Safe and Sound

“Why don’t you just leave him?”
“It’s not that easy..”
“Yes it is, just pack up and leave. You deserve better”
“You don’t know him.. He’d find me and he’d just hurt me even more…”
“I can help you.”
“Look, I gotta go. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

I wish it was as easy as Chad made it seem. But I can’t just leave him. I have nowhere to go and if he found me, he would just hurt me even more. Probably kill me for all I know.

What happened to me? I was going somewhere in life. I came to the states, got into a great school in California, I almost finished my degree but then I met Adam and my whole life came crashing down. I should have dumped him when I had the chance. Now my life is controlled by this guy and there’s no way I can change it. My only escape is this chat room where I’m able to talk to Chad.

I wish I knew him in real life. He’s so caring and perfect. He asks me how my days went, always wants to know my opinion on things. He even told me what life would be like with him. A big house, four kids and two dogs running around our big back yard. A dream life. But it’s something I’ll never have…

“What’s for dinner?” Adam calls out as he walks through the door. I quickly jump up and put the laptop back in its spot before rushing over to him.

“Pasta” I say softly as I take his coat from him and hang it up.

“We had pasta last week” Adam mutters as he walks to the fridge and grabs himself a beer.

“Oh, um, okay. I’ll make something else then” I say scrambling into the kitchen to find something fast and easy to make. Adam leans against the counter and watches me as he downs his first beer. He puts the empty bottle beside the sink and grabs another before going into the living room.
I hate when he drinks. I can already tell it’s going to be one of those nights. Whenever he drinks that’s when the mean Adam comes out.

When I first met him he was the sweetest guy ever. Our first date was every girls dream. He made a picnic and we sat on the beach as the sun was setting. Afterward he took me out for ice cream and we danced on the boardwalk until we were the last two there. Every date after that was just like the first until I finally agreed to be his girlfriend… that’s when his ugly side started to show. He would yell over little things. Like if I didn’t call him after I got out of work, or if I left my cup on the counter at his house.

I broke up with him once. He hit me during one of our arguments and that day I swore I would never go back. But he spent weeks apologizing; he sent me flowers, cards, texts, candies, even stuffed animals. He promised it would never happen again. And for some reason I believed it. At first he was back to the Adam I fell in love with. He was sweet and charming again. He hooked me back in right away. But once I got comfortable he changed again. He was yelling and he hit me again… I tried to leave. But he threatened me. You’re not leaving me. You’re not going to be with another guy. You’re mine, and there’s no changing that. And if you even try, it’ll be worse than it’s ever been.”

I shake off the memory and get to work on the lamb chops I planned to make tomorrow night. It takes me about half an hour to finish cooking and Adam had gone through two more beers. By now he’s a little tipsy walking over to the table. He sets his beer down and I feel his tight grip onto my sides when he back is turned.

“Go sit down, I’ll bring it over to you” I say softly.

“I’m not hungry” he mumbles as he lips meet the skin on my neck.

“But I just made this all for you” I whisper a little disappointed as I slyly move away and set the dinner back on the stove.

“Well I’m not hungry anymore” he mumbles and I can hear the frustration rising in his voice.

“Okay, just let me clean this all up” I say quietly as I go to the cupboard to grab some Tupperware bowls. I jump when his fists meet the counter and he grabs one of the dishes and throws it to the ground. I quickly turn with wide eyes when I hear the loud crash and I can see rage in his eyes.

“Leave the damn food! It’s all fucking disgusting and over cooked! It always is! You can’t do anything right. You’re pathetic, Val. I don’t even know why I waste my time with you. You let yourself go. You’re fucking hideous now. You have humongous bags under your eyes, you refuse to wear makeup, and you don’t even do your hair anymore. How the hell am I supposed to be attracted to you anymore” he yells before hitting his empty beer bottle off the counter.

I stand there shocked as tears sting my eyes from his hurtful words. I don’t say anything and I quietly lean down and start picking up all the broken glass and food on the floor.

I jump again when Adam punches the wall, this time putting a small dent in it.

“Please just calm down” I whisper with sadness and fright in my voice.

“Calm down? Why should I calm down, Val?” he hisses and grips onto my arms, squeezing with almost all his strength.

“Please, Adam” I whimper and squirm in his grip. He looks at me with rage in his eyes and slams my back into the wall. My head hits the wall and I let out a scream.

“Shut up” he hisses as his hand connects with my neck.

“Adam” I whisper scared and quickly tug on his arm as his grip tightens. The seconds seem longer as I squirm in his grip. I look up at him helplessly as my actions weaken and I feel my body start to panic. The room begins to go dark as less and less oxygen gets in. Adam finally let’s go and I gasp for air as I fall to the ground, only to have the left side of my face be met by the back of his hand. I whimper quietly, too weak to scream as I curl up on the floor.
“Clean this place up” he spits before giving me one good kick in the abdomen. I gasp for air as I hold my stomach. Adam leaves the room and I fight back tears as I slowly get up. I grab the broom and sweep up the broken glass and clean up all the food. I wipe my face every few seconds as tears escape my eyes. Once I have everything cleaned, it around eleven o’clock.

I make my way to the bedroom, tiptoeing inside. I see Adam is passed out drunk and I quietly change in the closet. I brush my teeth and wash my face, staring at my blood shot eyes in the mirror. I need to change this.

I turn the light off before walking back into the bedroom and taking my spot next to Adam. I close my eyes and jump when I feel his arm wrap around me.

“Goodnight. Love you” he mumbles in his sleep.

“I love you too” I whisper as my body tenses up. I lay there awake until almost two in the morning when exhaustion finally sets in. the next morning Adam gets up for work, making sure to be extra loud to wake me up. I silently get up and go to the kitchen as he showers and gets ready for work. I make him his usual breakfast; two pieces of toast, sausage, and an egg over easy. I pour his orange juice and coffee just as he’s walking out.

“I hope last night taught you a lesson” he mumbles as he glances up to the bruise on my cheek going up to my eye.

“It did. I’m sorry” I whisper looking down to my feet.

“I forgive you” he shrugs as he quickly eats. “I’ll be home at the usual time. Make sure you have dinner ready” he says as he gets up and kisses me quickly. He grabs his keys and his briefcase before heading to work.

I start cleaning up, watching out the window for his car to leave. I do the dishes, taking my time in case Adam forgot something and had to come home. Once the clock strikes eight, I know Adam is at work and I grab the laptop and sit at the table.

Chad is on and I quickly bring his name up.

“You’re right. I need to get out of here. But I don’t know how.”

“I’ll help you. I’ll buy you a plane ticket. You can come here and we can be together. I’ll treat you like a queen, Val”

“But you barely even know me”

“But I love everything I do know about you. You’re the sweetest girl I’ve ever talked to, you have the biggest heart and you’ve been more of a friend to me than anyone I know. I want to give this a try and I want to keep you safe.”

“Okay, but once I get there I'll find my own job and I can get my own place.”

“We’ll worry about that when the time comes, okay? I’m buying your ticket now. I’ll email it to you. Is tomorrow okay?”

“Yeah… Are you sure this will work?”

“I’m sure. He won’t find you here. I’ll keep you safe.”

“Okay. Thank you for this.”

“You don’t have to thank me. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I close the laptop and sit back with a sigh. I’m scared to death but I need to do this. I can’t stay here with Adam. I can’t get hit and choked every day. I need to get away from this relationship.



I watch out the window, my nerves running wild. Adams car pulls out and I quickly scramble to the bedroom. I grab the duffel bag and start throwing my clothes into it. I almost scream when I hear the front door open.

“Val? Where are you?” Adam calls out. My heart starts to race and I go into panic mode. I throw the bag into the closet and rush back into the living room.

“I had to use the bathroom. What are you doing back?” I ask softly, fearing my nerves are showing.

“I forgot one of my binders” Adam says cautiously. “Are you alright?” he asks giving me a look.

“Yeah, you just scared me that’s all. I didn’t see your car pull back in” I lie and kiss his cheek quickly.

Adam nods and kisses my lips before shoving his binder into his briefcase. “I’ll see you later” he calls out as he walks out the door. I go to the kitchen and over to the sink. I start washing dishes and I see Adam looking at me through the car window. I give him a small smile and he waves before finally pulling away. I give it a few minutes before I go back to the bedroom. I rush to pack all my important belongings; jewelry from my parents, my favorite clothes, some stuff around the house. I grab the laptop and print off the ticket before peering out the window. No car.

I grab the bags and I take a deep breath before sneaking out the backdoor. I look around, making sure the neighbors don’t see me as I run down the street and around the corner. I catch the first bus that takes me downtown and hop on three more before finally getting to the airport. I check in, my hands shaking like a drug addicts the whole time. I get through security and to my terminal just as its being bordered.

I let out a small sigh of relief as I take my seat. I peer out the window, unable to fight the nerves that Adam has caught on and has followed me here. My foot taps uncontrollably and the guy sitting next to me leans over.

“First time flying?” he asks with a chuckle. I jump a little as he pulls me out of my worried daze.

“Oh um, actually no.” I admit shaking my head.

He nods. “Well you look nervous. Don’t be nervous. We’ll be in Denver in no time” he smiles before sitting back. Right. Denver. And then I’ll be on my way to Philly.

The plane finally takes off and I slump back in my seat. I finally did it. I finally left. But for some reason, I can’t help but feel like I’m not out of the woods yet.

Hours later my second plane is finally arriving in Philadelphia. I get off with everyone else and grab my luggage before looking around nervously. What if he flaked? What if he realized this was so incredibly stupid? What am I going to do?

The baggage claim starts to clear out and I look around quietly. He said he was going to be wearing a flannel shirt and jeans. And there’s no one here wearing that. Oh my gosh. He flaked. What am I going to do? I was starting to panic inside and I look around frantically as tears start to build up in my eyes.

“Val?”

I jump when I hear the voice behind me.

“C-chad?” I whisper as I turn to meet the tall, muscular, dirty blonde standing in front of me. A smile forms on his face and he pulls me into a tight hug, placing a gentle kiss on my forehead.

“You are absolutely beautiful” he whispers. A blush covers my cheeks and I shake my head. “Yes you are” he smiles as he pulls away. His hand gently brushes over my cheek where the bruise is and then down my neck where finger marks are evident.

“I’m so glad we got you away from him. I promise you’re safe with me” he says softly.

I smile quietly, not knowing what to say. Chad grabs my bags and leads me to his car. He puts them in the back and we both get in before he turns to me.

“I have something to admit.” He says quietly.

“What is it?” I ask softly.

“My name isn’t Chad… My name is Brayden… Brayden Schenn” he says quietly. I quickly frown and look over at him confused.

“Why did you lie?” I whisper cautiously.

“Because… i-I play hockey in the NHL. And that chat room where we met was the only place I could be myself without actually being myself. When people find out who I am, they always act so weird and different around me. But talking to you, that was amazing. You didn’t know who I was and you got to know the real me.” He softly explains.

“B-but if you’re in the NHL, then people will recognize you. And if I’m with you then Adam could find out” I whisper sadly and look over at him scared.

“I promise you I won’t let that happen!” Brayden quickly says and takes my hand. “I said I was going to keep you safe and I intend on doing just that.” he firmly nods. I quietly nod in response and sit back, pulling my hand away. Brayden lets out a quiet sigh before putting his car in drive and taking us to his apartment.

I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s gorgeous and huge and just amazing. I can’t believe that one guy lives in this place.

“The guest room is over here. I washed all the sheets and cleaned everything off. Just make yourself at home.” He smiles as he leads me down the hall. The bedroom is smaller, but comfortable. I set my bags down and sit on the most comfortable bed I’ve ever felt.

“This is so surreal” I quietly say as I lay back and stare at the ceiling.

“What is?” Brayden asks as he leans against the door frame.

“This. Being here. In this apartment, away from Adam” I say quietly.

“You needed to. He would have eventually killed you if you didn’t” Brayden says softly as he walks over and sits beside me. I cringe at his words but I know he’s right. Adam would have eventually killed me. He almost did just that two nights ago.

“You know what my mom used to tell my sisters whenever they were upset about a guy?” he asks curiously.

“What?” I whisper and look over at him.

“She tells them the right man will love all the things about you that the wrong man was intimidated by” he says softly.
I sigh and Brayden pats my hand. “You should get some rest. Are you hungry?” he asks as he stands up. I shake my head in response.

“Okay, then goodnight. I’ll see you in the morning” he smiles and places a soft kiss on my head before walking out.

“Brayden” I say quietly.

“Yeah?” he turns to me.

“Thank you for doing this.” I whisper as I look up at him.

Brayden smiles at me. “Goodnight, Val.” He says softly and shuts the door behind him. I can’t help but smile at his kindness. He’s just like the guy he was online and I’ll admit, that was my biggest worry. I thought that maybe he was come creepy pedophile truing to bamboozle his way into my pants. I’m so grateful that he’s not and that he seems to genuinely care about me and my wellbeing.

I pull the cover down and change into some pajamas before crawling into bed. I haven’t showered since yesterday but I’m so exhausted and jet lagged that I don’t even care. I’ll just take one in the morning. I fall asleep almost instantly when my head meets the pillow.

“Val?” I wake up to Brayden softly knocking on the door. “Oh shit. I didn’t know you were still asleep. I’m sorry!” he quickly apologizes.

“What time is it?” I mumble into the pillow.

“It’s twelve thirty” he says softly.

“What?” I quickly bolt up in bed. “Why didn’t you wake me up?” I ask with a groan and move some loose hair out of my face.

“I was going to. But I came in and called your name and even shook you a bit but you didn’t budge” Brayden chuckles and sits on the end of the bed. “I figured you probably didn’t sleep well when you were with him so I let you get some rest. Plus you looked cute” he blushes.

I can’t help but blush myself and I look down to my lap.

“I was just about to start lunch. Come down when you’re ready” he smiles, quickly changing the subject as he stands up and walks out. He shuts the door behind himself and I get up and take a quick shower. Once I’m finished I throw on some yoga pants and a plain white t-shirt before going downstairs.

“This smells amazing” I groan as I sit down at the island.

“Thank you thank you, I try” Brayden smirks cockily as he brings over two plates and takes a seat beside me. I smile over at him and we both start eating.

“So I have practice today. Are you okay staying alone? If not you can come with me and just sit in the stands. It’s no problem at all” he assures me softly.

“Um, I’ll just stay here” I quietly shrug. Brayden nods and takes our dishes to the sink. He sets them down before heading to his bedroom and I take some time to look around the apartment. It’s neat; homey. There’s not much décor to it but you can tell his mom must have bought him some things and set them around the living room.

I get up and walk over to the fire place. I can’t help but smile when I see a picture of him and who I assume are his little sisters.

“That’s Maddy and Macy” Brayden smiles walking up behind me. I jump and blush a little that he caught me snooping.

“Sorry, it’s cute” I smile a little and go sit down on the couch.

I glance up and see a light pink blush on his cheeks.

“So make yourself at home. I’ll probably be back around four or something. Feel free to make whatever you want to eat or watch TV or whatever. My laptops over there if you want to use that” he rambles on.

“I’ll probably just watch some TV” I laugh softly. “But thank you. For all of this” I say quietly.

“It’s no problem. I’m glad I can help” he smiles sincerely. I can see him hesitating as he slowly walks over. I look up at him curiously as he leans down and places a soft kiss on my forehead. I mentally kicked myself when I felt the skin on my cheeks grow hot with a rosy blush.

“Um, bye” Brayden whispers as he quickly pulls back and walks over to the front door to put his shoes on. I slump back on the couch and walks as he walks out.

What am I doing? I don’t want a relationship with him. At least I don’t think I do. I mean, he’s a nice guy and I know he’d treat me well… but I just got out of a relationship. Do I really want to get back into one?


I’ve been here for almost a month and it’s been the greatest month of my life. Brayden is so sweet and caring and he makes me feel so welcome here. I’ve tried looking for jobs so I can start looking for my own place, but every time I try Brayden finds an excuse for me to stay home.

I’m not going to complain though. I love spending time with him. He never fails to make me smile. He brought back the old me; the happy me with some self-confidence. He reminded me how to laugh, and smile a real, genuine smile. He compliments me all the time and makes me feel beautiful. I’m falling for him. Falling so hard and it scares the life out of me.

I step out of the shower and throw on some of the new clothes Brayden bought me. Just a white tank top and some yoga pants. I towel dry my hair quickly before throwing it up and heading to the living room. I can’t help but smile widely when I see Brayden set up a cute, romantic dinner while I was showering. He set candles around the table and dimmed the lights with some soft music playing in the background.

“What’s this?” I giggle as I step into the kitchen.

“Just wanted to surprise you” he shrugs and even though the lights are dim, I can see a blush forming on his cheeks.

“Well I am surprised” I smile and grab the plates and silverware to bring over to the table. Brayden finishes up at the stove and brings the food over before dashing back to the kitchen. I giggle a bit and take my seat as he walks back in with a bottle of wine.

“This smells so good” I say taking in the scents.

“I hope it tastes good. It’s a new recipe” Brayden says nervously as he sits down and pours two glasses of wine.

“You like to cook?” I ask curiously as I start to fill my plate.

“Well, I love to eat. So I guess I kinda like it” Brayden chuckles.

I smile over at him and take my first bite. This is amazing. And I can’t believe he cooked it himself. Adam couldn’t even make macaroni and cheese.

“Brayden this is delicious” I groan a bit before taking another bite. He smiles widely and blushes again as he starts to eat.

“Why do you always blush?” I giggle softly.

“I don’t know” he groans and rubs his face. “You… you just make me nervous” he mumbles looking down to his plate.

“I make you nervous? Why?” I ask a little confused.

“Because I think I’m falling in love with you” he whispers so quietly I can barely hear him.

“What?” I whisper in shock.

“That’s why I did all this” Brayden explains, motioning to the romantic dinner. “I’m falling in love with you. I already had feelings for you before you even got here. You’re amazing, Val. And I want you to be mine. I want to call you my girlfriend and I want you to meet my friends and family and I want to be able to take you on dates. So, will you be my girlfriend?” he fidgets nervously in his seat.

I look at him with wide eyes as I set my fork down. “Brayden… I can’t” I whisper, shaking my head. I see his expression drop and he tenses up a little.

“Brayden, I’ve only known you for a month. Sure we talked online for longer but I can’t be your girlfriend. I just got out of a relationship and this is all too sudden” I say softly as his hopeful look turns into a look of sadness and disappointment.

“O-okay.. I’m sorry. I thought you might have felt the same way” he says sadly.

“I don’t” I say shaking my head. I know it’s a lie, because Brayden is the best thing in my life. But the thought of getting in a relationship scares the hell out of me.

“Okay” Brayden whispers and gets up, taking all the dishes to the sink. I sigh quietly to myself and finish eating. I bring my dish over and we’re both silent as I help him clean up.

“I think I should leave” I whisper, leaning against the counter as he loads the dishwasher. His eyes shoot up at me.

“Where are you going to go?” he asks confused.

“I don’t know. I have enough money for a plane ticket and a hotel. Maybe I’ll try and go home” I quietly shrug.

“Val, you don’t have to leave. I can put my feelings aside” he sighs.

“No, I need to. I’ve been here longer than originally planned anyway” I shake my head.

“Please don’t, Val. I’ll worry about you” he begs.

“Well don’t. I’m a big girl. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. But I’m away from him now and I can do this on my own.” I sigh and head to the bedroom. I grab his laptop that he let me borrow and I search online for plane tickets. I find a cheap one to Vermont and I book it without hesitation. I pack my stuff and head to the living room to tell him.

“I got a plane ticket for tomorrow. Can you drive me to the airport?” I ask quietly. Brayden sighs and slowly nods.

“Are you sure?” he whispers, clearly upset.

“Yeah, I’m sure” I whisper with a nod.

“Okay” is all he responds with.

That night I lay awake thinking over my decision. Is it the right choice? Should I leave? Or should I give him a chance? Snap out of it, Val. This whole thing is too good to be true. Adam was this nice before you started dating, remember? And then he turned into a monster. For all I know Brayden could be even worse.

I end up getting a couple hours of sleep and wake up early the next morning. I take a fast shower and get changed before meeting Brayden in the living room.

“Why are you packed?” I ask confused when I see he has luggage waiting by the door.

“I have a road trip.” He mumbles as he sits at the counter eating a bowl of cereal.

I silently nod and wait by the door for him to finish up. He puts his dish in the sink and we both head down to his car. He puts our bags in the trunk before getting in himself. The ride there is silent. I want to speak up but I have no idea what to say. I can see I hurt him, and I feel terrible. But I don’t know how to apologize.

He parks his car and leads me inside. He helps me check in and I look to him curiously.

“Don’t you need to check in too?” I ask.

“No, my planes out back” he sighs and shakes his head.

I quietly nod and turn to him. “Thank you. For saving me. And for everything you’ve done for me. I promise I’ll find a way to repay you someday” I say looking up at him.

“You don’t have to. Maybe I’ll see you around” he says quietly before walking away. I stand there watching him and I feel an aching in my chest. Once he’s out of sight I go through security and then sit down at my terminal. I look around, seeing families and some lonely travelers, but my eyes wander to a couple. They’re sitting beside each other, his arm draped around her back as she reads aloud to him from her book. His smile melts my heart. He loves her. And she loves him. And neither of them looks afraid. They let love in, and neither of them are hurt or upset or scared because of it.

Snap out of it, Val. I let out a quiet groan and stuff my hands into my pocket. I look down confused when I pull out a folded up piece of paper. It has my name on it and I open it seeing a hand written letter.

Val, I’m sorry I screwed this up. But I can’t deny that I’m falling in love with you. You’re the most amazing girl I’ve ever met, and I pictured myself spending the rest of my life with you. You opened my eyes to so many things. You made me realize that the world doesn’t revolve around me or hockey. You made me adventurous and loving and even vulnerable. I love everything about you. How you sleep late, your cooking, your laugh, your smile. I could go on and on. I don’t want to let you go, but I know I have to. I can’t make you stay, or try and convince you to stay because I don’t want to remind you of your ex. I’ve never felt this way about a girl before. And I wish it wasn’t ending right now. Please keep in touch. I want to make sure you’re going to be okay. If anything happened to you I would just blame myself for letting you go. Please, call or text when you get a phone. Or even borrow someone else’s. I just want to know that you’re okay. I’m going to miss you so much. –Bray

“What are you doing, you idiot?” I mumble to myself, quickly wiping my eyes and grabbing my bag. I through it over my shoulder and run. I shuttle past all the groups of travelers and make my way to the door Brayden walked me in. I look around and run to my right, hoping I’ll find the back. Luck was on my side because I just caught a glimpse of a few guys stepping onto an airplane and I see Brayden talking to someone as they wait to hand their bags to the worker.

“Brayden!” I yell as I run towards him. He looks around confused and I yell his name again. His eyes land on me and he drops his bag before walking quickly in my direction.

“Val, what’s wrong?” he asks worriedly as I fling myself into his arms.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” I blurt before attaching my lips to his. He almost pulls away shocked but he realizes what’s going on and he wraps his strong arms around my waist and kisses me back passionately.

“I am falling in love with you, Brayden. I was just scared” I whisper as I pull back.

Brayden just smiles and kisses me once again.

“Schenn, we have to go” someone yells as they all board the plane.

Brayden lets out a groan and sets me back down. “Don’t worry” I smile. “I’ll be here when you get home.”

He smiles and hands me his keys so I can take his car home. I kiss him quickly.

“I’ll see you when I get home” he smiles widely before jogging over to the plane. He glances back, with a big smile and I can’t help but giggle. I finally did something right with my life. I’m with the man of my dreams