***Trigger Warning: This chapter contains heavy themes of domestic violence. Please take care of yourself and skip if you feel this may be triggering for you. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence of any kind, please reach out to someone in your community. In the US, that number is 1-800-799-7233**

Camryn

"It was a mistake to come here." I clenched my jaw, trying to figure out a way to get out of here. Right now, he was blocking my only exit.

"Just let me look at your ribs." He held his hands up in surrender, as if trying to call some sort of truce. "We don't even have to talk if you don't want to. Please, I'm here to help."

How was this even happening? This guy was the doctor from St. Joe's in the Bronx. I'd specifically come here to avoid seeing him again, and yet here we were. It seemed way too coincidental that he was here, and I couldn't take the risk of someone I know seeing me or of Robby finding out and getting even more upset. Tonight had been... I didn't even have words to describe how horrific it was.

I couldn't risk it. I should leave, but I couldn't even take a full breath without back-breaking pain searing through my chest. I knew I needed to get my ribs looked at and bandaged up, but how could I be sure I could trust this guy?

"You don't even work here." I eyed him suspiciously.

"You're right." He nodded. "I don't. I work in the Bronx where you and I met last night."

"Then why are you here?" I asked, still on edge.

A small grin broke out on his face. "I'm here because we do floating shifts once a month. Why are you here?"

"Because I didn't want to come to your ER again." I quipped, folding my arms over my chest. "And I fell and hurt my ribs."

"Why don't you let me look at them, then?" He arched his eyebrow, looking back at me expectantly.

What choice did I have at this point? I could either live in pain for the next few weeks or let him look at them and treat me. It wasn't like I could go find another hospital at this time of night. Robby would realize I was gone soon. I didn't think he had it in him to hurt Riley, but I never wanted to give him the opportunity to either.

"Fine." I pressed my lips into a thin line. The sooner I could get this over with, the sooner I could get out of here.

"There is one question I have before we get started..." Here we go. I sucked in a sharp breath, waiting for whatever he was going to ask. "What name would you like for me to call you? I've heard Jessica, Claire, and I believe tonight it's..." He glanced down at my chart. "Elizabeth?" He had a teasing grin on his face.

My cheeks were fiery with embarrassment, but I couldn't help but smile a bit, too. It really wasn't much use to lie anymore. At least about my name. Dr. Bennett was trying to help me and I could extend at least a small olive branch. "You can call me Camryn. That's my real name."

"Now we're getting somewhere." His smile widened. "It's nice to meet you, Camryn. Do you have a last name?"

"Don't push it." I settled in.

He chuckled as he walked around to the same side of the bed as me.

"So you said you fell?" He gestured for me to sit down. I put my purse back on the chair and did as he asked.

I nodded. "Down the stairs. My daughter left some toys out and I was carrying down laundry."

"How old is your daughter?" He sat down next to me.

"She's five." I said.

"I have a daughter too. Two actually—Haley and Lily." He said, pulling up the side of my shirt to get a better look at my ribs. His eyes widened as he looked at the deep purple and blue that was already painted on my skin. "Jesus, when did this happen?"

"Two or three hours ago." I swallowed the lump growing in my throat. It had been more like six hours, but I had just come to a few hours ago. Riley was with his parents tonight and Robby insisted on having sex, despite the fact I still had a headache from where he'd hit my head last night. I indulged him for a while, but the pounding in my head was so excruciating that I was starting to see stars.

We started arguing and Robby knocked me to the ground, kicking and stomping on my stomach over and over. Finally, he shoved me down the stairs. I hit my head so hard I passed out, and when I regained consciousness, he was gone. Probably at the bar somewhere. I sat there for a little while longer, trying to get enough strength to pull myself up off the floor.

"Okay." He said with a heavy sigh. "You're going to need X-rays. I need to know how many are broken. Did you hurt anything else when you fell?" His voice caught on the last word and I knew he didn't really believe that was what happened.

"I hit my head, but it's really fine. I'll just take some Advil." I said. "Do you really think X-rays are necessary? I've had broken ribs before, and I know the drill. Can't you just wrap them up?"

Dr. Bennett stood up slowly, shifting his lips to the side, deep in thought. "How many times before Camryn?"

"What?" I was getting flustered again.

"You said he's broken your ribs before. How many times before?" He stared at me intently. I knew he wanted so badly to help me. If I was going to be honest with anyone, it would be with someone like Dr. Bennett, who I knew truly cared about me. I wasn't going to tell anyone, though. Not a single soul.

"You're twisting my words. I said I've broken ribs before, not that anyone did it to me." I diverted my eyes, so that I didn't have to look at him while I was lying through my teeth.

"Camryn, I'm going to be honest with you." He sat down in the chair in front of me. "This doesn't seem like a little fall. The bruises on your stomach are bad, and I haven't seen many stairs that have the imprint of a boot on them. You have at least five or six broken ribs, but I won't know for sure until I get an x-ray. You were in my ER last night with a concussion already and I can tell by the way your pupils are dilated that it's much worse. Did you lose consciousness at all?"

I stared at the ground, refusing to look at him.

"I'll take that as a yes." I could tell by the tone in his voice that he was getting worked up, even angry. "Camryn, I can help you. Let me admit you to the hospital tonight. We'll get you all checked out and I can get someone here to talk to you who can help you leave whatever situation you're in."

Tears sprang to my eyes, and I tried to wipe them away quickly. It broke my heart that he cared so much about such a hopeless situation. He seemed like such a genuinely good man and I couldn't help but wonder how different my life would have turned out if I had ended up with someone like him.

"Please." He begged. "If you won't do it for yourself. Do it for your little girl."

"He'd never hurt her." I said quickly, wiping at more tears.

"Maybe he hasn't yet, but that's not to say he won't in the future. Even if he never lays a hand on her, do you want her to grow up thinking that this is okay? That a husband hurting his wife is normal?" He pressed. "He'll kill you someday. It easily could have happened tonight. And then she'll be left with him and what's going to happen when he needs a new punching bag?"

"Dr. Bennett..." I started.

"Cole." He corrected immediately.

"Cole." I gave him a thin smile. "I appreciate what you're trying to do, I really do, but it's more complicated than you think. I can't leave. It will be worse for both Riley and I if I do. And it's not always this bad."

"Do you want to know how many battered wives I've heard say those same exact words and then end up in my morgue?" He said flatly.

I winced at his use of the term battered wife. I guess that's what I was, but hearing it out loud was painful. "He's not going to kill me." He needs me. Robby needed me as a decoration on his arm for appearances. He needed me making things work behind the scenes so he could be the hero detective and the dutiful Senator's son. He knew that, and that was why he never pushed it too far.

"There is a police station connected to this ER. It will take me two minutes to get someone over here to talk with you." He said.

My eyes widened in panic. Damn it! What if someone recognized me? "There's a police station here?"

"Yes. And they'd be more than happy to..."

"I can't stay here. I have to go home to my husband and my daughter. If you really want to help me, you'll wrap my ribs and give me something to help with the pain. I'll rest for a few days and be as good as new." I said quickly.

Cole let out a defeated sigh. "Camryn, you don't have to live like this."

"With all due respect, you know nothing about me or what I am dealing with. I don't need help and the police are the last people who I would go to if I did. Now, are you going to help me or not?"

Reluctantly, Cole started wrapping my ribs and fixing the cut on my forehead that had been jostled. He worked silently with his brow furrowed, obviously upset. I hadn't meant to be so harsh with him, but it was the only way of getting my point across.

After I was all done, he pulled out a prescription pad. "You can pick this up tonight. It should be enough for a week, but if you need more, you know where to find me. And it would really be a good idea to rest the next few days so you don't hurt yourself worse. Concussions are nothing to mess around with."

"Thank you." I was almost too ashamed to even look at him.

"Look, I know you said you don't trust the police, but if you decide you need help..." He slipped me a card along with the prescription. "This is my brother. He might be able to help in ways the police can't."

"What do you mean?" I took it skeptically.

Cole's jaw tightened. "I can't get into it right now, but he can make men like your husband disappear. Call him, tell him you're a friend of mine, and he'll help you."

"Okay." I nodded gently. "Thank you for everything."

"You're welcome." He said, a look of defeat and worry in his eyes. "Be safe, Camryn."

"Goodbye, Dr. Bennett." I gave him a soft smile and slipped out the door.

The house was dark when I got home, and I hurried inside quietly. This was becoming my new normal. Sneaking back into the house after a late night ER trip like I was the one in the wrong. I was so disgusted with myself I couldn't even look in the mirror. My eyes were sunk in, my cheeks were pale and hollow, my eyes completely dark and distant. It wasn't just my appearance, though; it was my entire demeanor. I was a shell of the person I once was. Broken. Defeated. Barely living. Riley deserved so much more of a mother than I was right now. She deserved someone strong enough to protect her and take care of her and get her out of this mess.

I slowly tiptoed up the stairs, and my heart froze when I opened the bedroom door. Robby was sitting on the floor next to our bed with a bottle of jack in his hands. He looked terrible, his eyes crazy with drunken rage.

"Hi." I said softly, leaving the door open behind me in case I needed to make a quick getaway.

"Were you out with another guy?" He said, his voice hoarse from all the alcohol.

"What?" I let out a sharp laugh, trying to make light of the situation. "Robby, that's crazy. I had to go to have someone look at my ribs. I hurt them when you... when I fell down the stairs."

He stood up slowly, stalking towards me like I was his prey. He stood in front of me motionless for a few seconds and then reared his arm back, landing the back of his hand against my cheek. "I don't believe you. You're trying to leave me, aren't you?"

"Of course not!" I cried, putting my hand to my stinging cheek.

Robby shoved me back up against the wall, and I cried out again. He put his hand to my neck, holding me against it. "Don't you dare lie to me, Cam. I know you. You're trying to leave and take my daughter."

I was seeing stars again, and I couldn't breathe. He was pressing against my throat so hard that I couldn't even get a word out. "Rob... please..."

"Shut up, slut. You're not going anywhere." He pressed even harder.

If I didn't get away soon, I was going to die, just like Cole said. In a split second, I jerked my knee up and connected with his crotch. He reeled back in pain and giving me a momentary reprieve.

I ran as fast as I could to the bathroom and locked the door behind me. A few seconds later, Robby's fists were pounding on it relentlessly. "Open the door, you worthless bitch."

Hot tears were streaming down my face, stinging the abused skin. My heart was beating so fast I thought I might pass out again. I had to come figure something out.

"Camryn!" He bellowed, slamming something sharp against the door. I could hear wood splintered on the other side and knew it was only a matter of time before he was in here. What was I going to do then? I could take the top off of the toilet and hit him with that? Or I could start my curling iron and burn him? I could jump out the window, but we were on the third story. All of these ideas seemed ridiculous. I locked myself in the one room that had little in the weapons department.

I heard him hit the door a few more times as he screamed my name. I couldn't think, I couldn't breathe. All I could do was sit down on the floor and wait for my impending doom. God, why didn't I just stay at the hospital? It may have been temporary, but at least I was safe.

To my surprise, a few seconds later, all the noise stopped outside the door. I heard Robby slump against it and sink to the ground. Had he given up?

"Cam..." He whispered harshly. "You know I'll kill the both of you before I let you take her from me."

I bit my lip, trying to keep my sobs at bay. I believed that. He wouldn't let either of us out of here unless I did something drastic.

I tried to take a deep breath as I sat against the cabinet, but it was too painful and I couldn't catch my breath. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't delay the inevitable forever. This was worse than I ever could have imagined. I wanted to die. I wanted to lie here on the tile floor of the bathroom in the home I'd built with my husband and die. I didn't want to face this anymore. I didn't want to be this person anymore, cowering and hiding away like this. The only thing keeping me from that was the thought of Riley. Cole was right. Who would be his punching bag if I wasn't around?

I'll kill you both.

I didn't have a choice anymore.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and the card that Cole had given me, and I typed out a text to Derek Bennett.