Save Me

RaeLynn Meadows stood in front of her bathroom mirror and carefully tended to the cuts and bruises that she’d received the previous evening from her boyfriend, Chris Matthews. She’d become a master at the task for the beatings had become a frequent event. It seemed as though every little thing she’d done or said would piss him off. After that, her nights would be filled with endless pain and helpless screams…and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it.

RaeLynn sighed as she disguised a bruise on her left cheek with cover-up. She was tired and desperately wanted to forget about school that morning in order to catch up on some sleep, but she didn’t want to endure a game of 20 Questions with her friends. As RaeLynn applied cover-up to the purple ring under her eyes, she couldn’t help but think back to that first night. The first night that Chris ever put his hands on her in a violent manner. He had been so irritated with her. She’d never seen his eyes blaze from being so infuriated …so insulted. She only wanted to know where he’d been after arriving home at nearly 3 in the morning. Chris had accused her of thinking that he was cheating on her. When RaeLynn didn’t answer to him to protest, that’s when the arguing started and the hitting started when he had her cornered against a wall.

RaeLynn had never been that terrified in her entire life, but she could handle a lot of things. She could handle the dirty games of Truth or Dare. She could handle the alcohol battles between herself and her friends. She could handle the fact that her father cared only his work and didn’t want anything to do with her. She could handle the constant strain of being a junior in high school and college. She could handle the countless hours of homework. But, what she couldn’t handle was the fact that her boyfriend of 2 years was no more. Sure, his name was still Christopher Matthews, but he wasn’t the same. He wasn’t the passionate, outgoing person she had met 2 years ago when she was in a freshman in high school. He wasn’t the guy who would surprise her with a different flower every morning, or take care of her when she was sick. That guy had disappeared. Now…it seemed as though Christopher was the one making her sick. Not the viruses of the common cold or a sinus infection. Her own boyfriend had become toxic, but she knew she didn’t have the strength…or the willpower to remove herself from the situation. RaeLynn still loved him and believed that Chris still loved her too and she determined to keep up the façade that it seemed that way.

RaeLynn silently finished her task and proceeded to walk back into her bedroom to finish getting ready for school. She gasped when she bumped into Chris on her way out of the bathroom.

“I…I’m sorry, baby. I d-didn’t s-see you t-there…” RaeLynn stuttered out while playing with her fingers and looking down at her shoes, which had become the most interesting things in the room despite Chris presenting himself only in a pair of black silk boxers. Chris leaned against the doorframe and took in RaeLynn’s appearance. RaeLynn could feel his eyes on her and knew he was studying her, trying to find something he could criticize her on. When Chris couldn’t find anything, he simply kissed RaeLynn’s cheek and proceeded to walk back into the bedroom. RaeLynn let out a sigh of relief, slipped on her jacket, grabbed her purse, messenger bag, and keys and proceeded to walk downstairs and outside to her car. She was barely to the front door when she felt someone’s arms snake themselves around her waist. She gasped from fear—an instinct that had become a natural habit…she knew it was Chris who was holding her and the tightness was terrifying her to an extreme.

“Is t-there s-something you n-need, baby? I’m gonna b-be late for school,” RaeLynn managed to say. She could feel Chris’s hot breath against the back of her neck and the sensation sent warm chills throughout her entire body. But, in truth, RaeLynn was terrified that this morning would be no different than her nights…filled with pain and helplessness.

“I’m sorry for hurting you last night. I don’t know what came over me. I love you, Rae. Don’t you ever forget that. I truly am sorry and I’ll make it up to you when you come home from school, baby. I promise,” Chris whispered in RaeLynn’s ear. RaeLynn smiled contently, relaxed against Chris and closed her eyes. She was sure that a few more minutes had passed, making her late for first period.

“School can kiss my ass. He’s apologizing to me and that’s all I wanna think about right now.” RaeLynn thought to herself, but she felt her heart tug at something she’s known for a long time.

“You know he doesn’t mean it. The apologies mean nothing to him. He only wants to get you where he wants you. When you come home from school today, he’s gonna be cooking you a fantastic dinner. Complete with a dozen roses, a passionate, yet fake kiss and expensive jewelry from your favorite jewelry store. Wonder what it’ll be this time…a necklace? A ring? A tennis bracelet? It’s the same routine over and over again. Come on, sweetie. Open your eyes. He has you wrapped around his finger, honey. You deserve a hell of a lot better and you know it."

RaeLynn mentally scolded herself for allowing her heart to speak the truth and gently unwound Chris’s arms from around her waist. She turned and gave him a quick kiss on his lips.

“I forgive you, baby. I’ll see you when I come home from school. Love you.” And with that said, RaeLynn walked out of the house and to her car. She blasted ‘Your Guardian Angel’ by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus on her way to school, remembering all the good times she used to have with Chris while allowing the tears to gently roll down her cheeks.