Forever And Never

SEVEN || SASHA

A cigarette dangles from his mouth as he gives me a grin. "I knew this would work."

I stand in the hallway of Eric's apartment, the last gift I gave to him before I dumped him. Now, standing here in this dreary, disgusting, and smelly building, I am glad I didn't give him the luxury five/star penthouse in Las Vegas.

Pippa is somewhere inside Eric's home, whining and crying from realizing my scent. Those sounds make my heart crumble into pieces. I have my fists clench and teeth grit in front of Eric, not wanting to let him see me break down.

I glare back at Eric, who has his hands holding Pippa's leash. "Give her back to me, you son of a bitch. Don't you have other things to worry about?"

He shrugs, leaning against the doorway. "I'm planning to move out somewhere, near your home. That way I can see you any time—"

I slap him across the face. He makes a choking noise in alarm as I try to push past him. His hand shoves me back, almost slamming me against the wall. I am growing desperate now; I did not even call the cops and I am about to be in trouble.

"What do you want from me?" I yell, blinking back the tears forming in my eyes.

Eric's grin disappears. "Goddamn it, Sasha. When will you finally realize that I'm the one for you?"

I inhale shakily when I notice his free hand sneaking to his pocket. "Eric, give me back my dog."

We both flinch at the sound of sirens wailing in the distance. It pierces through the tension, filling the air around us. I almost feel relieved, until I hear Pippa let out a loud bark.

Swearing under his breath, Eric drops the leash and tackles me, slamming my body to the ground. I shriek in alarm as his hands wrap around my neck.

"We'll die together then," he spits into my face. My eyes widen in realization, quickening my heartbeat. "Just you and me."

No, I want to scream. I'm not ready to join Daniel. Not yet.

I beat at his face with my fists but his grip doesn't loosen. Black stars are dancing around my vision. Seconds are ticking by quickly. I am panicking. I cannot breathe. My lungs are burning. Blood rushes into my lips, so much that I think they are going to burst. Eric grins down at me and I let my hands drift to the ground.

This cannot be the end of my life. I will not be murdered in cold blood like this.

"Eric..." I manage to gasp, my hands prying at his fingers. "Eric, I l-love you."

The tension in his grip falter, but it is not enough. He stares down at me with an angry expression. "You're lying."

I reach up to scratch at his face. He avoids my hands, pushing down at my neck.

This is it.

My hands fall to the ground and I let my eyes shut.

"Sasha!"

A crash echoes throughout the room. Eric swears. I hear voices screaming before Eric's arms suddenly go weak.

"Sasha!" I recognize my mother's voice. My eyes fly open and I see multiple policemen and women rushing into the hallway. Scrambling up, I begin to hack and cough as I inhale every ounce of air I can. Nausea hits me hard, forcing me to lean against the wall for support. My neck is burning from how tight Eric had squeezed it.

I gasp in air, coughing again. There are tears spilling down my cheeks, but I do not know if it is from relief or pain.

"No! I'm sorry!" Eric is screaming, but the officers that just stepped in are cuffing him. My mother is grabbing my face, letting out loud sobs.

"Sasha! Are you alright, darling?" She checks my body for other injuries. I nod my head meekly, wiping Eric's saliva off my face.

"H-How did you know I was here?" I manage to ask before coughing again.

My mother frowns for a moment. "It wasn't you that called the police? I got a notice and came here as fast as I could."

I rub my back, wincing at the pain near my shoulder. "No..."

My mother looks down at my neck and begins to cry harder. "Oh, my God, do you need to go to a hospital?"

I shake my head, rubbing at the clearly bruised skin. "It's okay. It doesn't hurt, umma."

A bodyguard walks over and tells me that I should be taken to a hospital. I shake my head again in reply, assuring him that I am truly fine.

The doors of the hallway in the apartment fly open. I turn and see my father run in with at least six bodyguards and officers following behind. A weak smile forms on my face.

"Hi, appa," I mumble. My father doesn't look at me; instead, he walks past and grabs Eric. Everyone backs away in shock as my father throws a punch at Eric's face.

"How dare you lay a hand on my daughter!?" My father screams, striking him again. Blood spurts out of Eric's nose and he lets out a wail of pain.

I stand up, brushing the dust off my clothes. "Appa, stop! I'm okay now!"

Four body guards tentatively guide my father away to compose himself while the officers shove Eric down the stairway. A wave of relief washes over me when I see the pained and regretful expression on his face.

He deserves it.

A policewoman walks out of Eric's apartment room, holding Pippa in her arms. I begin to cry as soon as I see her, hugging my precious child to my chest.

"Oh, Pippa," I gasp, wiping the tears from my eyes. "Oh, thank God, you're alive!"

My father speaks with the bodyguards to arrange meetings with every lawyer we have while my mother escorts me out of the apartment. When we reach the first floor, blinding flashes cloud my vision. The officers block the cameras from the reporters for me as I quickly walk to the car waiting for me.

During the whole time back, I feel safe as my parents sit next to me, their hands interlaced with mine.

"So who called the police?" I ask once William drives out of the parking lot. My mother shrugs in reply.

"It was from an unknown number," my father mutters. "Maybe your employees saw what happened."

I think for a moment, nestling Pippa's furry body against me. Who could have called? No one was around when I left the building.

My worries instantly fade as I see the familiar mansion of our house. I smile warmly, relaxing from the feeling of being safe.

Safe. That is all I need to be. Safe is good.

———

i hate eric so much,, he can literally choke and i'll laugh

book recommendation: "When It Pauses" by samazingly bc her books are so good omf

please leave a vote or comment if you enjoyed this chapter!! thank youu

-e