Hide and Go Seek // Sammy Wilk

Twelve.

Last night, I eventually got into the bed after Nick fell asleep. He startled me when he immediately put his arm over me. I wanted to throw up. My phone buzzed beneath my pillow the next morning, constantly. Sammy was calling and texting, wondering if I was okay. But I ignored it. I knew Nick would probably use it as a hint. Thank goodness he was flying back to Manhattan today. He kept glancing at me as he packed and I laid there on my side, refusing to make eye contact with him.

"I'm sorry I lost my temper," he said while tying his tie in the mirror. "All my life, things would get taken from me. So I-"

"I'm not interested in you trying to justify your domestic abuse," I interrupted.

"You know, I admire you so much. You know how bad I could get yet you still bring forth your snooty attitude," he laughed to himself.

He walked over and sat next to me on the bed, moving the hair that covered my battered face.

"Now let's get down to business," he continued. "What do you know? What did my colleague say to you? Hmm?"

I tensed up as he petted my hair. "I told you already. I know that some guy who got his hand chopped off and now he's bidding 3 million instead of 2. That's all."

"Are you certain?" His tone was too calm to my liking. Like a calm before the storm.

"Yes. You can ask the guy."

"I did," he smiled. "Just wanted to make sure your story checked out."

He moved forward to kiss me and I refused him.

"Don't play hard to get now," he chuckled. "Kiss me." He grabbed my chin, forcing his lips onto mine. "Thank you."

He stood up and I wiped my lips behind his back.

"Now I know I'll be gone for two weeks, Har. So while I'm gone, I'm actually trusting you to behave. And by behave, I mean don't go being a little rat. If anyone asks, you got mugged. Please don't test me." He was serious. I was putting nothing past him. He picked up my bag off the floor and rummaged through it, pulling out my wallet.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I sat up.

"Taking your credit card...which I pay for. But you have your debit card. You'll survive. Bad actions won't go unpunished."

"Un-fucking-believable."

"My love," he sighed. "You know I love you more than I love myself. One day you'll forgive me and once again I'll make you the happiest woman in the world. We'll be an unstoppable force. I just have things to handle and...so do you. I need you, Harlow. After all this business stuff, I like to come back to you and see your smile, kiss those lips. If only you could feel how much I love you."

"Feel? I have definitely felt how much you love me," I scoffed.

"My temper gets out of hand sometimes. I'll get help. I'll get help for you, for us. I just don't understand why you had to cheat. I thought we were perfect, untouchable."

"Things have changed Nick," I stepped up and said, prepared to be hit or choked out again. "You're not the same, I'm not the same, we just don't match anymore. Your lifestyle isn't my lifestyle. We should just break up and get it over with."

"Simple as that?" He came back toward me and I stood up with my head held high.

"Yep," I responded. "Gonna hit me for speaking my mind? Go ahead. You're just adding onto the rest of the shitty sexist male statistic that thinks they're always right."

He laughed. "Really? Alright then, love."

The back of his hand hit me so hard that I tasted blood. But then I swung back with a closed fist right in his jaw. Even though I had great aim and made him hold onto his face, it only angered him more. Before I knew it, we both had each other in a chokehold. I might lose but I didn't wanna go down without a fight. He was able to throw me onto the bed and pin me down again.