Back to You (Sequel to Take Me Away From Here)

Chapter 29

Faith POV: 

The car ride from Horace's is painful quiet, while my mind seems to race a mile a minute. I look out the window while Tim drives. Occasionally, I look toward him to see if his hands are still shaking. I feel like that visit was a rollercoaster of emotions. 

The fact that Horace is defending us against my own father is surprising to say the least. At the same time, the information about Cindy is a complete shock. Tim never said anything to me about what happened to her, so I figured she either stayed in Mississippi with Horace or hightailed it out of there and disappeared from their radar. I lean my head back against the seat, feeling my head pound from all the stress. 

"I'm sorry." Tim says, making me turn toward him. He glances my way, before looking at the road again. "I know I should've told you about Cindy... it's just... It's still a raw wound." He says quietly. I nod, telling myself to be understanding. He and I cope very differently. I normally lean on him, while he never wants to bother me with the information. He'll let it stack up until it becomes too much, while he normally convinces me into letting out all my worries to him. "Faith, why did we come down here?" He asks, honestly leaving me a little stumped. I shrug, as he pulls back into the hotel parking lot. 

We walk up to the room without exchanging a single word or glance. I think about his question nonstop, the silence only adding fuel to my train of thought. He opens the door, and walks over to his bed, plugging his phone into the charger, before lying down. He places his hands on his stomach and takes a couple deep breaths while looking at the ceiling. Why did we come down here? Did I think this was somehow going to remind us of where we started? I set my purse down, and look at our separate beds, feeling heartbroken at the sight. It doesn't seem real... There was a point in time where we couldn't keep our hands off of each other, and now we can't even sleep in the same bed. 

"I'm going to hop in the shower." I say, feeling like I'm about to cry. He nods, before grabbing his book off the nightstand. I sulk away to the bathroom, shutting the door and feeling my shoulders start to shake. I start the water, before getting in the shower. The feeling of the water falling down on my skin makes it even harder to hold in my tears. I cover my mouth, before placing a hand on the shower wall. I feel like my world is crashing down around me. My arms are shaking, as I try not to scream. I hear myself whimpering, before placing my forearm over my mouth to muffle it. I shut my eyes, hoping it'll calm me down. 

"Babe?" I hear his voice release softly. I see a younger version of him standing in front of me, while I look around me. I'm in a trailer, somewhere where the music is making the entire structure shake. I look down to see my high-waisted jeans and a black blouse on me, before looking at his black t-shirt, jeans, and boots. He grabs onto my hand, before looking out the window of the trailer. "I know things are changing, and it's scary... but you know me... You know everything about me, and that's not going to change." He says, although I just don't feel like it's true. 

The trailer fades away into that night our relationship fell apart. I watch Tim lying on top of me, while in Audrey's nursery. He's so drunk... I can tell by the way he's breathing... it's like he's just ran a mile. He unzips his jeans while I squirm desperately. 

"Tim, stop..." I plead from under him. I watch him slip down my underwear, which I don't quite recall ever happening. I feel my stomach sink, as I hear myself scream. He covers my mouth, having his way with me while I'm left completely helpless. My hands press up against his chest, but he's too strong and heavy to push away. 

"I can't lose you, baby..." He breathes into my ear, thrusting toward me. I watch tears fall from my eyes, before hearing myself sob. He pulls back a bit, before looking down at me. Tears coat my cheeks, while a large, swollen red mark rests where he punched me. I look up at him in terror, before he wraps his hand tightly around my throat while looking me dead in the eye. "I can't breathe without you." He says, bending down and pressing our foreheads together while I fight for air. My hands try to pry his away from my throat, while releasing the worst wheezing noises. I convulse, punching him as hard as I can while he continues to strangle me. "I can't let you go..." He whispers, as I run out of air. I shut my eyes, before he slaps me. "Look at me!" He screams, shaking me like a rag doll. He releases my throat for a moment, standing up and zipping his jeans once more. I gasp, releasing the most awful noises as I threaten to lose consciousness. My throat is almost swollen shut. He walks across the room, before looking back at me. He marches my way, making me try to crawl away.