Wicked

Chapter 8

Tim POV: 

I hold her hair back, listening to her throw up nonstop, before crying loudly. She struggles to breathe, seeming to gasp for air between cries, before throwing up again. She's too worked up, which is making her grow more freaked out. 

"Faith, what happened?" I ask, trying to talk her down. She rests her head on the toilet seat, desperately trying to catch her breath, but she can't. "Faith, breathe." I direct, before breathing in deeply, and exhaling deeply afterward. I guide her through a few deep breaths, watching it slowly help her. She eventually gets to the point where she can speak, but hives still coat her chest. "What's going on?" I question gently, as she shuts her eyes tightly. She puts her head in her hands, howling quietly as I get a terrible gut feeling. I knew the moment I saw her swollen cheek that she wasn't okay. I just didn't expect it to be this bad. "Was it Scott?" I ask, watching her shake her head. 

"No." She asserts, wiping her nose before fighting for a breath. "My p... p..." She stutters, before coughing. "Producer." She spits out, as I cock my head. Her producer hit her... That sounds a little far fetched. 

"What happened?" I press once more, as she swallows, sniffling loudly. 

"He forced me to... to..." She stammers, before shaking her head. "He's done it before, but this time I just... I couldn't do it again... and then he hit me." She rambles, as I try to connect the pieces. I still feel like I'm missing huge details. 

"What did you force you to do?" I ask, as she hugs herself. She whispers something softly,  practically inaudible. "What?" I call out, trying to understand her. 

"Sleep with him." She answers, before covering her mouth. I feel my heart sink as I watch her break down once more. "He did it before too... He threatens to can the album and tell Warner if I don't, and then he said he'd tell Warner I was lying if I told them about it, which means I can't tell Scott." She runs on frantically, as I massage my forehead, wishing she were lying. 

"Who was your producer?" I question, although I'm pretty sure I know who it is. 

"Dan Gordon." She confirms, as I lean my head back. I don't know why the hell Scott would let her work with a guy who has a track record as bad as his. He's known to go after young girls who are desperate to work with him, due to his success. It wouldn't surprise me if he went after Faith. "He wouldn't stop." She cries, as I wince. 

"Is there someone I should call?" I ask her gently, as she wipes her tears. She shakes her head, clearing her throat a little. "I can call Scott to come pick you up." I offer, as she shakes her head harder. 

"No, he doesn't need to..." She starts, pulling her knees up to her chest. "I'll be fine. I just need a moment, that's all." She tries to justify, taking a few more deep breaths. "Could you walk me to my car?" She asks, as I nod, knowing it's the least I can do. 

I help her stand, watching her brush herself off before looking at herself in the mirror. She sees her cheek and eyes swelling, frowning. I take off my baseball cap, putting it on her to help shield the injury. She grabs her bag off the floor, digging out her keys before starting out the bathroom door. She keeps her head down, as I follow closely behind her, keeping an eye out for Dan. We walk through the parking lot to her Mercedes. She turns around toward me after opening her door. She takes a deep breath, before looking down at my left hand. I can tell she looks for my wedding ring, by the way she cringes slightly once she discovers it. 

"Thank you." She says, before biting her lip. 

"No problem." I reply, as she tucks her hair behind her ear. "Are you sure you're okay?" I ask, watching her nod. She forces a smile, letting out a sigh. 

"Yeah. Let just keep this between us, okay?" She says while I nod, knowing it'd be unfair to tell her how to handle this or to go around town talking about it.

"Drive safe." I say as she sits down in her car. She shuts the door, putting the car in reverse before looking up at me. She smiles through the window, before pulling out and driving off. I watch her disappear around the corner, feeling torn about the entire encounter. I didn't know she was going through things like that... I thought Scott was so far up her ass that he'd protect her from assholes like Dan, but I guess I was wrong. She's just as vulnerable now as she was before. 

I stagger back into the studio, before staring at the door I first saw Faith walk out of. I creep down, peering through the door to see Dan mixing a song by Faith. He hears me and turns around, lighting up. He stands up, walking toward me. 

"Tim! To what do I owe the –" He chimes, before I lay a punch onto his jaw, knocking him off balance. I start to turn toward the door, before realizing that I don't feel like that was harsh enough. He stands with a hand over the sight of the punch, before I hit him time and time again. He falls onto the ground, groaning, when I determine that's enough for now. His secretary walks in, spotting him on the ground, before looking at me. She dials 9-1-1, as I shut my eyes. 

Kristine glares at me, seething as she stands in the lobby of the South Nashville police precinct. Her arms are crossed, as I fill out my final paperwork, receiving a bag back with all my things. I can feel her eyes burning holes through me, so I know this car ride is going to be fun. 

We walk to the car in silence, as she hops into the driver's seat, turning on her SUV. She stares out the windshield, taking a deep breath before looking my way. 

"Assault? Fucking assault, Tim?" She spews as I wince. I shut my eyes for a moment, waiting for her to put the car in reverse. I look down to see it's still in park. "I'm not moving until you tell me what the hell made you assault a producer." She asserts, as I sigh. I lean my head back against my seat, thinking of the way Faith was breathing after she walked out of the room. She was terrified... 

"He had assaulted someone sexually and physically... I just... I don't know." I let out, hoping it'll be enough to satisfy her demand for information. It's clearly not, by the way she's continuing to stare at me. 

"Who did he assault?" She asks, likely knowing, but wanting me to say it. 

"He raped Faith." I say quietly, feeling my chest ache. Kristine leans her head back, taking a deep breath as she seems to search for strength. 

"Tim, you are not married to Faith. That is Scott's place and problem, not yours. You don't need to go and get tossed into jail for defending her when you have your own family at home." She asserts, seething with anger. I keep my mouth shut, knowing better than to argue with her. I stretch out my hand, feeling it ache after my run-in with Dan, as Kristine starts to drive.