It had been a while since Laura opened up to me and things had been going great. She began to talk to me more openly about how she felt, and speak about how her fathers abuse had affected her. She'd even said that she was relieved she'd finally told someone and that I was really helping her to work through it.

I wasn't so sure I was helping. I knew nothing about psychology and was uncertain about giving any advice. I didn't want to make things worse; I'd much rather she see a professional.

I had asked if she'd ever thought about therapy. She had looked away from the movie and over at me with a frown.

"Why?"

"I think it would help you, to talk to someone about how you feel."

"I'm talking to you, aren't I?" She said, with a quizzical look.

"Yes," I agreed slowly, "but I'm no professional, I can't help you work through this all."

"You don't want me to talk about it to you?"

"No," I replied hastily, "I do want you to talk about it. It's only that... I can't actually help you come to terms with it, or anything like that... all I can do is listen."

"That's all I need right now," my girlfriend reassured me. "Everything in good time."

"So you'll see someone later?" I asked, hopefully.

She smiled at me and kissed my forehead.

"We'll see."

I'd been suspicious but let it slide. We could argue that when it came to it.

I hadn't seen her in over a week due to her work load. She had three nights of parent-teacher meetings and the backlog of paperwork was rather large so she'd spent most of the weekend inside marking.

I'd decided to stop by and surprise her. Mainly because I missed her but also because a small part of me worried that, if I didn't talk to her for a while, she'd close up again.

So, after Uni, I went home and had a quick shower, then told my mum I might not be back for dinner. She'd fussed over me for a few minutes then let me be on my way.

I picked up some flowers on my way over and pulled up to her bungalow with a smile and my hand clasped around the half-dozen roses.

My smile instantly fell when I looked out the windscreen and saw the back of a head I vaguely recognised. The figure attached to the head was pressing Laura against the wall of her home and passionately making out with her. And Laura was not fighting her off.

I climbed out the car slowly, not sure if what I was seeing was real. I approached them carefully and as I drew nearer, and heard the wet sound of their lips moving together, my confusion fled and anger flooded in.

I dropped the roses, which I had somehow still held up until that point, and grabbed the woman, pulling her off my girlfriend.

"What the fuck?" The woman, whose identity was now all too obvious, exclaimed. "What are you doing here?" It was Caitlin.

"What am I doing here?" I spluttered, "I could ask you the same question."

"I'm here to see Laura," Caitlin said, crossing her arms across her chest smugly. "She is my girlfriend after all."

"Really?" I asked, thinking that she couldn't possibly still believe that lie... could she? "You're still spouting that crap?"

"You're just jealous because she want me more than you," Caitlin said with a smirk.

"I don't," Laura interjected and I shot her a scathing look at the same time as Caitlin glared at her.

"Yes you do." Caitlin said as I said:

"Just keep out of it."

Laura met my eye but I looked away and back at Caitlin. I was confused as to why she hadn't fought back and was seriously pissed at the idea she could cheat on me so openly. So I refused to give her any sign I was okay, because I wasn't.

"She doesn't like you, Caitlin."

"Well she wasn't exactly stopping me," Caitlin said, voicing my own thoughts.

"You had me-" Laura began to protest.

"Shut up!" Caitlin snarled, cutting across her, and I didn't bother to defend her. She didn't deserve it.

"Why should I? You-"

"Be quiet, Laura." I interrupted her this time. "You'll just make it worse."

She looked hurt but I ignored her and turned my attention back to Caitlin.

"Don't talk to her like that," Caitlin warned me and I laughed out loud.

"Or what?" I baited her.

Caitlin growled and her hands clenched into fists.

"She doesn't want you," I continued, "she'll never want you."

Caitlin went for me and I smiled thinly. Now I could take my anger out on this bitch.

She tried to throw a punch at me but I stepped back and she missed. I threw myself forward but she moved quickly, much faster than I could. Her fist connected with my jaw and I stumbled backwards, stars swimming in front of my eyes.

"Lilly!" Laura shouted, and I heard footsteps running towards me.

I grunted, trying not to show how much it hurt and shook my head to refocus my vision.

"I'm fine, Laura," I pushed her hands off me.

"Babe, please, I didn't mean to, she forced herself on me and-" Laura babbled, tripping over her own words.

"I don't want to hear it!" I snapped, "we'll talk later."

"Come on, please be sensible. You can't take her, you'll just get hurt."

"Don't care," I said childishly. I needed to let my anger out and if that meant getting beaten up I didn't care.

"Caitlin," Laura turned to her now, imploring her, "don't do this, please."

"We're fighting for you babe, you should be honoured."

"But there's no point!" She exclaimed and I pushed her out the way, gritting my teeth.

"Just stay out the way."

I watched Caitlin warily, not prepared to be caught off guard again. She was watching me back, with a smirk on her face that had me riled up.

She ran at me and swung her fists wildly. I covered my head with my hands and felt the blows rain down on me.

I had originally planned to wait her out, let her hit me until she had no energy left but once it became evident that she had no plans of stopping anytime soon I went on the offensive.

I swung my fist out wildly and felt it connect with some part of her. She squealed and her punches ceased. I let my arms drop and that's when she grabbed me.

She pulled me down to the ground by my hair and wrenched my head back so my throat was exposed. That was the moment I became truly scared. With this mad woman on top of me and no way of escape I could only hope my beating wouldn't be too terrible.

She sat on my stomach, her entire weight pressing me down into the ground. Gravel dug into my back and I had to look away from her hazel eyes that gleamed with a cruel delight.

"Got you now little girly," she said, her fingernails digging deep into my flesh.

I gathered all the saliva I could and when she moved closer to me - in an attempt to intimidate me - I spat it full into her smirking face.

"You bitch!" She screamed, wiping it off with her sleeve. "You little cow."

Caitlin's free hand moved slowly across my face, the nails digging in. I felt the skin tear apart, then the sharp sting of my exposed wound hitting the air. However I refused to cry out. I would not allow her the satisfaction of hearing my pain.

The psychotic woman pulled my head up then slammed it back into the ground. The world went dark for a few seconds and I felt nothing.

Then the light came flooding back and my head began to throb painfully. It felt like someone was stabbing needles into my brain, then cutting my head in half and stitching it back together so the whole process could start again.

Everything was a blur that I couldn't make out properly. On top of that I couldn't hear anything, just a silence that deafened me. My heart raced and panic filled my body. Was I dead? Was I dying? Is this what it was like to go into the abyss?

Blurs and silence, and a pain that took over everything? Somehow I thought it would be a little more dramatic. Sure it hurt but there was nothing to suggest the end of my life. No memories flashing in front of my eyes, no regrets, no images of family members in tears, no Harry, no Laura.

Of course the second I thought this I couldn't get it out my head. My imagination took over, as it had done so many times before. Laura, curled up into a tiny ball, shaking as she cried.

The picture was so horrible it shocked me back into consciousness. Suddenly I could clearly see the light blue sky with streaks of dark grey. Suddenly I could hear Laura's panicked voice, speaking to someone on the phone.

I also noticed that the weight on my torso had disappeared but didn't pay it any mind. I was too focused on the pain radiating from my head.

If anything regaining my senses had made it worse. Laura's voice made my head ache and the sky was too bright, making me wince. My mouth was totally dry and I couldn't seem to conjure enough saliva to even wet my lips. I must have spat it all in Caitlin's face. The memory cause my lips to twitch into a tiny, painful smile.

Now I was thinking of Caitlin I wondered where the bitch had gone. Why wasn't she hovering over me, gloating? Laughing at my pain and discomfort, or even causing more. If there was one thing I'd expected of that woman it was stubbornness. I never thought she'd back down from a fight.

But then again maybe there was no honour in fighting a weak opponent. Perhaps it was only worth the effort if the other person could actually match your skills. Was I too puny to be considered an actual contender?

That annoyed me and made me determined to become stronger, and to learn how to defend myself. I'd gone too long not being able to stand up for myself and that would end as soon as I could make it. I vowed to talk to Laura about it as soon as I could move my mouth without it being excruciating.

"Lilly," the head of the woman I'd just been thinking of appeared above me. "Oh thank god you're awake."

I just lay there, staring up at her, unable to utter a single word.

"What's wrong?" She asked, then grimaced. "Sorry, that was such a stupid question."

I smiled as much as I could, to show her I understood.

"The doctor says you've to try and move your head, if it's not too painful."

I frowned at her, then smiled with surprise at the lack of pain. Smiling too didn't hurt any more and I knew then that I'd be fine.

As for me and Laura, we'd have to sit down and talk, and she'd better have a bloody good explanation for all this. But for now I needed to focus on moving my head and getting rid of this dreadful pain... and working out where the hell Caitlin had gotten to.