Luxe
I waved the fob over the electric entrance door for it to open and slowly walked up a few flights of stairs before I reached the front door of my flat. I suddenly felt all of my emotions hit me at once. I wanted to cry, I wanted to break down right there but I couldn't, I had to keep going, I had to keep doing this otherwise I would never truly be free, Monroe would never truly be free.
I replayed her reactions over and over in my mind, I could see the complete fear and concern behind those eyes. She didn't know what to do, she had no plan, no escape and she was about to lose the man that she loved if she didn't.
All I wanted to do was take her pain away. Maybe it was the never-ending guilt that laid with me every single day and night but I knew in my heart it wasn't just that, somehow I had found a deep care for Monroe.
However, the guilt was still a hard thing to come by and an even harder thing to let go of, so maybe that was why I was doing it but I knew that wasn't the only reason.
This had been the second occasion where I got to see her up close and personal, and in that second occasion I saw the pain, I saw the betrayal, I saw the hurt and I saw the want for freedom. And in that first occasion I saw none of that, I saw happiness and I knew Tobias Wrexler was the reason for it.
That first time she came by the house to get her stuff she just looked so unapologetically happy, I knew she was also fearful but that was never at the forefront of her mind. That man sitting outside wanting to give her everything was. And at that moment I knew what I had to do, I knew I needed to help and give her every bit of love and happiness she deserved.
She was just a good woman, who thought she fell in love with the man of her dreams but all he was was a masquarade he coaxed in her mind. And that's exactly what he did to me.
That day she came to get her things wasn't the first time he had hurt me, that's what I told her but it wasn't the first and it definitely wasn't the last.
As I walk towards my door, I feel all of the week-old bruises hit me just like my emotions had. I clutched at my ribs thinking back to the moment he punched me in them and how he left me in a puddle of complete pain and agony with a bottle of whiskey in his hands shouting the words he constantly taunted me with.
"You will always be second best. You were never her and you will never be her."
I think back to those moments and wonder how I took it all and still told him I loved him. How did he have me wrapped around his finger so much I jumped when he said how high? How did he hit me every single day and I was the one that apologised? How did he make me feel like it was all my fault?
He manipulated my mind to think whatever he wanted and see whatever he wanted me to see and I still didn't want to leave. His mask only began to crack in my eyes when she came to get her stuff.
When she spoke those honest words that I always needed to hear but never wanted to. Monroe was the reason I wanted to get out. I replayed her kinds words of forgiveness in my mind everyday until that day last week where I finally got out. I finally escaped but I still don't feel free.
I live my life in fear that one day he will come and find me, he has the resources and it wouldn't be hard to find me but I have to remember why I stayed. For justice.
Justice for Monroe, justice for me and justice for any woman in his line of sight. We all deserve happiness, especially Monroe and I still blame myself everyday for her heartache so I won't stop until I see her happy and healing.
I breathed deeply through the pain, I lent off of the walls and finally reached to place the key in the keyhole. As soon as I closed the door I lent against it, feeling the emotional and physical exhaustion.
I moved away from the door walking through my decently sized studio, I walked past my shabby chic French wood room-divider that hid the bedroom area behind it and walked straight to the kitchen/living room area.
I placed my stuff down, I pulled out a wine glass and the bottle of red wine I had been saving for "special occasions." I poured myself a tall glass before taking a big gulp of the bitter-tasting cheap red. I leaned against my flatpack kitchenette with my wine in hand, my head fell backwards feeling the wine run through me. "God Luxe, is this what life has come to? Drinking cheap wine by myself at 6pm -"
"I can join the party if you'd like." My eyes grew wide as I heard an unfamiliar voice come from behind the partition, without thinking I dropped my glass fearfully and pulled out my baseball bat I have hidden in my kitchen cupboard. I turned back around to unveil who the voice was, I lifted up the bat over my shoulder with two hands on the handle ready to swing at any moment. "Who the fuck at you?"
I thought back to the knife block right behind me and mentally facepalmed thinking that my huge knife may have been a little more scary to the stranger sitting in my apartment. The voice fully stepped out from behind the divider with his hands high in the sky as if to wave his white flag.
"Wait, wait, wait - I come in peace. I -" his voice was husky and very distinctive.
"Who. Are. You? Answer me or you're getting a whole load of bat in your face or straight to your balls. You choose."
As he began walking closer to me my grip on my bat tightened, his hands were still in the air but I wasn't taking any chances so as soon as his 6'2 stature was close enough I swung the bat hitting him right in the jewels with a grunt of his voice. He toppled over and fell straight to the floor holding himself protectively with a face showing only pain.
"Okay, maybe I deserved that -" he spoke with a painful croak in his voice as he struggled to talk. I stood over him with the bat back in both of my hands and ready to swing as soon as he tried to stood back up. "You're in my flat and you think I'm going to let you get close enough to hurt me. Wait, I know you -"
He opened up one eye with the raise of his eyebrow, his hands still holding himself but I could tell the pain was beginning to subside. I looked over his features and took him in.
His dark hair was low but still looked soft to the touch. His brown skin showed no blemishes, his eyes were a chocolate pool of mystery, his jaw was sharp with a line of a dark beard boarding his sharpness, and with a fine line of a dark hair just above his upper lip.
He was gorgeous no doubt about it but he was still a gorgeous almost-stranger in my place of residence. "Taro. Taro Myers."
He put out his hand to me, one of those same hands that had just be holding his goods, I looked at his hand with disgust before I lowered my bat and began walking back over to my kitchenette needing to be closer to my knives.
"What the fuck is Chase's P.I doing in my apartment? Here to take me back huh?" I paused before pulling a knife out of my block hearing him getting up. "Well, you'll be cut before you even touch me." I threatened between my gritted teeth.
I held the knife tightly in my hand and I saw his eyes widen in fear. "I'm not here to take you back, I promise. I'm here to help." He spoke so rapidly wanting to get everything out before I struck him again. He rose to his full height with a gulp of his Adam's apple. I rolled my eyes before I looked back at him. "How could you possibly help me?"
His fear began to falter and he stood taller as a cloud of confidence washed over him, he brushed out the creases out of his shirt. "Not you directly."
I felt caution take over as I pulled the knife into my hand. "Wait, just listen please -" I lowered the knife not wanting to deal with his idiotic games. "I want to help Tobias. And Monroe. Tobias and I uh - we have history. You can call me an old friend of his."
I didn't know what to make of what he was saying but I was intrigued. I was curious but I knew curiosity killed the cat so I remained cautious around this man that had only ever worked for Chase.
"So, let me get this straight. You follow Tobias and Monroe all over the world and everyday of their lives and hand over information to Chase on a weekly basis. You hand Chase an envelope full of pictures of this so-called old friend to then decide that you want to help him?"
He smirked at me with a quirked eyebrow and smugly nodded his head. I scoffed at him before shaking my head. "Yeah right. Because that makes perfect sense." I say sarcastically before my mood turns completely sour. "Get the fuck out of my flat before I call the police."
"Okay first of all, I don't follow them outside of the country and I also don't follow per say." I give him an unimpressed look. "One of my interns went to France to follow them around and took the initiative to send the pictures to Chase via email without my knowledge. He's been fired now."
I quirked my eyebrow at him once more not believing a word he is saying. "Look, we got off on the wrong foot and maybe I shouldn't have broken into your place." He scratched the back of his neck and I tilted my head at him with a sarcastic look on my face as if to say you think?
"You're right okay. I followed Monroe and Tobias for a while and I tried to hide Tobias' identity for as long as I could but Chase was getting suspicious. But I -" he looks away from me. "- I saw what he did to Monroe. And you." When I heard the last part I closed my eyes tightly not wanting to feel the shame creeping over me.
"So, that's why you're helping? You saw what type of man he is and felt guilty for us? Not because Tobias is your old friend?" He looked away shamefully before biting down on his lower lip.
"As much as I hate to say it, yeah. I saw the high profile case drop into my lap and took it. Tobias and I have a lot of history and I saw the opportunity to -" he slipped his hands into his jeans pocket.
" - look, I had my own reasons and Chase knew them all. But when I saw what he did to Monroe and then what he did to... You." He looked up at me with sympathy in his eyes.
"And it did something to me, okay? I want to help." I slouch against the counter and fold my arms over my chest with a sigh. "You've got five minutes. Talk."
A smile soon arose on his face and I couldn't help but notice the dimples in his cheeks as he smiled. "You won't regret it. I promise." I nodded my head not wanting to look in his eyes.
"While I've been following Monroe I've been gathering evidence against Chase. I know his schedule and everywhere he's at at every point of the day. I've got a load of pictures of him meeting up with another woman and I have other pictures of -"
He cleared his throat and instantly I knew what pictures he had. "They're of me right? Is it of my bruises? Or of him hurting me?" He looks shocked by my questions before I turn around and grabbed ahold of the countertop as I replayed those moments in my mind.
I could hear him walk towards me and place a hand on my shoulder, I initially flinch at his touch but he doesn't pull away.
"I would never use them without your permission. I understand if you never want to see them or never want to report it. I could destroy them and you'll never have to see them. I didn't go out of my way to get them, I caught them by chance I promise but the first thought in my mind was if you ever wanted proof I have it and I would also stand in front of a judge if need be."
I gulped hearing him confirm everything for me, I still hadn't looked up at him. "I want them. One day I might need them so keep the copies you already have." I finally looked up to him as I shook off the shame.
"And why now? It's been weeks since he - since it started. So why now and how are you planning to help Monroe?"
He nods his head before walking away. "I only saw it that one time and it killed me not to help. And why now? Because I know Chase's plans for Tobias, I couldn't do anything until I knew what he had planned. I know who he's been talking to and if he goes through with it my - Tobias will lose everything. He wants to pay off some of Tobias' highest profile women to say that he touched them inappropriately and even if he doesn't get convicted there's no smoke without fire."
I waited for him to continue but he just paused contemplating what he would say next. "The pictures I have of him with other women don't prove his adultry but definitely start some sort of suspicion. He wants to fight the divorce with everything he has but he has no proof. What I have is enough for her uncle and their legal team to create a narrative of his potential adultery. With the help of your story also she could start to prove the grounds of her divorce. I just need her to go back to Chase for a couple of weeks until the big charity event and I can -"
I swiftly turn around. "Are you kidding me? You already know how badly he hurt me and you want her to go back to him? He would hurt her, I can't - I can't let that happen and how do I know I can even trust you? You say you and Tobias are old friends right? Yet as soon as his case falls into your lap you take it as an opportunity?" I scoff once more. "Seems like I'm not the only one who needs a clear conscience."
He scoffed with a little chuckle. "What if I told you I already knew that she was planning to go back to him. Call it instinct or maybe I'm just good at my job but I know she'd do anything for Tobias' happiness."
His businesslike demeanor started to waver. "I'll do everything I can to ensure that she doesn't get hurt on my watch. I'll be watching her I promise. I just need a couple weeks maximum and we will deliver everything we can to her uncle and she will escape and her and Tobias will have their life together. And yeah you're right, I spent a long time doing that man wrong and I'm finally ready to make it right."
I thought about what he said and tried to decipher if he was telling the truth or not. I could see the sincerity behind his eyes and words but I was still so weary. "Do you have the pictures of him with other women? Before I involve Monroe I have to see them." He nods before peering behind the divider and immediately I roll my eyes remembering that he had ultimately broke into my house.
He comes out with a Manila folder and puts it out to me, I reach for it and accidentally brush my finger tips along his causing our eyes to lock. I quickly shrugged it off and pulled the folder out of his hold. I open them up and immediately recognise the woman posing in the pictures. His PA.
They were spotted in public places posing in more than friendly positions, her hand planted on his thigh, his hand on the back of her neck, his hand on her lower back as she giggles flirtatiously. And I knew exactly why he needed a few more weeks, Chase was careful, this wasn't enough. "You need to catch them in the act."
He hummed in response. "I don't want to put her in danger." I shook my head worrying about what else she could go through. "What about Tobias? We could tell him. I told her to tell him, that's another option right?" I look to him in desperation.
He looks unsure. "He'll stop her from going back, try and protect her at all cost and they'll never be free of him. He'll spend everyday making their lives hell. I may not know Monroe personally but from what I've seen, all she wants is to be free and that's what I want to do. We'll get her out for good and then we get justice. If that's what you both want." My eyes bounced between his as I tried to look for any signs of dishonesty.
"Okay, okay. I'll let her make her own decision and I won't deter her but if I dont hear anything from her in a few days then I'm going to call her. I just have to know one more thing. Who is Tobias to you?"
"He's -