Bulletproof Heart

Horrible truth about being sick: if you laugh too hard you can accidentally blow a snot bubble. Of course, because I was cuffed I couldn’t wipe my face. So it was no surprise that that was the exact moment when Gee and Frank came outside to look for us.
“What did you do now V?” Gee sighed when he spotted us in the cruiser.
“Nothing.” I explained that Pru and I had forgotten our press passes when we came outside. “And then these assholes arrested us.”
“Officer, this is my girlfriend and our press girl.” Gee could barely hold in the snickers.
“V, that’s a huge snot glob hanging out of your nose.” Frank wasn’t so kind.
“Get me a goddamn tissue then. I’m cuffed.” I muttered. Luckily the officer uncuffed us and I was able to wipe my face before Gee pulled me into his arms.
“I think I kinda like you handcuffed.” He whispered in my ear.
“Dream on babe. If one of us is getting cuffed, its gonna be you.” I tucked my hands into his back pockets, something I knew drove him crazy.
“I’m really hoping you’re gonna say you’re tired so we can go to bed.” He murmured.
“Pru, I’m gonna head to bed.” I said over my shoulder to my friend. “Think you can amuse yourself?”
“I think I can handle that.” Frank grinned over Pru’s head.
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t.” I warned before Gee and I went onto the bus.
Of course I knocked out from my cold medicine before we could fool around in our bunk.
I was feeling marginally better the next morning, except Frank and Mikey kept calling Pru and me Jailbird.
“For Christ’s sake, stop making fun of us. If your dumb asses put our names on the list to get in we wouldn’t have gotten arrested.” I finally yelled.
“She’s got a point.” Ray piped up.
“Damn. Why didn’t I think of that?” Gee muttered.
“Because women are smarter. Embrace it.” I kissed his forehead and headed into the back to grab my camera so Pru could do yet another interview. I swear we could stop filming and we’d still have enough footage for the rest of the tour.
I barely paid attention to what was being said, just to who was saying it so I could keep the camera on them.
Damn cold medicine.
“You’re still sick?” Adam asked when he spotted me setting up my equipment at the venue.
“Yeah. Goddamn Canada isn’t helping much either.” I hated the cold. This is why living in NYC is not a good idea for me.
“Poor V.” Jimmy ruffled my hair affectionately.
I’ve really started to get close to these guys, Adam and Jimmy especially. They’re all just awesome people. I realized I’d left one of the cables in the bus, so I made sure to grab my phone and my press pass just in case before heading out to the bus.
I headed straight to the back, found the cable and went right back out.
I wouldn’t have seen the picture if I hadn’t decided to grab a jacket from the bunk I shared with Gee.
It was a picture of the two of us. Gee was holding me tight against him and I had my hands in his back pockets.
This was taken last night.
Gee’s face was scratched out with black Sharpie.
I flipped over the picture with shaking hands.
Life is such a fragile thing. I knew that handwriting.
Trent.
I sank down onto the floor and put my head between my knees, trying to calm down. Gee was a target. Gee would die if I didn’t leave him.
I barely knew what I was doing as I grabbed my backpack and a heavier jacket.
I’m sorry. I scrawled on a scrap of paper and left it on our-no, Gee’s bunk- and got the hell out of there.
I bought a ticket back to New York and sank down into a chair in the terminal. As soon as my butt hit the plastic of the chair, my phone started to ring.
“Where the hell are you V?” Pru demanded.
“On my way back to New York.” I choked out. I’ve never cried so hard in my life as I am right now.
“Why?”
“He found me Pru. He’ll hurt Gee if I don’t leave. So I’m going home.”
“This is gonna break his heart.”
“Better to have a broken heart than to be dead.”
“You better text me every day to tell me you’re okay.”
“I will. You can’t tell Gee why I left.”
“Fine. I still think your making a mistake.”
“That may be, but I won’t put him in danger. I have to go. Bye.” I hung up and pulled my knees up to my chest.
My phone buzzed again and I prayed it wasn’t Gee. It wasn’t. It was a text from a blocked number. In the message was a picture of Gee, standing alone and smoking.
You made the right decision love.
My flight was called and I nearly sprinted onto it.
In a few hours I’d be far away from Gee.
And he’d be safe.
--
I changed all the locks in the apartment and got a deadbolt to put on the door. Just because I had come home didn’t mean I was gonna be an idiot and leave myself open like a sitting duck.
I carried a bottle of pepper spray and had procured a switch blade, just in case. I had every intention of surviving this and trying to get Gee back afterwards.
I’m on my way home. Everything’s okay. I texted Pru as soon as I left my office building. I let her know every time I moved.
My new motto is just in case.
I haven’t told my parents I’ve come home or my little sisters. I don’t want any of them getting involved.
I still get texts from a blocked number telling me how much he loves me, how glad he is that I gave up my fling with Gee and came home.
It makes me sick. I had to give up the man who may very well be the love of my life because of this worthless piece of shit.
I unlocked the door and dropped my backpack on the floor near the door. I was exhausted and I needed a cigarette badly. I lit one up as I walked farther into the apartment.
Did I leave that cupboard open? I stepped into the kitchen to look.
I heard the floor creak slightly behind me. My heart rate picked up and I spun around. And there he was, the man from my nightmares.
Trent.
“Hello my love.” He would be attractive if I didn’t know him.
If I couldn’t see the madness lurking behind those blue eyes.
“I’m so glad you’ve come home.” He moved closer. I couldn’t move I was so frozen with fear.
Would Gee want you to get hurt like this? A little voice in my head shouted. That broke my paralysis and I bolted towards the door.
If I could just get the locks open I could scream in the hallway and someone would come help me.
I had almost gotten the locks open when he dragged me back and I hit the ground with a sickening crunch from my right arm.
“I am sorry about this love.” He covered my mouth and nose with a rag dipped in something that smelled like chemicals.
My head spun wildly and I tried to struggle away, but my limbs wouldn’t cooperate.
I’m so sorry Gee. I love you…