When You & I Collide

18 Months earlier...

****

Evil scurried to the bathroom in anxious haste, her stiletto heels dragging on the floor every other step. She peeked in each cubicle, checking they were clear of prying eyes before she locked the door and headed over to the wall length mirror. She exhaled heavily, studying her face. There were lines forming at the sides of her eyes that hadn't been there before. Like the deep grooves of a valley. And a dark vein that throbbed at the side of her temple whenever she was worried. This was one of those times she thought, applying another layer of mascara with a trembling hand. She was at the annual journalist ceremony for her company in Southampton and her company director was presenting the awards. It was well known that evie would be receiving the critics best choice awards. She had worked extremely hard to get where she was, late nights, scouring through through mountains of paperwork, writing and rewriting reviews. And it had cost her severely with her home life, she thought, gulping in deep breaths like they were hard to.come by.

She had told Sam she had to work late again. She couldn't face another agonizingly embarrassing evening with her boyfriend and work colleagues. The last time she had brought him along, he had turned up drunk, stoned and started hitting on her boss, before throwing up. He had blamed it on her, he'd screamed on the walk home. He'd tried to.drive but she'd hid his keys. It was her fault for leaving him out all the time, and for flirting with other guys. Then he'd punched her, causing her to lost her balance and fall. Of course he was ever so apologetic afterwards. But he'd knocked her confidence so much over the last six years she had become an emotional wreck, concealing everything imperfect in her life and portraying her professionalism for the sake of her career. He was her college sweetheart after all and she felt a duty to ride out all the bad times with him. Even if it did mean a few bruises along the way.

Evie threw her mascara back in her bag and straightened her dress. She checked her phone and seen 13 missed calls from Sam. She sighed, inwardly thinking 'only one more hour' before heading out to accept her award. Her high hopes were short lived however, when she spared a glance at the entrance window a spotted a familiar figure sitting on the hood of a car smoking. A joint no doubt. Tears rimmed her eyes as she examined the cool, hard look on his face, his thin lips pulled to a smirk. She lowered her head and headed out, ignoring calls from her colleagues with a dismissive wave.
'Sam I -' evie started but Sam held his hand up in defiance and gestured for her to get in to the car. She obeyed.

He took off, his back wheels screeching, causing black smoke to bellow behind. Evie gripped both sides of her seat, waiting for Sam to speak. She was met with silence. 'Sam look it was just a working -'
He cut her off, grabbing her wrist tightly, causing her skin to glow.
'I know exactly what was happening eve. You were embarrassed of me!' He spat, pressing her foot on the accelerator and running his tongue along his teeth line. His eyes were red rimmed and bulging from their sockets. So it wasn't just pot he was on tonight, evie worried. She eyed the speedometer that was currently at 50 and steadily increasing. 'And you wanted me out of the way. Don't think.I'm fucking stupid evie, I've seen how that Paul guy looks at you! Your sleepin with him right?!'
'Sam, slow down please' evie begged causing Sam to laugh out loud. 'So you admit it!' He cried, screaming obscenities at her all the while increasing his pace. Evie snapped suddenly aware of the increased threat to her life and lashed out, slapping his arms and screaming. 'Pull the fuck over and let me.out this car!!!' Sam slammed on the breaks, shell shocked at evies outburst. Evie undid her seatbelt and pulled.on the handle, trying to scramble out of the car, but not before Sam.regained his composure, pure rage simmering from his pores at evies defiance. His hands fumbled the back seat of the car until he found his toolbox. His fingers gripped the first thing they came in to.contact with and he swung his arm forward with all the force his weak.arm could.manage until the claw hammer connected with evies back. She toppled out of the car face first, screaming in agony as an ice hot pain snaked across the bottom of her back. Sam closed the door of the car and screeched off, leaving her lying in a pool of blood, whimpering as a numbness seeped through her back.

Evie woke up to two eyes and a small flashlight blinding her momentarily. She listened vaguely as the doctors explained how neighbours alerted the paramedics when they heard screams. She was very lucky she wasn't paralyzed apparently. One inch lower and she would have never walked again. I don't feel lucky, evie thought to herself. Sam had apparently been arrested two streets down, having been found asleep.behind the wheel in a Bush. Evie hadn't told them it was Sam who attacked her. She feared him more than any authority. She checked herself out the next day and got a cab to the train station, where she phoned casey.but all she could do was cry. And she cried all the way on the train. And she cried when casey picked her up at Waterville. And she cried all that night in Casey's arms. And she didn't cry again.