I spent the entire night staring at my bedroom door the night Casey moved out. With my phone resting on the nightstand and my knees to my chest as I waited for her to come back. I knew she wasn't coming but it didn't hurt to dream. I knew the next few weeks would be my hardest.

I hadn't told Rai about our breakup and yet he found out and punished me for not telling him. I was wondering if I tell him that she was no longer my neighbor. But that probably wouldn't end well, he'd probably surprise me the next day saying he was going to be my new neighbor. Adding that onto his constant threats and abuse, I don't think I could handle it.

April 1st, I proceeded to avoid my best friends. I ignored their calls and even acted like I didn't care. April 2nd, I stopped eating whole meals. I was eating protein bars and salad before, but now I had completely lost my appetite.

Days passed by so slowly for me. Seeing Casey at school and not being able to see her at home was taking a huge toll on my mental health. I hadn't noticed I depended on her for so much until she was no longer around. The only thing surrounding me was my fear to speak out from the abuse I was receiving from Rai.

The night I tried to have some form of normalcy and went out with Thomas and his boyfriend Vincent, Rai physically made it clear that I wasn't allowed to hang around any guys because he was the only 'man' for me. But using cheap threats and abusing me didn't make him a man. He was using fear to control me.

Bruises were coating my body like an extra layer of skin. I had to wear jeans and long sleeves school and anywhere in public. Casey was what I considered my safe place along with Emily's house. But Casey was gone and I was avoiding the blonde in fear Rai would harm her or her family.

Everything was weighing on me. Casey's safety. Emily and her family's safety. My friends' safety. Protecting my career and job. I was crumbling. And I had successfully managed to push everyone that I needed away.

I wasn't going to last the rest of the month.

- - - - -

"I have great news to discuss with you, which is why I suggested this restaurant. You are going to love it!" Rai smiled opening the door for me. His other hand rested on the small of my back, causing my skin to crawl. I force a smile as I enter the building. I didn't have much of a choice. We walk towards the receptionist.

"I have a reservation. Rai Rossen" Rai's deep voice brings me from my thoughts. The waiter eyes me, noticing how out of place I felt. He nodded his head, grabbing two menus and guiding us to a circular table next to the window facing the street. Rai pulls my chair out, his eyes forcing me to take my seat. I do.

He walks to the other side of the table taking his seat. "Your waiter will be with you in just a minute" the man spoke before parting ways with us. I let out a breath, my eyes taking in my surroundings. This restaurant was the equivalent of the middle-class economy. It was both fancy and yet also very casual.

I swallow the lump in my throat as my eyes land on the menu. I try my hardest to keep my eyes from landing on the dark-haired man in front of me. I couldn't stand looking at him, not when he put his hands on me. He was a very sorry excuse of a man.

"These steaks look spectacular. Much like yourself, my love" his voice hit my eardrums. I rolled my eyes, knowing he wasn't able to see. I try to ignore his weird compliment as I flip the menu over to eye the other side. "Kathryn" he hisses forcing my eyes to him.

He smiles, "I said you look spectacular." My eyes scan his face before I smile softly, "Thank you," I reply. I bite on my lip, knowing his ego was waiting to be fed. "You look nice as well."

As expected his lips curl upwards into a smile, enjoying the lies I was feeding him. Something I had noticed about this man weeks ago, was his need for validation. Rai Rossen is a narcissit. He, himself believed he was a good-looking man, a bit better looking than most. He believed he was better at everything. But he also seemed for feminine validation.

He needed a woman to tell him the things he was already feeding himself. I could tolerate a confident man but this particular narcissistic man was insufferable. Thomas was confident, but even he knew when he fucked up. Not Rai Rossen. No, he was always right, he could do no wrong.

"Don't you think you should be looking at the salads' sweetie?"

I clench my jaw, forcing myself from speaking out against his words. I knew I would never win this battle anyways. The waiter arrives, finally. I was silently suffocating from his enormous ego.

The brunette smiles, "Good Afternoon, my name is Emmanuel what can I get you fine people started with?" I open my mouth to speak but the man seated across from me stops me with his booming voice. "I would love to get scotch on the rocks and the lady would love some water."

Emmanuel's green eyes land on me, to make sure that was what I wanted. But his kind gesture was quickly shut down. "I've ordered our drinks boy, get the hell away from my girlfriend."

Green eyes meet dark-threatening ones before he nods his head and heads towards the kitchen to retrieve our drinks. I don't dare speak up about the situation as I focus my vision on the scenery outside the window. Several cars were passing by, even a few people were walking.

My mind traveled and my vision unfocused as I thought about Casey. If we were still together, I could almost predict what we'd be doing right now. More than likely in bed, not managing to keep our hands to ourselves as we talked about random things.

I smile, remembering how happy she managed to make me in the short time we spent together. You would think after the embarrassing way we met, we'd stop trying to cross paths with each other. But the only thing that happened was we became interested in each other so much so that it became unbearable to stay away from each other.

I craved her touch in this moment. I missed her smile and how it made my heart skip a beat. I missed her laugh and how weird she became once I pointed out how cute it was. I missed that twinkle in her eyes when she looked at me.

How did we come to this? Just months ago we were living with little care in the world. Now here I was spending my days with a man who abused me when he didn't get his way. I could only wonder what Casey was doing at this moment.

Maybe she was out with her friends, laughing about something stupid Duke or Edwin said. I thought about it all.

I dated Thomas for 5 years and I didn't feel as happy as I did with Casey who I was with for almost 4 months. I remembered Christmas and my birthday and how I realized that she made the family I craved come to life. I smile at the memory of the gift she had given me on my birthday.

I hadn't worn the ring since Rai came back into my life. I hid it in my closet, scared he would take it and flush it.

"What are you smiling about?" I hear. I turn my head, my lips immediately flat-lining as I glance at Rai. I finally take into realization that our drinks were here. I open my straw and slide it into my water, allowing the liquid to moisten my dry throat.

I also realize that our menus were no longer on the table causing me to frown. It didn't take me much to know that Rai had ordered for me. He was such a controlling asshole. "You had news to share with me?" I question, remembering why he decided to take me out.

He called this a date, I called it hell.

"Ah yes, thank you for reminding me ba--" his voice halted as I felt a hand caress my shoulder. White hair and clear blue eyes came into view, knocking the air from my lungs. My eyes widen as I glance at Rai.

Cane was someone he hadn't known about. She was one of my friends, Rai had no idea about since I never went into detail about him around her. Hell, I don't even think I told her about him, not even once.

"Kathryn, hey! I haven't seen you in a few weeks. I keep calling you so we can hang out. Who is this? You didn't tell us you had anyone special in your life since the break-up."

I bite my lip as I blink. "Uh, what?" I furrow my brows. The woman smiles, "The four of us should get together. You, me, Em, and Soph. Like old times."

I glance at the woman in fright. This was someone else's safety that would have to weigh on my shoulders. I shake my head, no words were able to process in my head as I thought about all the horrible things he would do to me tonight. Would finally get fed up and rape me?

"Kathryn?"

"Sorry, you must have me confused with someone else," is the best thing I can come up with. Cane scoffs in confusion. She eyes me for a bit longer, before shaking her head and walking away from us.

I try to calm my racing heart as I glance at Rai. "I didn't know you had other friends. What are you hiding from me, Kathryn Howard?" I could clench my fists under the table, scared of the new information he could reveal to me.

Emmanuel arrived at our table with our food. As suspected, Rai ordered me a salad, claiming that I needed to watch my weight. Funny, for the past few weeks I've only been losing weight, not gaining. Yet, somehow I wasn't as skinny as he wanted me to be.

Rai, on the other hand, got a full meal, not that I was necessarily complaining. Eating regularly hadn't been on my mind since March 5th. So for the remainder of our time, I only picked at my plain salad, only able to stomach two cherry tomatoes.

The man opposite of me wiped the corners of his lips with his napkin before setting it down on his empty plate. He intertwined his fingers, resting them on the table. "The news I was trying to tell you earlier," he starts. His eyes made me feel bare and grimey.

"I leased out a new apartment. So you will no longer have to visit me in various hotel rooms. I was waiting for the perfect apartment, somewhere close to you. Then the perfect apartment became vacant March 31st."

My heart fell. There was only one apartment I could think about that had no longer been occupied on March 31st. "It looks like I'll be your next-door neighbor, Kathryn."

- - - - -

Days seemed to be meshing together. Sleep was impossible when you had an abusive psychopath living next door to you. My heart hammered against my chest as I sat in the corner of my closet, waiting for the line to pick up.

"Josh, I can't stay here, I'm not safe" I cry to my brother. I could hear the panic in his voice as he and Sarah listened to my broken voice. "Kat, where are you? Are you at home?"

"I'm not safe here Joshua. I'm not safe anywhere."

"Where's Casey? Can you put her on the phone?" he sounded worried and scared for my well-being. And all I could do was cry into the phone, knowing he was way too far to save me from the man who was living next door to me. Rai was becoming overbearing, I couldn't take phone calls without him knowing who I was calling.

So here I sat, tucked behind the clothes in my closet as I cried to my brother. I knew that after this call ended I would have to delete the call logs or Rai would punish me for calling someone behind his back. He told me not to lock my door since he didn't have a key. I couldn't lock it at night, even if there was a burglar on the loose.

I was to subject to the man.

The sound of my closing door grabs my attention. I hold my breath as I pull the phone from my ear. I move quick, trying to hang up and delete the call log. But before I can the closet door is being pulled open. Rai's familiar rough hands grab my ankles, dragging me out of the closet. "Are we playing hide and seek Kathryn?" he jokes, climbing onto me.

He pins my hands above my head, his lips connecting with the side of my head. I swallow the lump in my throat, allowing myself to breathe. Just as long as he doesn't notice my lit phone screen, I would be safe. But the universe was against me this month just as it was last month.

His eyes crawl up my arm, landing on the phone in my hand. He smirks, grabbing the device from my grip. "You called someone" he deadpans.

My heart stops for a few seconds, noticing that menacing look in his eyes. He dropped my phone, his hands capturing my neck in his grip. "Who did you fucking call Kathryn?!" he hisses, his grip tightening. My hands move to his, fighting against his hold.

He shook my neck in his grip, my head hitting the floor several times, causing a growing headache to form.

"You think you can leave me? I'm the only person you have left Kathryn! You can't leave me, you love me!" he screamed, his grip only growing stronger. My eyes roll to the back of my head as I gasp for air. I scratch his hands and arms, hoping that he'd feel a lick of pity and let me go. But his grip only grew stronger.

The less air I have to breathe, the darker it gets in the room until eventually all that surrounds me is the darkness.

I gasp for air and couch constantly as my phone rings, bringing Rai's hands away from my neck. My eyes are watery and my throat feels dry as I force myself away from the man, my back hitting the bed. His eyes land on me. He recognizes the number and I watch as the anger contorts on his face.

He stands, stomping on my phone and breaking the screen. "Don't make me repeat myself, Kathryn. I don't like hurting you" he sympathized as he kneeled beside me, rubbing my cheek with the pad of his thumb. I flinch from his touch, tears staining my face as I stare back at him.

He sighs, "I'm going to go home and shower. You should get washed up too, I want us to go out for dinner."

He says nothing else and exits my apartment.

I almost died. He almost killed me. If my ringing phone hadn't gotten his attention, I wouldn't be here. The thought brings tears to my eyes and I find myself sobbing against the bed.

I wouldn't be able to see Emily or Sophia or Cane again. I would've died not clearing things up with Casey. I wouldn't be able to see my family again. And the thought of those possibilities scared me more than anything.

I didn't want to die regretting my decisions.

How would they react to my death? Would they care? Especially since I had pushed them all away and severed our relationships. Would they care?

I stand, making my way to the restroom. I take in my appearance in the mirror. Bruises traveled all around my body and to add on to my collection were the handprints now showcasing on my neck. I timidly rub my finger against the new forming bruise. I wondered if I was going to die from his hands or mine.

I glance away from the mirror and force myself to shower. The warmth from the water engulfs me. It wasn't what I needed but it helped. I spend 45 minutes in the shower, majority of the time I was letting the water mask my tears.

Stepping out of my restroom, I head into my closet, grabbing clothes. Knowing Rai, he wanted me to dress nice for this 'date'. I grab a turtle neck, wanting to cover my bruises along with dark blue jeans. Once I slip into my panties, I slip into my pants. My eyes fall onto the broken screen of my phone.

I grab my phone and walk towards my bed, setting it down on the nightstand. I stand still next to my bed, letting everything sink in. I almost died. How many seconds longer would it have been until my body laid lifeless in his hands? I try not to think about it as I stare down at my broken phone.

I let out a breath and close my eyes, allowing the silence to wrap around me for the time I had remaining. The sound of someone sighing scares me. I turn, spotting Casey in my doorway. Her eyes move to each bruise covering my skin, pity and sadness coating her pretty brown eyes. I quickly try to cover my body with my shirt, feeling self-conscious under her gaze.

I was no longer the Kathryn she knew. I wasn't confident in this body. I was skinny, my ribs and bones almost visible. Bruises and scars covered my body. My skin pale and lifeless.

Her eyes watered and she opened her mouth but no words fell out. All I could do was copy her, tears rolling down my cheeks for the nth time today. I watch as she approaches me and I ready myself for her to scream at me or get mad but she doesn't. My body sighs in relief as I feel that familiar spark ignite in my heart when her arms wrap around me.

I drop my shirt and throw my arms around her, letting my sobs echo in my room as she held me. I was free. She was finally here to save me like I knew she would. She pulled away shaking her head. "I'm so sorry" she muttered bringing my lips to hers. I sigh into the kiss, feeling as though a part of me had been revived.

She kisses me again before pulling away. "Kathryn, please tell me what's going on."

I don't say anything at first, scared that Rai would walk in any moment. Casey wasn't safe. I shake my head pressing my hand to her arm, "You should go home" my voice is soft and broken.

The girl shakes her head, "I am home."

My heart skips a beat as I glance at the girl, shocked at her words. She sighs and pulls me into another hug. "I never should've left Kathryn and I'm so sorry. I've been focused on me and my feelings and I didn't stop to think about you. He's back isn't he?"

The question causes me to freeze to which she notices. She takes a step back, eyes searching mine. "Where is he? You have to tell me or I can't stop him."

My lips were zipped but my heart screamed at me to tell the girl the truth. She sighed and sat on my bed, pulling me in between her legs. My arms instinctively cover my body to the best of my abilities but she removes them. Her eyes remain on mine as she peppers my body in kisses. Her lips land on each bruise, as if the simple touch of her lips would cause them to vanish. I watch the gesture in awe.

I thought she was mad at me. "Where is he, Kathryn?" she questions again, her voice soft and cautious. I part my lips as I scan her face. She raises a brow, waiting for me to answer. I lift my hand to her face, my thumb rubs against the bottom of her lip. "Next door" I mumble, scared of what she planned on doing.

She stops moving. Her eyes remain on me, no blinking or moving. She just stares at me unmoving as if not hearing correctly. "N-next door?" she questions in disbelief. I clench my jaw and nod my head, "He moved in shortly after you left."

And that did it. I could see every fiber in her body snap as I told her the truth. She calmly stood, moving me back. She exhaled and closed her eyes. I watched her in confusion. Grabbing my phone, her lips pressed against my cheek softly in reassurance. "Let's go" she mutters pulling me towards the door. She allows me to slip into my shirt and shoes.

We head into the elevator and out of the apartment building. We get into her car and leave the parking garage. "Where are you taking me?" I question, confused at her actions. She eyes me with a frown, "Somewhere I know Rai won't dare to come to."