-Eight Months Later-
I was at the alter of the wedding.
Anything beyond the the first row of the guests was blurry but one thing was crystal clear... I didn't want to be here.
I didn't want to be married, not to Jordan.
I went to step off the alter but couldn't, I looked down and in horror realized that there was a thick chain around my ankle that led to an ankle across from me. I looked up slowly and was met with the menacing glare of Jordan. His brown eyes were black and his whole body seemed tense.
He was no longer as handsome as I had thought he was for the last 3 years. It was as if the ugliness found in his heart was making it's way to his physical appearance. His black closely shaved hair now grew unruly and thick. His brown skin was aging by the second and his fit body was no more, he had gained a sort of beer belly and had grown taller. He was scary and hideous, I was finally looking at him for what he was...
a monster.
"You're not leaving, you're never leaving. Till death do we part... my wife", he smiled in a vile crooked way that showed his yellow teeth and chilled me to my very core.
"No! I don't want this! Let me go, let me go", I yelled as I kneeled down and yanked on the chains to try and free myself. I looked up to find someone, anyone, who could help me but everyone looked on with polite and happy smiles. My parents, my brother Luke, Kyra and Beck, and all of my family. They were pleasantly blind to the trouble and pain that I was in.
They didn't understand that as soon as I was married to Jordan, I was a dead woman.
"You are now husband and wife, you may kiss the bride", the pastor smiled proudly. I didn't even have a second before Jordan grabbed my chin roughly and smashed his lips to mine. It took everything in me not to vomit at the stench that emitted from his mouth.
Jordan than grabbed my wrist and undid our chains to each other before dragging me off the alter and to the two huge wood doors. And this bad feeling loomed over me, I just knew that I was dead once I was out that door. I fought so hard. I dragged my feet, screamed, and tried to pry his fingers from around my wrist. I fought tooth and nail but we were getting closer and closer to the door.
I took one last look around as my family stood and applauded at us and I belted out one last scream of terror as we crossed through the door and they slammed in my face as Jordan's evil laughter got louder and louder.
"Leah! Leah wake up it's just a bad dream!"
I woke up with a jolt and looked around my room which was lit with the morning rays of the sun. It bounced off my royal blue walls and dark wood flooring beautifully in a way that momentarily caught my interest and wonder. I felt a finger brush away my hair from the sweaty skin of my forehead and my eyes zoned in on Beck.
My frantic brown eyes met his calm green ones and finally I began to find myself back in reality.
"There you go, welcome back to earth Leah", he smiled.
"Thanks, you should've seen hell, it was spectacular",I smirked after letting out a yawn.
"Very funny. Get ready, Kyra is down the hall and I'm sure she's got a nice cup of coffee waiting for you", he said as he got off my bed.
"Keep the coffee warm for me, I'll be there in a moment", I said as I got out of bed in Nike shorts that hid under a huge space jam t-shirt.
"May be warm, may be half empty, tune in later to find out", he smirked with a wink before leaving my room and closing the door behind him.
If my cup of coffee is half empty I'm beating his ass.
I was quick to get out of bed though and took a quick shower. I tried not to think to hard about my nightmare but I've been having at least once a week since we left Seattle six months ago.
I guess you could say our drunk words gave light to sober thoughts because that next day after that night we were looking for new jobs. We applied to jobs in Los Angeles that we truly felt would help us accomplish our career goals and after we each got a job and found a reasonably priced apartment we could live in together, we quit our jobs and moved here within just about two months.
And let me just say, things have been great ever since. I really can't remember a time where I felt so free. I was 23 and living my best life with my best friends and life was way better than it would've been if I had stayed in that dreary city.
And the best part, every now and then, Beck, Kyra, and I get to work together. Beck works as a photographer for a Magazine and Fashion Company called Goddess Revolution. Kyra is a fashion designer and consultant for that same company, and I not only wrote for their Fearless Phoenix column and helped edit other columns in their magazine, but got paid a little extra for also modeling for them at least once a week. The company CEO, Veronica Hart, really took a chance on all of us and was more of a cool aunt than a boss. She told us when we came on our first day that when she saw us and heard our stories she felt really in-sync with us and that it was fate that we all had applied for jobs in her company.
But make no mistake, Mrs. Hart was not the only company owner in her family. Her husband Xavier owns his own company called Hart Incorporated. Word is they are an unbeatable power couple,
(No seriously, they've won Los Angeles' Favorite Power Couple 3 years in a row).
I've never met her husband or the rest of her family but I have heard gossip that sometimes they pop in and visit from time to time, sometimes they take a tour around the building as well. Also word around the building is that all their children are as attractive as they come, all five of them.
After my hot shower I dressed myself in a black long sleeve button up shirt, tucked it into a knee length tan velvet pencil skirt and finished off my outfit with a pair of black ankle strapped heels and worked on my hair and make up.
Now that I was actually taking care of myself and had become less stressed, my hair had grown from a long bob to almost reaching the middle of my back. My skin had also cleared up exponentially. I curled my long black hair into loose waves and framed it over my shoulders. I put a bit of foundation, concealer, did a simple smokey brown look for my eye shadow, simple eyeliner, mascara, blush, highlighter, and finished off with clear lip gloss before grabbing my phone and my tan blazer before leaving my room and heading to the kitchen.
When I walked in Kyra was siting on the granite island counter in a simple olive green dress and black heels with her shoulder length hair curled slightly and sipping on a cup of coffee. Beck was dressed in a grey blazer over a white shirt, jeans, and black shoes with his hair combed neatly. He stood next to the fridge and leaned back onto the other counter.
"Why good morning sleeping beauty", Kyra smirked.
"Well it's hard for sleeping beauty to get a good night's rest when you and your date last night were loud enough to call cows from Kansas", I smirked as Beck handed me my coffee which thankfully didn't look to have been drunken out of. I took a sip and sighed in satisfaction.
"Yeah, It sounded like he was killing you in there last night", Beck chuckled as Kyra rolled her eyes at our jokes.
"You should get me an Oscar then... because I faked all of that", Kyra said with a simple shrug as she finished her coffee and got off the counter to put the empty mug in the sink.
"Oh no, you had to fake it? Scale of one to ten", I asked with a pout as I sat at the island counter drinking my coffee.
"Solid 3. I would've worked with what he had if he knew how to work with what he had. I was so disappointed that after he cleaned himself up I just escorted him out of the apartment," Kyra explained as she put on her black blazer.
"Oof", Beck and I winced simultaneously.
Poor guy, he seemed to really have heart eyes for Kyra but if he couldn't satisfy Kyra, dude wasn't going to get even a text from her.
If this were the Bachelorette... he wouldn't even know he wasn't given a rose.
I finished my coffee as we made light conversation and then we all headed to work in one car together. We had our own separate cars but we changed which one we used once a week as to conserve gas and save money.
The Goddess Revolution company building wasn't the tallest or the biggest but everyone knew exactly how important the building was by the huge fancy GR on the top of it and the two Grecian female warrior statues in front on the left and right side.
Beck parked the car in the parking garage next door and once inside the company Kyra and Beck went right while I went left after saying hi to Penelope at the front desk.
I used the elevator to go up to floor 7 and once there I walked to my office space. Walking onto this floor always felt refreshing. Mrs. Hart loved creativity and giving us an open free area to roam, so it was always very relaxing. The huge windows were always open to let the sun in and even the small writers who wrote at their cubicals in the center were always given the chance to be creative with how they organized and styled it.
Those of us who had separate office spaces along the left and right wall were given the same, plus were able to pick out what color we wanted the walls.
"Last month's column Leah, absolutely inspiring. As soon as I read it I took myself on a date to a nail salon and got a dinner reservation at Julian's and I haven't felt this independent since I moved out of my mom's house", said Hailey Collins who does the astrology column.
"Thanks Hailey, and thanks to you I'm gonna stay away from the color pink this week", I joked as I walked to my office which was the last door on the right. Hailey walked back to her cubicle and and I turned on the lights in my office. My desk faced the door and on the left was the huge ceiling to floor window. The color that I chose for the walls was a neutral yellow color and was accentuated by the dark wood floor and desk and white detailings.
I put my things on my desk and then went on to sit in my white chair facing the window so I could try and come up with things to not only write for this month's issue for the Fearless Phoenix but l also the daily Fearless Phoenix that I write on the website and do on social media. I found that watching the sun rise and the city wake up helped me to think.
Writing the Fearless Phoenix column has been the best thing to ever happen to me. I write things that I wish people had told me even before I met Jordan. When I was younger I was always quiet and shy. I wanted to be extroverted, I wanted to put myself out there, but every time I did I was pushed back into a corner and laughed at. After awhile I stopped trying, I had Beck and Kyra and that was enough for me. So writing for the Fearless Phoenix felt like writing for young me... even for present me.
I couldn't lie, it's been 8 months since that day and even though I was happier in L.A, I was still...healing. No dates, no swiping on tinder or bumble, I was turning down any guy who had expressed interest in me, I barely even looked at a guys anymore. I know deep down the likely hood of me dating another abusive cheater was small but a part of me couldn't take that chance. I was damaged goods, Jordan made sure of that, and it was proving difficult to pick up my pieces and glue them together.
I was plucked from my thoughts when my office phone rang.
" Hello, Leah Rhodes speaking".
"Good morning Leah, I have a photo shoot for you today on level 5 in the east wing. Quite a few outfits and set ups so we'll also pause for your lunch. Do you think you could be there by 11, it'll give you a few hours to get some writing in. Also I'm gonna send you some pieces that need editing if you don't mind", said Mrs. Hart.
"Of course, I'll work on the daily Fearless Phoenix and that editing while I wait, I've got a bit of time before the monthly Fearless Phoenix column due date. Will I be working with Kyra and Beck", I asked as I turned back towards my computer.
"As always, I could never break up the three musketeers and I know you feel more relaxed when you work with them. I may try and pop by as well, but my son is visiting for lunch", she replied.
"No worries hope you have a great lunch with your son", I smiled before Mrs.Hart hung up.
I was really hoping that I would've been able to enjoy a little moment between myself and the beautiful sunrise but guess that will just have to wait till the weekend.
Wait- a little moment...
I smiled as I quickly logged onto my computer and began writing for the daily Fearless Phoenix post to put on the Goddess Revolution website page and social media pages.
"Fearless Phoenix here, I'm all for spreading those fiery wings and blazing through the skies but never forget to rest. Even the fearless get exhausted and you should never feel bad about where you land and how you spend your mini moment. Be excited for the destination but appreciate the journey as well. So sit back with you're favorite morning drink and relax those wings... appreciate another beautiful burning sunrise", I mumbled as I typed said words.
I quickly edited what I wrote and published it by itself for the web page and posted it with a picture of my legs on my desk in front of the sun rising in front of my window for social media.
After that I did some busy work and edited those pieces Mrs. Hart had talked about earlier as I waited for the clock to hit at least 10:45. Once it did I grabbed my phone, left my blazer on the back of my desk chair, and walked out into the office where it seemed there was more chatter than usual, and that was bad considering how much gossip and chatter usually happens in this office area.
I walked up to Hailey who was giggling and talking with a few other girls and Ethan who writes the polls and questionnaires for Goddess Revolution.
"What's got everyone buzzing", I asked with a smile.
"Penelope from the front desk confirmed it, one of Mrs.Hart's sons, Grayson Hart, is in the building. And I'm telling you it's been hot in here ever since", Hailey giggled as she fanned herself.
"Grayson Hart, 2nd oldest right? She did say something about them doing lunch today but she never said which son. Still, is this guy really so hot that he causes this kind of commotion", I asked.
"Oh honey, that's so cute. I'd show you his social media but it wouldn't do seeing him in person any justice. You've just got to see to believe that god really does pick favorites", Ethan smirked.
"Well look at the gene pool he was plucked out of, can't be that surprised at how sexy he looks", said one of the other girls.
"Well then I'll keep my eye out for this highly spoken sex god as I walk to my photo shoot, email me if you guys need anything and make sure to look over the edits I sent out", I smiled.
I couldn't help but to chuckle slightly as I rode the elevator back down to the lobby. Why was everyone so love drunk over Mrs. Hart's kids, especially this Grayson guy? Sure Mrs. Hart was beautiful and Mr. Hart was a very handsome gentleman, but was it really that serious? Was he really all that everyone was saying?
I just couldn't help but wonder... just how good looking was this Grayson Hart suppose to be?
~Leah above~