Riley' POV

Thinking back to all of those years I only laugh at myself. I should have done it faster. And I should have realized it sooner. But at least I did what was right.

I pressed the button to the 8th floor and waited for the elevator doors to close. At the last second a guy entered and smiled sheepishly at me. He went to press a button but stopped realizing I had pressed it already.

Remembering the time a similar scenario happened, I smiled.

"Hold the door!" I heard as I could see someone running to catch the lift. I pressed the open button as he entered the elevator. I straightened my skirt and saw as he went to press the button 21 and smiled at me seeing that I had pressed it already.

"Dave." He introduced, offering his hand to shake. I replied to his smile and shook his hand.

"Riley."

That was how I met him.The one loved with all my heart.

"I'm Matt." He stuck his hand out. I give him a small smile and shook his hand.

"Riley." I introduced.

"So you are here for the job interview?" He asked, unconsciously running his hand through his hair.

"Yes." I remember how he did that too.

"Riley?" He called. I look up to see his face. I was laying down with my head on his lap. Him playing with my hair.

"Hmm." I replied, closing my book and see him run his hand through his hair.

"Will you go on a date with me?"

"Oh. Me too." He answered his own question. The elevator doors opened and we got out.

We both walk out and I walk towards the lady sitting behind the reception desk.

"Good morning!" I greet her. She looks up at me and smiles.

"Morning. How can I help you?"

"I had to ask how long will it take for my turn to come? My name is Riley Johanson."

"Just a minute." For a minute I remembered the time we had pranked Ms Likita.

"Dave. I don't think we should do this." I told him, pulling his sleeve. He gave me a striking smile.

"Chillax, Riri." He took out all those toilet papers from his back seat. "Live a little." He handed me two rolls. And in minutes Ms Likita's house was covered in white sheet from outside.

"Who did this!" We heard from the front.

"Fuck! Run, Riri." He grabbed my hand and we both ran, laughing.

"Your number is 24. Currently number 19 is going on."

"Thank you so much." I offer her a smile and turn around to find myself a seat. The only seat left was next to Matt. I go and sit next to him, going through my resume to see if I had everything with me.

I feel a hand on my shoulder and jerk.

"I told you not to go with Dean! I asked you specifically. Then why did you go!!?" He shouted. This wasn't the first time he had shouted at me. It had been three months since we had started dating and Everytime I did anything he did not like, he would shout at me.

And later come up to me and apologize. He said 'I love you' before going to sleep. And I would always forgive him because I love him.

"I did nothing with him! He just dropped me back home because you were playing your match!" I shouted back for the first time.

"I see the way he sees you! You are mine! Only mine!" He shouted slamming his fist to the wall.

"Well then act as if you deserve it! Maybe then I won't go away from you!"

"You won't leave me! YOU CANT!"

"YES I CAN!" I shouted and in a second his hand had slapped my face, with enough force for me to land on the ground.

"I'm sorry. What's your turn number?" He asked me.

"24."

"Ahaan. I am just a number above you." He informed me. "So where are you from?"

"I am from here itself. New Yorker by birth. How about you?"

"Texas. I came here for my education from NYU and getting a job."

"Oh."

"So what do you like to do?" He asked obviously wanting to continue to talk.

"I like reading and racing." I replied.

"Nice. I didn't take you for a racing girl." He added a laugh. I remained poker faced. Realizing that I would laugh with him, he continued. "Do you like ice creams? I love chocolate ice cream."

"I hate chocolate ice cream. It is disgusting." He commented on my taste. I was licking my chocolate ice cream while he sipped his vanilla milkshake. He was making up to me. His hand reached up to my hair to pull out a strand of hair and cover the bruise on my head.

"I love it." I said after some time. I took notice of the people in this park. I noticed the kids playing, a group of teens skating and a couple who looked smitten in love. This was normal. But today I noticed more than that.

I could see how the two kids who were playing were making fun of a little girl their age. I noticed that the group of teens also had a skinny boy who held all the bags and I noticed the strong grip of the man's hand on the lady and her flinching from time to time.

"Riri?" I look at him. He gave me a dazzling smile and I couldn't help but smile back. He did say that it was my fault. And I think it was my fault. I will have my happily forever after with him. I just have to change a bit. I smile at him. He suddenly crashed his lips to mine and just when I was gonna kiss back he widrawed.

"You taste like chocolate ice cream." He pulled a face and I laughed at him.

"I like chocolate ice cream too." I smiled at him. "So you say you attended NYU, then why didn't I ever meet you?" I asked him. I knew my batch, and since we were at the same job interview he must have chosen the same field.

"I graduated from batch 2014-15" He said.

"Oh that's why. I am from 2015-16 batch." I never was interested in knowing the seniors so of course I didn't know him.

"Yeah."

"So is this your first interview?" I asked him.

"Yup. I traveled with my friends around the world for a year. How about you?"

"It's my first interview too." He smiled at me. He had nice green eyes with brown hair. I always liked green as an eye colour. I thought that my dark brown eyes were pretty but weren't that attractive.

"Why do you like my eyes?" I asked him, while touching up my makeup in the mirror.

"Where do I start? Your eyes show everything to me. Your eyes look like deep forests. And I just find them very calm. They are extremely pretty like those stones that catch your attention at the first glance. They are very common but extra ordinary at the same time. You won't understand. I love you." He had walked up to me and moved my hair aside. His hands slid around my waist.

"Good Luck then. You are going after me. And seeing that my name has just been called out now. You need it." He smiled and got up. I gave him a thumbs up and he was gone.

"Best of luck." I wished him as he tucked in his shirt. He had to attend his first final exam today. I got his bag for him.

"I don't believe in luck. It's just something everyone has made up to blame their failure and success on. So don't wish me luck. Just give me a kiss. To make me happy." He walked up to me and his arms held my waist, I flinched. Last night he threw the side lamp and it hit my waist as I had ducked in order to save my head.

"Okay." And I kissed him.

I laughed at myself thinking about those times. How gullible I had been, how naive. Its been exactly two years since I had come back to my senses. I remember how mom used to worry so much about those every increasing bruises and how dad always doubted Dave for it, Lily said that I was always that clumsy and Flinn once was ready to beat the crap out of Dave. But I always reassured them that I had tripped or got hurt one way or another. Then one day it got out of hand. The day his love had turned into obsession.

"You are mine! No one can touch you. Or speak to you!" He shouted and left the apartment, slamming the door shut and locking him. I then realized what had happened, he locked me inside. My keys! He took my keys too.

For a day he did not return and when he did, he had a smile on his face, with a box of my favorite chocolates in his one hand and flowers in the other.

"Riri....baby, I love you." He said, lovingly and handed me the chocolates, I did not take them and turned my tear stained face to the other side. He dropped the flowers on my lap as I was sitting on the sofa, and grabbed my chin making me face him.

"Is everything fine?" He asked softly. And as much as I wanted to beat him, I jumped in his arms, hugging him tightly. He made me like this, I had lost all my friends and he rarely let me meet my family, he bought me a new phone with a new sim and no numbers on it other than his and Chinese takeaway.

"Why did you do it?" I cried as he stroked my hair softly.

"Because I love you and you no longer listen to me." At this I got angry. I pushed myself away from from him and shouted.

"How dare you say I don't listen to you! I do everything you ask me too! I lost all my friends! I no longer meet my family! I don't even have any contacts with the outside world! You don't trust me! You don't even let me go out! I feel like a prisoner! I hate you!"

For a second he went blank and then he slammed me to the closest wall.

"You cannot hate me. You CANNOT! I will make you mine tonight." He said threateningly. I was still a virgin and he always said he would wait until I was ready. His hand went to my shirt and in a second he ripped it off.

"No!" I kicked and thrashed but his hands didn't stop. I grabbed the closest thing to me, a vase and slammed it on his head. In a second he had fallen.

That night I packed all my bags, called the mental asylum and left the apartment.

For 4 years I was in a relationship with him. And I had finally moved on.

"Riley Johanson!" I heard my name and walked to the door, Matt walked out that minute.

"See you soon." He said and left. I walked inside and took a seat.

"Good morning." I heard a voice. I looked up and at that second I cursed my entire existence.

"Dave?"

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This is a one shot for the #PWUC2K16. Hope you people liked it. ProjectWomanUp

Love, Milk
xoxo