FicWad

“Are you sure you’re going to be alright?” Jared asked. His eyes were filled with a deep worry that didn’t seem to be letting up anytime soon.

“I’ll be fine, really.” Rowan smiled a little, nodding her head as she did. She was laying back on the couch, a small blanket pulled up to her neck. She didn’t want him to leave but she knew that he had to.

Jared sighed and stood up from where he was kneeling. He had gotten a call that he was expected to show up at some important meeting he was sure he had been ignoring ever since Rowan had gone to the hospital but now he couldn’t ignore it. He had to go despite the uneasiness he felt of leaving her alone. She looked so vulnerable laying there, so small and unable to fight the darkness that had sucked her in so completely. He almost told him to screw everything and stay right here where he belonged but he knew that he just couldn’t do that. Responsibilities were responsibilities.

“Well I’ll be by later…it should only take a couple of hours.” He softly whispered, smoothing her hair back from her forehead.

She nodded and lifted herself up to reach him better. Lightly she kissed him, her hands resting on his shoulders. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing her as close as he could to his chest. He loved the way she clung onto him, the way it felt like nothing else existed but the two of them. Everything else fell away as he held her, her lips caressing over his. This was what he had been missing his entire life, this was what mattered.

“You ready?” Shannon asked, closing the bedroom door where he had come out of the bathroom.

Jared broke from the kiss at the sound of his voice and nodded to him. “See you later.” He said down to her, stealing a final kiss before he went out after Shannon, giving her a last look over his shoulder.

She watched the door close and then let out a heavy sigh. She had told him that everything was going to be alright, that she would be fine but in truth she was terrified to be by herself. Sure her dad didn’t know where Jared’s place was but there was a chance wasn’t there? A chance that he could find her and finish what he had started. She had gone through something like this before when her mother had been sick and she had thought that she had left it all behind when she had left home. Yet now here she was, as broken as before, and still fearing the moment he would knock on the door, tear himself in and make her feel the blunt of his anger.

She ran a hand back through her hair and tried to calm herself. Jared would be back soon, it wouldn’t take too long, she just had to put aside all those stupid fears and relax.

She set the blanket aside and got up from the couch. She went into the bedroom, needing to use the bathroom and passed by the mirror. She looked at her gaunt appearance and couldn’t believe that she had been around Jared looking like this. Her eyes were beyond tired, the wound on her head was pretty ugly and the bandages running up her arms showed how weak she was. She looked horrible, felt terrible, and overall hated the ridiculous fuss she had caused. She could have dealt with this herself, she wasn’t even sure why her dad had brought her to the hospital.

She peeled the sweater she was wearing off and untied the sweatpants she was wearing letting them fall to the ground. She let out a hiss of a sigh as she looked at the dark bruises marked there. Tears stung her eyes as she lifted her tank top a little to see the bruises there as well. Lightly she touched to it and winced at the sting of pain it caused. Her tears fell, her head swam with a bit of dizziness as she tried to wrap her sense around why this had happened to her. She wasn’t sure what she had done to upset her dad so much, why he was so angry with her. It hurt to grasp it, hurt to know that nothing would ever be easy. She didn’t even want to get started on how things were unsettled with Jared right now, how she had heard Bianca and how she had felt his pain after she had left the room.

A knock at the front door startled her out of her thoughts causing her to re-dress and hurry out of the room. The knock was soft, not hurried. harshly she swallowed and looked into the peephole. It was a woman, she was turned around waiting for the door to open. She wasn’t sure what she should do, tell her to leave because Jared wasn’t in or just leave it alone until she didn’t leave. She figured it would be best to just tell her Jared wasn’t here and have her be on her way.

She unlocked the door, pulled it open and watched as the woman turned around to face her. She was beautiful, clearly foreign, and the smile she wore was neither warm or friendly.

“Hello.” Her accent was thick and her voice was melodic. Her curves were beautifully displayed in the bandage dress she wore and her legs were perfect in the heels she was wearing.

“Hi…Jared isn’t in.” Rowan said, something awoke in her at the sound of her voice. It was the same one from the hospital wasn’t it?

“I know. I waited until he left.” She made her way in and stopped in the middle of the living room.

“You can’t be here.” Rowan stated, looking at the woman a bit appalled.

She looked around and then shook her head. “Less decorated than when I was last here. So wonderful being here with him. He really is something, isn’t he?” Lightly she touched her fingers to the couch and let out something of a giggle. “We made love here once when we were first getting to know each other.” She turned to the bedroom door. “And in there too.”

Rowan swallowed harshly, folding her arms across her chest. She didn’t know what to say. Was that anger or jealousy rising up inside?

“Oh by the way I’m Bianca….” She held her hand out to Rowan with a wicked smile on her coral painted lips. “…Jared’s wife.”

Her words struck Rowan painfully, she wasn’t even sure what to say. What could be said when it was true? Did that mean that she was having some sort of an affair? the thought twisted in her stomach, upset her to the point that there were tears fighting their way up. She wouldn’t let them fall.

“I hope Jared told you about me.” Her eyes feigned care before she let that smile grace her lips again.

Rowan stood up more straight. “He did.”

“And you never asked why he hasn’t gotten a divorce? Why I would be furious. He shouldn’t treat you that way.”

“Look you should come back later…he’ll be back soon.” She glanced towards the open door hoping that she would just leave.

“But I came here to talk to you.”

“Why?” Rowan’s brows knitted together as her confusion broke onto her face.

“You’re so innocent…is that what he likes in you? Because you need him?” There was obvious mockery in her voice as she tossed her hair back from her shoulder. “You must have needed him when you were in the hospital too, didn’t you? Daddy give you a beating?”

Rowan could feel the repetitive blows breaking her even more than she already was. She didn’t want to be here talking to this woman. She wanted to just leave, escape somewhere else.

“You want me to leave, don’t you? You look like you’re about to cry.” She mocked a pout and shook her head. “I’ll leave, don’t worry.”

Rowan tightened her lips together and tried not to seem too upset. Her fight with her tears was obviously not working very well.

“You’re so pretty too…Look at you, like a little angel, aren’t you?” She let out a small laugh and then made her way to the door, her hips swaying as she did. Once she was outside she turned to face Rowan again. “There’s something you should know Rowan…”

“What’s that?’ Rowan forced out. She could see the beauty in this woman that she herself didn’t possess. She could see the allure in event he simple way she just stood there.

“You might need him but he needs me…He’s always have.” And with that she walked away.

Rowan let the door slip from her grasp letting it make a slamming sound before she slowly brought herself to the couch. She sat down, tried to take a breath before finally she broke. Tears fell from her eyes, her hands shook as she covered her face with them. Her heart was racing and her pain was overwhelming. She just couldn’t deal with this anymore, couldn’t bear to stand in the middle of nowhere with everyone adding more salt to each of her wounds. She had the thought that maybe she should leave, that maybe none of this was going to work out. Hope really was so very fickle and the thought of going through more of this was almost excruciating. It hurt her to even think it but it crossed her mind anyways. The thought that maybe she should just leave.