failed.

She turned to him and he pulled back slightly.  She looked at him and saw the tears in his eyes and down his cheeks.  She moved her hand to his cheek and gently wiped one away.  She pleaded, "Please, Seth, tell me what is wrong?"

He looked away  from her and looked over her head.  He shook his head.  "You shouldn't see me broken when you have more of a reason to be broken."

"It doesn't matter.  I am here for you like I know you are for me."  She said, sweetly.

He licked his lips and exhaled.  He looked at her again.  "It's just, tonight really hit me the magnitude of what happened.  To see you terrified and coward the way you did, I don't know.  I just can't help to think I should have been there to protect you.  Then I can't help to feel that this was my fault, if I didn't pursue you, this would have never happened.  You would have never been hurt.  But you were, and it was cause of me."  Tears flowed again.

Sadness overcame Ava.  She saw this man blame himself, blame himself for something out of his control.  She began to cry herself as she watched him punish himself.  All he did was love her.  She couldn't fault him for that.  "Seth, you listen to me.  This is not your fault, do you understand me?  You have done nothing but be good to me.  You have shown me there is good guys in the world.  And you are one of them.  Please do not blame yourself.  You did nothing wrong."  Her voice broke at the end as her emotions consumed her. 

She moved her hand to his cheek and moved closer to him.  She kissed him deeply as the tears flowed.  She pulled back and rested her forehead on his.  She closed her eyes as she hoped to ease his mind.  He almost whispered, "I love you so much, Ava."

"I love you too, Seth." She replied, sincerely.