Avery Black
"L-Leah?" My breath hitched. "What do you want?"
"I.. um... I need help." She squeaked out. I could hear shuffling on the other end. "I can't get a hold of Russell and I had no one else to call."
I sighed. "I can't Leah, I can't help you."
"Please?" She pleaded. "I don't know what to do."
I inhaled deeply. My thoughts went back to the blonde little girl with big bright green eyes who would play dolls with me.
"Okay." I breathed out. "Tell me what's wrong."
"C-can you come here?" She asked.
"Leah..."
"Please."
"Fine." I sighed. "But Leah, if you hurt me or screw me over, I'm done."
Leah hesitated. "Okay." She whispered.
I tried to ring Russell twice and each time his phone rang out.
I dialled Oliver's number. His phone also went to voice mail.
I decided to send a text to both Russell and Oliver explaining what happened and what I was going to do.
Oliver would obviously disapprove. I know I had to think about the baby, but I was only going to go there and check to make sure she was okay and hadn't hurt herself.
It's the right thing to do afterall.
She's also a victim. A victim of her parents, of her friends and of drugs and alcohol.
I put my shoes on and made my way down to the car. Tony was off for the day as we hadn't planned on going anywhere except home, the hospital and work.
I pulled out and drove the 30 or so minutes to the house I never really wanted to return to.
"Leah?" I stepped through the door. The house was dark and quiet.
She was nowhere to be found so I climbed the stairs and towards her bedroom.
"Leah?" I knocked on the door. "Are you in there?"
The door opened and I had to stop a gasp when I saw her. Her usually perfect strawberry blonde hair was a mess. It looked like it hadn't been brushed in days, her eyes were sunken and didn't have their usual btight sparkle in them at all.
Her clothes were stained and dirty. She looked like she hadn't eaten for days.
She smiled happily at me, but there was something wrong with her eyes. They didn't look right at all.
"Leah? What's wrong?" I asked gently.
Her smile faded and she quickly burst into tears. "I-I don't know!"
She shook her head and looked back up at me. Her eyes suddenly held a deranged gleam as tears rolled down her cheeks. Her aura changed from vulnerable to dangerous in a split second.
She was clearly on some sort of drugs. Her emotions and moods were too erratic, her eyes were unclear and her pupils were dilated.
I swallowed nervously and began regretting my decision to come here.
I stepped back towards the stairs slowly.
"I heard from Daddy." Leah snapped. "He said it's all your fault that they're in prison!"
"Leah, they murdered my parents." I said softly.
She ignored me and kept talking.
"He said that Oliver Black is mine and wants me and not you! You're just selfish!" Her steps became more threatening and murderous.
My breathing came out quick. I instinctively placed an arm across my belly. The only thing I could think of was to tell her what she wanted to hear.
"Y-you're right Leah." I said slowly. "I'm selfish. I don't deserve him." I backed away. "I'll just leave and never see him again, okay?"
That seemed to satisfy her as a smug grin spread on her face.
"That's right." She laughed. "I'm glad you see that now!"
"Right. I'll just go." I said. I held the banister with a shaking hand and stepped down the first two steps.
"Wait!"
I turned slightly and she grabbed my hand. "You married already?!" She shrieked. "Have you fucked my man?!"
I swallowed nervously and shifted my gaze. I opened my mouth to speak but was cut off.
"You bitch! They were right, you're just a slut!"
"Leah.. Please. Let me go and I'll leave, you'll be able to have Oliver. Okay?"
I winced as I said those words.
She examined my face and I saw the blind rage in her eyes.
"You're lying!" She slapped me across the face with enough force that I lost my footing.
I screamed and tumbled down the stairs that I was so used to falling down. I tried to stop myself but it didn't work. I was falling with too much force. The only thing I could do was shield my abdomen.
I slammed into the landing and coughed a little. I tried to move but pain radiated throughout my entire body.
I felt blood pooling around my head and a wetness between my legs.
Please no!
Tears sprang to my eyes and a strangled whimper left my lips.
I heard footsteps coming down the stairs.
"Whoops." Leah said in a monotone. "I didn't mean to do that." She giggled. "Oh well."
She crouched in front of me and lifted my hand up.
"Won't be needing this anymore!" She laughed hysterically as she slipped my wedding and engagement rings off and forced them onto her own finger.
"It's a little tight but, oh well." She giggled like she didn't just watch me fall down the stairs.
The front doors opened and closed. Whoever it was paused and it was silent for awhile.
"What the fuck did you do?!" The vaguely familiar voice boomed. "This wasn't the deal!"
"I wasn't waiting around for you." Leah shrugged.
I gritted my teeth and craned my head only to see a man I haven't seen in months.
"... Aaron?" I croaked.
"Oh, hey baby." He beamed warmly at me. He looked dishevelled.
He wore a black hoodie and black jeans.
My eyes widened in realisation. His figure was all too familiar. He was the one who had been stalking me. He sent those threats and photographs.
"What's... what's going on?" I gritted out painfully.
"You see, I couldn't forget about you, especially after what we had at the club and I saw the way you looked at me at work. I knew you loved me too and Leah here told everyone you got in between her and Black." He leaned in and whispered. "Between you and me, I knew you wouldn't do that. I know it was all Oliver."
He's delusional.
In that moment I felt so unbelievably stupid. He showed up to work with cuts and bruises after the incident at the club. It was him who tried to rape me and declare me as his.
"If it weren't for that damn Oliver Black we could have finished what we started." He sighed and shook his head. "I was struggling to find someway to talk to you. He had you on such a tight leash I couldn't get near you. It must have been so horrible for you. But don't worry, I'm here now!"
I felt my body tremble on the ground and I thought I was going to vomit any minute.
They both acted like it was normal that I was lying crumpled on the floor in my own blood.
I suppose it used to be.
"Hello, Oliver?" Leah said cheerfully. "You dont have to worry about Avery anymore, you're all mine!"
I could only hear a muffled voice on the other line, but I could tell nothing seemed to be reaching Leah's ears. Her eyes were glazed over.
Leah sighed. "Baby, you'll just have to find out. Now, come and show me how much you love me." She grinned and hung up. "He'll be here soon."
I shivered and tried to wrap my arms around my belly further. My body began to feel numb and my vision was becoming blurry.
"She doesn't look too good." Leah said. "Did I go overboard?"
"Overboard?!" Aaron roared. "Are you kidding, you threw her down the fucking stairs!"
"I did not!" I could hear Leah walking closer. "She fell!"
"Whatever! You said I could have her if you got Black. She's no good like this, is she?!"
"It's not my fucking fault!" Leah continued defending herself. They both screamed at each other. I didn't even pay attention to what they were saying.
The doors flew open and I could hear heavy breathing.
"Oh, hey baby!" Leah's sweet voice barely made it to my ears.
"Avery?"
Tears left my closing eyes. I thought I was imaging Oliver's voice.