The white of my bathroom sink was stained with blood. I'd spent over two hours trying to pick every shard of glass from my scalp and palm, paying no mind to the fact that even with the water running, it couldn't wash it away. One of Danni's plastic Mickey Mouse bowls sat full to the brim with what was left of the picture frame Mom had gifted me at my baby shower last year. As if she were aware she was a thought in my mind, my eight-month-old daughter started whimpering from where I'd laid her in a laundry basket against the bathtub. I'd been lucky enough to be able to get her out of harms way the minute Dalton had set the case of beer on the kitchen table; I knew how tonight would end, and I wouldn't allow her to be victim to it.

She stirred a little more, then reached for her pacifier and popped it in her mouth, falling back into her deep sleep. Leaning into the counter, breathing out a sigh of relief, I lifted my head to stare at my reflection.

My caramel hair had been darkened and matted with crimson. All the way down my scalp was red, still fresh as it seeped into my roots. I'd managed to wipe most of the blood and shards from my forehead, but there were a couple pieces still lodged deep in there. My once beautiful, flawless skin had long since become a bruised, scarred mess in less than a year. The green eyes that stared back at me were no longer that of the innocent, naïve girl that Dalton had lured into his trap-they were that of the broken woman he'd created.

Pulling my shirt up and over my head, I tossed it into the trash bin without a second thought. The blood soaking it was far too much to get out in the wash, even if I tried to use every technique in the book. Touching the paper towel soaked in peroxide, I walked over to sit on the closed toilet seat and stared down at my sleeping daughter.

She looked so at ease, so peaceful, curled up in her pink sleeper. Her mess of little blonde curls across her forehead and rosy cheeks, chest heaving with each breath she took. I leaned to the side to touch my hand to her arm when a knock sounded from the other side of the door.

I jumped up from my perched on the seat, eyes scanning the room for anything that could be used as a weapon. When I didn't answer right away, the doorknob jiggled for a few seconds before another knock, this time a little louder, followed by a, "Har, open the door, it's me."

All fear deflated out of me and I nearly tripped over my own feet rushing to the door and unlocking it.

My best friend stood with her hands on her hips, head cocked to the left just a fraction of an inch. Despite her confused expression, her brown eyes were warm and knowing. She immediately stepped into the bathroom once she'd seen me and pulled me into her, rubbing my back in comfort. A majority of her blonde waves fell into my eyes and mouth but I didn't bother to try and shake it off.

"Harley, look at me." she said once she'd pulled away, grasping both of my bare shoulders. "You can't keep doing this. It starts with pushing and shoving, then slaps, then punches. Eventually he'll kill you."

"He won't." I defended, shaking my head. "He only does this when he's drunk, he—"

She interrupted before I could finish. "It's not an if, Har. It's a when. If you care about Danni, you need to find a way out."

"I love him." I breathed, the warm tears that rolled down my cheeks stinging the cuts Dalton's rings had left on them. "I love him, Ash."

"No you don't babe." she touched her hand to my matted hair and an emotion somewhere between anger and sympathy filled her eyes. "It's called a trauma bond. He's manipulated you, pushed you so far down that you feel like you're nothing without him. Babe, you gotta let me help you."

She looked over my shoulder at Danni in the laundry basket, and for the first time since she'd walked in, tears filled her own eyes. "Har, this isn't ok. No baby should have to sleep in a fucking laundry basket because you're too scared he's going to hurt her in her crib. Please, Harley. There's so many resources, so many—"

"Get out of my house, Ashley."

The moment my best friend heard Dalton her entire body grew rigid. I staggered back, shifting my body into a protective stance in front of Danni.

"Fuck you, Dalton." Ash spat, spinning on her heel to face him, not considering what the repercussions of her actions might be. "How about you go crawl back into that sewer you crawled out of."

"Get out!" he shouted, closing the gap between the two of them so his face was only inches form her own. She still stood strong, though I could see a slight tremble in her fingers as she clenched them into a fist at her side.

"I'm going to get them out of here, you piece of shit." she promised, then shoved past him and to the door before he could fight her

. He waited until the front door slammed shut to turn his intense, angry glare onto me. "What the fuck, Harley! We get into an argument and you call that bitch?"

"I'm sorry." I whispered. "Please stop, Dalton. Danni's sleeping and—"

"And I'm sorry she's got some worthless whore for a mother." he interjected, shoving me so the small of my back rammed right into the corner of the counter and crouched down to take our daughter from the laundry basket.

"Please, Dalton!" I pleaded, following him out of the bathroom. "Give her to me."

He rocked her for a moment in our bedroom before he set her in her crib and started toward me. I had just enough time to throw myself out the door before he caught a fistful of my hair and slammed me back against the bedroom wall, and within seconds his left hand was locked around my throat, cutting off all access to oxygen.

"You think you're so fucking sneaky, don't you?" he growled, pulling me forward and slamming my head back against the wall. "You think I don't see you stashing money from selling your Oxys? You think I don't know what you're doing while I'm at work?"

I clawed at his hand as my vision started to blur, and just before I could completely pass out, he released me and dropped me to the ground like I was no more than a rag doll. Of course he made sure to crouch in front of me, grab my hair and tilt my head back so I was forced to look up at him.

"You're not going anywhere, do you hear me? She's my fucking daughter too." he said. "And if you try, I'll make sure I take your ass down with me."

*

I nearly gouged my eye out with my mascara wand as a loud crashing brought me back to reality. I'd managed to dissociate for longer than usual, and that scared the hell out of me. Most days it was only for a few minutes and I'd still be in the present, but the last few days I'd been so on edge about meeting with Cherry before the custody hearing that the horrific memories haunted me while I was awake too.

"Har, you ok?" Ash leaned over the counter, a green rag thrown over her right shoulder, eyes roaming me in concern. "You met with Cherry this morning, didn't you?"

I couldn't even force myself to look in her direction as I nodded.

Ash reached out and squeezed my hand, reminding me where I was and that she was beside me. "That bad?"

"She's hopeful." I croaked. "But she doesn't think we can do much in regard to to keeping Dalton behind bars. Four years in prison and six months with a God Damn ankle bracelet while I spend the rest of my life in fear of living."

Her entire face fell. "Oh, babe, I'm so sorry. That's bullshit."

"I need a drink." I said with a hysteric laugh. "Or ten. You busy tonight?"

She frowned, taking the rag from her shoulder and slapping it against the counter. "I don't know, Har. I don't think drinking right now is the best idea. For any of us, but especially for you."

"I'll be fine." I assured. "I know I have classes and Danielle Monday. I just. . . I need a distraction. I can't think about this, about him, right now."

She eyed me, still looking hesitant, before she finally offered a weak smile. "Okay. I'll shoot Linds a text and see if she and Jess want to join us."

*

Though I was a hundred and ten percent sure it'd be impossible for Dalton to be here, the very mention of him this morning had brought back my fear and I couldn't shake the feeling that he was lurking behind a corner, awaiting the perfect second to pounce and attack.

I'd spent four years of life walking on eggshells, never knowing when something I did or said would trigger him and I'd end the night begging for him to kill me. And somehow, with all the custody crap and hearing his name again, the security I'd felt the last few months vanished.

"So are we girls nighting it or you looking to take someone home tonight?" Ash asked at the entrance, blowing a strand of hair out of her eyes.

I glanced over at her, considering the question. She was dressed in a short, sexy red dress that left very little to the imagination. I knew if I answered the latter that she'd have no problem finding a guy to bring back to the apartment. Eighteen months ago she'd been nice enough to allow me into her apartment, to share everything with me-but she'd also given up a big part of her life knowing my daughter would be there every weekend. This was what had me nudging her with a smile and saying, "Go get him, girl."

"I wanna help you first!" she said with a grin, perking up hearing she'd get to play matchmaker for me for the first time since high school. "It's been so long since you let me do this!"

I very much didn't want her to do it now, but Linds had backed out last minute to go spend the next couple days up at Jessica and James' old cabin. This left me without much of a choice, and though I wouldn't admit it aloud, maybe it wasn't the worst idea.

It'd been about four years since I'd had consensual sex. Dalton had been so busy messing around with girls on the side I'd only been of pleasure to him when he couldn't get it anywhere else, and most of the time he'd do it while I was half asleep or high and had no memory of it the next morning. I'd always concluded it'd been done when I'd wake up with aching in my cervix and bruises for days after on my thighs.

"Let's get a drink in you so you actually let me do this." she looped her arm through mine and shoved through people until we were at the bar. She was completely oblivious to the fact that James was behind the cuonter, and asked another bartender to make our drinks while I sat down.

"I'm gonna go pee so I don't mess up the Cupid mojo. I'll be back. Do not go anywhere."

I saluted her and turned around on the bar stool, propping my head up on my hand.

"I didn't take you for a Vodka girl." James' husky voice filled the air as he set a round of shot glasses in front of me. Not long after a few fruity, women drinks were added.

"Well, you don't really know me." I pointed out, taking a sip of the pink drink. It was so sweet that I could hardly taste the alcohol in it. "Though, I probably won't know me when I wake up tomorrow morning, so I should probably shut up."

He chuckled and leaned across the bar as my best friend had this morning. "What are you two girls doing here? I thought your friend would of, you know, learned her lesson about drinking the last time she was here. Surprised they even let her in."

"Ash is just as persuasive as she is pretty." I explained with a small smile.

"She's not the one every guy's been breaking their neck to look at since you two walked in."

I raised a brow. "Lies. Have you seen, Ash? She's a literal goddess."

"He sure did a number on you." James commented with a shake of his head.

I watched as he made another drink and set it in front of a guy at the end of the bar before he returned to me. I held up my drink and eyed him, "How would you know who was looking at us when we walked in?"

"Because I was looking." he shrugged. "But I have no desire to pursue that. I'm worried."

I nearly spit out the sip I'd taken. "Excuse me?"

"Both of you are drinking. Dressed like that. No designated driver." he wrapped the things off on his fingers. "You probably haven't eaten and since this is the first time I've seen you drink I'm going to assume you're a lightweight and will probably be a mess by the time you decide you want to go home."

I sat upright and made a gesture toward him. "Okay, Mr. Know It All. What else you got?"

"I think you're here because you're trying to distract yourself from something." he continued. I tried to keep my poker face. "I think that you're so into the thought of distraction that you're going to let your pretty little friend find you a guy so you can get yourself laid tonight."

I blinked, surprised and speechless. "How—"

"He heard our conversation before I went to the bathroom." Ash piped in, reappearing at my side. "And unless you want to be that guy, I suggest you get back to work and let me help my friend."

"This isn't going to help you, Harley." James acted as though Ash wasn't beside me at all. "It might seem like a good idea, but when you wake up tomorrow, you're going to regret it."

Ash shook her head and tugged at my arm. "Come on, Har. Let's go dance."

"Thanks for the drinks." I said, holding it up and nodding in James' direction. "And you should seriously consider fortune telling."

He didn't laugh but shook his head and turned his back to the two of us, allowing my best friend to pull me away and on to the crowded dance floor.