Come On, Make It Easy // P.S.

Chapter Twenty Two: Talk Me Down

*slight tw but it ends quickly*

||Allie's POV||

I couldn't have been out for long, seeing as I woke with a start. My whole body was crying for release, my eyes flooded with tears as soon as I opened them.

The pain was fucking unbearable. I couldn't move from my previous spot on the motel floor, my arms (from what I could see without moving, that is) were already bruising and I had a horrible time breathing.

I closed my eyes and when I opened them more time must've passed because I could've sworn I heard Daren toss a glass object against a wall. It shattered and he cursed loudly, and I could hear the pain in his voice.

My breathing had become scarily shallow, and I felt like I was choking, I hacked and curled into myself as I cried from the pain. My throat was closing in on itself and I couldn't breathe correctly, blood was all I could taste and when I spit it was all red.

My eyes spilled over onto the carpet and I heard Daren chuckle as I coughed, every breath like knives carving themselves into my throat.

My eyes tilted up to meet his own and he had a look that said, "Well? Care to get up and finish this?"

I thought of Patrick at that moment.

How he had just been forced to hear that. How he was made aware that I wasn't making it out of this one unscathed, despite his trying. How he wanted me to survive, but every instinct telling him that it wouldn't happen.

If I stood up now, Daren would take me down. I would be helpless, he would be satisfied. Everything would be over.

I thought of Pete, how he'd always told me to fight my battles even if nobody was there to help. He taught me to be strong and courageous, and stand for something rather than fall for nothing.

I stood up.

I stood for Pete and Patrick. For Joe and Andy. For my parents. For my own life, my own future.

Even when every joint in my body cracked and groaned and I was certain my ribcage was concaving into itself, I stood.

Even when the pain made me want to black out again. I stood up on my own two feet in front of Daren and let myself rise on my own terms.

"Fu-ck yo-u." My breathy voice came out in gasps. And in one fluid movement I spat blood in his face.

The color of red splashed across his cheek made me feel giddy inside. I wasn't going down without a fight. Especially since he was the reason I had been so hurt those many months ago.

I smiled and closed my eyes as he came at me for the last time that night, his bloodied fist coming in contact with my jaw once again.

I fell back to the floor but this time, I let my adrenaline push me back to my feet.

I kicked out and tripped Daren as he tried walking away. My small body was too fast for him to grab again, so I climbed on top of him and started throwing punch after punch after punch into his tan jawline. Letting the sound of his grunts push me further.

Every hit was for someone that he'd hurt. Someone he made suffer on my behalf.

Punch.