Pushing Me Away

(Luna's POV/Narrator)

Chester spent the majority of his time with Luna as she was set to be released in two weeks after doctors were sure she was completely healed. He wasn't due to leave for tour until next month, he had plenty of time to be ready by then. But something still wasn't set in stone. The police were unable to locate Adam to investigate and arrest him, meaning he was somewhere still out there. It worried Chester but Luna more, she was absolutely terrified that he could come after her and kill her. But Chester swore he wouldn't let anything happen to her, that she was at the safest place possible. Luna felt comfortable around Chester, she knew he meant no harm to her. He was sweet and very caring, she felt awful knowing that someone could ever think to hurt him so bad like his wife did. But that was the pain they both shared in suffering, abuse, whether it be physical or mental, from their spouses. Luna was beginning to like Chester, he opened up to her quickly and made her smile, something she hadn't done in a long time. He told her stories about his band, he showed her some of his music, he told her all about the things he had seen on the road, how many different countries he had been to. She was genuinely interested in his life as he was in hers. She hadn't told anyone about her writing before but with Chester, it was different. They shared the same passion, so she told him all about her books she started to write before she married Adam. She told him about her creative writing degree and how she almost continued with school to become a professional writer. She even told him about her modeling career when she was in her late teens. He thought she was beautiful and even told her so.

Luna had now known Chester for a total of a week and already it was clear the two were becoming good friends. He had even wanted her to meet his best friends, his band mates, but Luna was hesitant. She wasn't great around new people and especially not under these circumstances, but he assured her that they were just as awesome as he was, as he liked to put it. She agreed, saying she would love to, as long as it was when her face had returned to normal some. He agreed to whatever she asked, but admitted to her that he still thought she was beautiful despite how she looked. He said she had a beautiful spirit and a beautiful mind and that was all that mattered. Luna felt incredibly stunned by how affectionate he spoke, but it had been years since she even heard anything remotely sweet like that from someone. She didn't know what it felt like to receive a compliment anymore and it scared her to think that a people actually thought she was worthy of that type of attention. Adam had instilled it in her that no one would love her or even look at her like he would, that she was only meant for him and his eyes only. But not anymore, no, she had to break away from that sort of thinking. She had made the choice to leave, she did leave, she finally escaped him, so there was no looking back at it now. She couldn't let any of that hold her back anymore.

The two were in the middle of breakfast when Luna decided to ask Chester about his wife. She never dared to bring it up before, but he knew about Adam, so she thought it was only fair. "Chester, can I ask you about your wife?" His face stiffened a bit but he still agreed. "What do you want to know?" She thought about it for a moment before asking the obvious. "Did she ever hit you?" He shook his head. "No, Ava never got physical. She was more of a mental abuser, she always tried to blame me for her life being so miserable. She was supportive of my music career in the beginning but when my band started to grow and now we're very well known, she didn't like it. She thought I was putting everyone ahead of her and that I was just living a fantasy life. So she started to cheat on me, with some guy she said she knew from high school. I knew about it all along, I read all their texts and emails. Sure it broke my heart, but the fact that she didn't love me anymore and that I still held onto the relationship, is what broke it more. He was a real sleaze, he was even married himself. I honestly felt really bad for his wife though, whoever she was. Because anyone who was forced to be with someone like that must be just as miserable as I was." Luna's chest tightened as she tried to take in all that Chester was saying. It sounded too real, it all sounded too familiar. Luna wondered about the woman that Adam was seeing and her husband. He was leaving on a tour soon, the two were going to meet while he was away. Her name was...Ava.

(Chester's POV/Narrator)

Chester watched as Luna's face changed dramatically after he had told her about Ava. Surely she knew what it was like, the pain, the heartbreak. They both suffered in almost the same ways, they were alike in more ways than one. But something about the way that Luna's eyes sweltered with tears made his heart stop. "Luna, what's wrong? Is everything okay?" His voice was worried and dripping with concern. Did he say something to upset her? Did he say the wrong things? She stayed silent for a few moments, before finally returning her gaze to him after she wiped away the stray tear that lingered on her face. "I'm-I'm sorry. It's just that all sounded a little too familiar to me, it really just reopened my wounds." His face fell immediately upon hearing that. He never intended to hurt her or make her feel that way at all, he truly thought he was having simple conversation. "I'm so sorry, Luna. I had no idea, I'm sorry." He was quick to apologize, shaking his head in shame consistently. "I promise I won't bring up anything like that again." Luna reached out a hand and put it to Chester's face. "No, please. Don't be sorry, it's not your fault." His cheek warmed at the touch of her soft hand. He hadn't felt the touch of a woman like that in years, it made his heart start to race. He just stared into her light grey eyes, the way they saw into his soul truly made him weak.

But something was still troubling the girl, he clearly could see that once she looked away from again. So Chester decided to ask, like he always did, if there was anything that he could still help her with. She hesitated greatly, biting down on her bottom lip as if she was extremely scared to ask him. "I promise, I'll answer anything you ask me truthfully." She took in a small breath before looking at him once more. "Did you know the name of Ava's lover? Do you happen to still remember it?" Chester thought about it briefly before the sudden wave of intense tension had arose between the two as he remembered that dreadful name. Adam, his name was Adam. But surely it couldn't be the same person that he was thinking of. Could it be? He stammered and stuttered over his words as he tried to put the pieces together. Only before he could finally manage to gather all his thoughts, a swift knock at the door interrupted his train of thought. He got up to open it, revealing two police officers. "Excuse me, Mr. Bennington? May we have a word with you outside please?" Chester gave Luna a reassuring glance not to worry before following the two out into the large hallway. "Is everything alright?" He asked firstly, hoping their answer was yes. But from the looks on their faces, it obviously wasn't. "We're still unable to locate your wife to arrest her regarding the destruction and theft of your property, as well as serve the divorce papers. And on top of that, Ms. Draven's husband, has also still not been located for questioning and detaining, he's still missing, believe to be on the run."

Chester's face faltered as he thought about everything the two had just talked about. Now it was clear, now it was as if fate was slapping him in the face. Ava was sleeping with Adam, Luna's husband. Luna was the other woman that Chester had thought about all the time. Ava's lover, was Luna's abuser. He knew he had to tell them all that he knew about the situation now, it was the only way to get closure for the pair. "I think I may have a lead on where they might be, but I can't be too positive. My wife may be with Luna's husband, they've been sleeping together for years. Only I've never put the pieces together until now, seeing as I've ran into Luna. Call this an ugly twist of fate, but I believe I was meant to meet her." They took my statements and I told them everything else that I had known before they informed me that they would have to tell Luna practically everything that I just did. I was terrified, I didn't want her to know that I was the other man. I didn't want her to know that I had been thinking about her all the time, but I knew there was really nothing that I could do, it had to be said, it was for the benefit of both of us. But I felt like I was going to lose her if she found out that I was the one who knew about her all along and it broke me to think that.

I followed in shortly after they did, standing off into the far back corner as they started to explain and breakdown everything to her. I could see the look of fear, a look of absolute disbelief, a look of confusion on her face as she finally looked past them and straight into my eyes. I could tell she was in shock, but so was I, I had been thinking about her for so long, I couldn't believe that this was finally happening. Once they were finished, they excused us for a moment so we could process everything and have our privacy to discuss it all. "Luna, you're-you're the other woman. You're-He-" She shook her head sadly, the tears rushing down her face. I came to her side almost instantly, letting her wrap her arms around my frame as best as she could while she cried. "You're him. You're the other man, you're her husband. My husband, ruined your marriage." I held her close and took her face into my hands, her eyes piercing through. "You're the other woman, and I've thought about you for so long after I had found out about you. I always wondered who could be the poor girl who had to suffer with that monster, and now that I know it's you, it all makes sense. My wife, is sleeping with your husband. Your husband, is sleeping with my wife. And we're the two caught in the middle. You're the broken hearted wife, I'm the broken hearted husband. By some miracle, I was meant to meet you, I know I was." She sniffled greatly, still keeping her eyes focused on me.

She placed her soft hand to my face yet again before finally speaking. "I know we were, because I had thought about you too, all the time. I always wanted to meet you, and now I have. You were the man I had dreams about, and I am so sorry." I looked at her, slightly taken back. She had dreamt about me? She thought about me too? So I wasn't the only one, searching, looking, aching for an answer. Luna was too all along, she was thinking about me, while I was thinking about her.