What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger

A month passed and Steven and I were doing great. He would spend his free time with me either going to the movies, ball games, or just hanging out at my house since I couldn’t do much else much else much less go to work. Today however was my first day back at work even though it was just to answer phones at least it was something to do.

“Hello?” I answered my phone as soon as I got out of the shower.

“Good morning babe.” Steven’s sexy voice came through the phone.

“Good morning handsome.” I couldn’t help but smile “I know you have to get ready for work but I just wanted to say good luck to you on your first day back.”

“Thanks babe, how is Chi-town?” I asked.

“Cold, my Canadian self-got used to the warm Florida weather.” I couldn’t help but laugh at him because I knew it was true.

“Be careful they might take away your Canadian citizenship.”

“Guess I have to Canadian up.” He joked.

“Guess so.” I smirk.

“Well I’ll let you go, I love you.”

“Love you too.”

When I got to work my mother gave me a warm smile. “It’s good to see you back here.” She said giving me a motherly hug.

“It’s good to be back.” I smile at her before getting to the paperwork. Even though the paperwork is my least favorite part of my job I was glad to do it because it meant I was that much closer to coming back to catching these animals.

During my lunch break I traveled around the back where all my buddies were. I stood at the fence of Brutus. “Hey big guy.” I said starting to talk to him like I used to when I used him as my therapist after… well yeah. “I know haven’t talked to you in a while but other than me being injured. I have been in a really good place. Steven is amazing, he made a mistake at the beginning but he truly went to fix it right away.” As I spoke to Brutus walked towards me.

“You would like him Brutus, he is terrified of you.” I smile as his mouth snaps shut. “He is but you know I will never be afraid of you.”

“Are you talking to Brutus again?” Justin asked worriedly.

“Yeah, just telling him all about Steven.” Justin breathed a sigh of relief.

*91*91*91*91*91*

Beth had been back to work for a week and because of my road trip I haven’t seen her for two weeks. And it’s been the longest two weeks of my life.

“Try not to look so happy.” Malone said on the plane throwing a napkin at my head.

“Sorry I can’t help it.” I smirk at him. “Beth is the only person I wanted to see when the plane landed.

The rest of the flight took forever but when we finally landed and I was able to de-board the plane Beth was the first person I saw. I casually walked over to her and wrapped her into a big embrace.

“I’ve missed you so much Beth.” I said kissing her. I didn’t care who was watching.

“I missed you too.” She told me snuggling into my neck. We stood like that for a few moments before I moved so my arm was still around her shoulders and hers were around my waist in order for us to walk to her truck.

We went out to dinner before heading back to her place where I have been staying a lot more than my own place. But when we got there I knew something was wrong.

There was a man a few years older than Beth and I. He was normal looking, in a business suit his hair was combed back neatly. I pulled Beth closer knowing something was off about him however I wasn’t quite sure what it was. I knew I was right when I felt Beth stiffen when she saw him.

“Elizabeth Markstrom, I’ll be damned.” He smirked at him in an evil way.

“Marcus.” Beth hissed and recoiled into me more. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to get what I want.” He smirked again.

“What is that?” I asked as I stepped in front of Beth protectively.

“The little slut that you are standing in front of.” He said reaching around me to grab Beth. Instantly I shoved his hand away.

“First off, she is not a slut. Secondly she is not yours and will never be yours.” I growled at him.

“Are you sure about that?” he raised an eyebrow. “She was my slut for 4 years and did everything I told her. She will go right back to that if she knows what is good for her.”

“She does know what is good for her that’s why she won’t go back to you.” I said. “And if you know what is good for you, you will leave right now and never think about Beth again or come anywhere near her, do you understand?”

“I’ll leave right now, but I will come back and she will come with me next time no matter what.” He said before leaving, I quickly grabbed her keys, unlocking her door, pulling her inside and engulfed her into a protective hug as she cried into my shoulder.

Slowly I moved Beth into the living room to the couch so I could more comfortably hold her. An hour later her tears stopped and her sniffles started. “Beth, you’re ok.” I said rocking her.

“That was Marcus.” She said a few minutes later, turning her head up towards me and then leaning it on my chest. “He was my first and only other boyfriend other than you.” She paused.

“We started dating when I was a senior in high school; he was a senior in college. At the time I thought I was in love with him. In the beginning he was the perfect man, he would call me every night, take me out on dates, respected my parents, got along with my brother and friends. Then around a year of dating he changed, not in front of my family and friends but to me.

I became some sort of possession to him, but I didn’t do anything about it because I thought I loved him. He would abuse me and when I wanted to get away and hang out with my friends he would beat me up and rape me. By the time I realized I didn’t love him anymore it was too late.

Marcus had proposed to me in front of my family and friends, forcing me to say yes. Being engaged was even worse, he started to take me away from my family as well as my friends and when we did hang out with my friends he hit on every one of girls especially my best friend.

He kept beating me up more and more where I was blaming the bruises on catching alligators. I felt like I couldn’t talk to anyone at that point except for Brutus, he was my go to psychologist. One day Justin caught me talking to Brutus about Marcus and he freaked out.

I made him promise not to tell my mother or father, I didn’t want to look weak, he did as long as I promised to leave Marcus right away. He took me back to Marcus’ and my place so I could pack up my belongings and when I was there I found Marcus in bed with my best friend.

That made me feel even more betrayed because my best friend didn’t know what was going on between Marcus and I and she went after him. So I moved out even faster and got a new phone with a new number since all my friends took Marcus’ side because they didn’t know the real him.

Just recently I was able to heal with the help of my brother and then you came into my life and made it so much better for me.” She said smiling sadly up at me.

“I love you Beth, I wouldn’t do anything Marcus had done to you.” I tell her and she nodded hugging me tightly. “However I don’t like the fact that Marcus knows where you live and that he threatened you.”

“Yeah but what can we do?” she asked still obviously shaken.

“You can temporarily move in with me since he doesn’t know where I live and we can get a restraining order for him tomorrow since we were threatened by him.”

“How we need proof?” she asked. And I pulled out my phone and showed her the recording I had started right away when I felt like something was wrong.

“Let’s pack a couple of bags so I can take you where it is safe.” This time she kissed me.

“Thank you babe.”

“I would do anything for you Beth, I love you.”

‘I love you too.”