Song: "Lose You To Love Me" by Selena Gomez

**

"Ding ding!"

Heather woke up to her alarm at 7:00 in the morning. It had been a week since she got away from Chandler, and she was still living with Alejandro. Nervous butterflies fluttered in her stomach as she got dressed for the day. Today was her first day back at school. She had been wearing the same three outfits throughout the week because she wasn't ready to get her things from the other house yet. When she got downstairs, she saw a bowl of Greek yogurt with raspberries and nuts inside. Next to the bowl was a note. It read:

Heather,
I had to depart an hour earlier today due to a TA meeting. I wish we could have indulged in breakfast together this morning. I hope you like yogurt! :)
~Alejandro

Heather smiled at the note and sat down. As she ate, her eyes fixated on his graceful handwriting. When she finished eating, she folded his letter and put it in her backpack. I could read it if I start having a hard time today. She walked to the nearest bus stop Alejandro had shown her.

**

"Heather!!" Courtney gave her friend a giant hug when she saw her at lunch. "I missed you so much! I'm so glad you're back at school!"

Heather shut her eyes, enjoying the hug. "Me too." They pulled out of the hug. "Duncan, I hate to admit it, but I missed you too."

"Likewise," Duncan replied, nodding.

Gwen walked up to Heather. "Hey. Are you ok?" She asked, a genuine look on her face.

"I don't know, honestly," Heather answered. She sighed. "I'm still alive if that counts for anything."

Courtney frowned and gave Heather a side hug. "We want you alive. The best Heather is alive Heather."

Heather rolled her eyes. "I don't plan on dying anytime soon."

"Good."

"Hey, dudette," Geoff said.

Bridgette smiled warmly. "How are you, Heather?"

"Hey guys," Heather mumbled. "I'm alright." Did Courtney tell all of them what happened? She suddenly felt exposed. They all know? They all know I was abused? Her heart thumped loudly in her chest. A high-pitched ringing noise filled her ears. "—Courtney!" She grabbed her friend's hand.

Courtney snapped her head towards her. "Yes?"

"Can I talk to you in private?"

"—Yeah. I was actually gonna ask you the same thing. I don't really know how to tell you this, so you can go first."

Heather walked away from the group with Courtney. She stared at Courtney intensely. "Did you tell them about what happened?!"

"What?" Courtney looked back at their friend group. "No! No, I didn't. I promise!"

"Then why are they asking if I'm ok?!"

"Because I told them you were sick."

"—Oh."

"Yeah." Courtney rubbed her arm. "I'd never tell them something as serious as that without your permission."

"Thank you." Heather sighed in relief.

"Of course. I'm happy you feel well enough to come back here. Lunch felt a little empty without you and Duncan's arguing." She rocked back and forth on her heels.

"It did feel weird with no one to insult." Heather laughed.

"Yeah. Duncan was bored."

"I'm sure." She rolled her eyes.

Courtney grabbed both of her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "Heather, before I give you this news, answer me this: are you safe?"

"Yes, I'm still safe," Heather said.

"Are you sure? You know, you can tell me anything."

"Yeah, I know. And I'm positive that I am safe."

"That's good. I'm just so worried about you. I feel like I can't trust any man around you. If Alejandro does anything to you, you'd tell me, right?"

"Courtney," Heather sighed. "Yes, I'd tell you. And don't worry, I lock the guest room door every night."

Courtney nodded. "That's smart. When you're asleep is when you're most vulnerable to a violent attack. Don't ever forget to lock it!"

"I won't. I even keep a kitchen knife at my bedside just in case."

"Wow, you're super prepared, but ugh, I wish you could come live with me. I'd be putting you in more danger, though." Courtney looked at the ground.

"What did you want to tell me?" Heather asked, crossing her arms.

Courtney took a deep breath. "Chandler's missing."

Her heart dropped to her stomach. "Wait, what?!"

"He hasn't been at school the whole week. Geoff contacted his parents, and they said they haven't seen him either."

Heather swallowed nervously. "He could be at the house we moved into! Has anyone checked there?"

Courtney shook her head no. "We don't know where it is. I think you and Chandler are the only ones who do."

"Yeah—we are." Her head pounded.

"That's why I want to make sure you feel safe. Who knows what could happen? I hope he moved to another country. Or another planet."

"I hope he didn't hurt Bruiser," Heather blurted out. "If we don't know where Chandler is, who knows where Bruiser is?!"

"I'm sure Bruiser's ok." Courtney smiled. "He's adamant!"

Heather nodded. "Yeah, he is. He could survive anything," she told herself reassuringly.

"We'll find him." Courtney rubbed her back. "And then we'll get Chandler arrested."

"Yeah," Heather mumbled. She was not looking forward to that day. The day she would have to tell the judges what he did to her and hope they'd believe her. There were no witnesses, and it's too late to show any evidence—his DNA's off my body. Heather shuddered, remembering his body against her's.

"Are you ok?" Courtney gently asked. She shrugged. "Babe, do you need me to take you to my house?"

"No! No, I'm fine. I can do this."

"I don't think you're ready to come back to school."

"I am, Courtney," Heather said.

"Alright. But I'm going to keep a close eye on you!"

"Ok, mom," Heather replied sarcastically.

"I love you, bestie," Courtney said.

"I love you too."

**

"Hey." Heather walked up to Alejandro's desk once class was over.

"Hey." Alejandro smiled. "Are you feeling alright?"

"—We need to talk."

He furrowed his eyebrows with concern. "What is it?"

Heather led Alejandro outside next to a bench under a tree. "What's wrong, Heather?" He asked.

Her eyes darted around to make sure no one was nearby. "My friend Courtney told me that Chandler hasn't been at school this whole week, and he's not at his parents' house."

"They don't know where he is?!" Alejandro panicked.

"No. I'm so scared that he took Bruiser with him. What if I never see my cat again?!"

"Heather, where did you guys live when you moved out together?"

"26 Canlish Road," she answered. "They haven't checked there yet."

"He could still be there. We could go there right now!" Alejandro said.

"Yeah, I want to." Heather nodded frantically. "I have to get Bruiser!"

"I will assist you in finding him. I know how precious he is to you."

"He was my first friend. I wouldn't know what to do without him."

"Come on." Alejandro took her hand without a second thought. Heather gasped ever so lightly at his touch and followed him to his car. He immediately put in the address on his GPS.

Heather nervously tapped her foot as he drove. "Do you think Bruiser's ok? Do you think he would hurt him?"

"I'm not sure, Heather," Alejandro said. "I would like to think not."

Her eyes watered. She looked out the window, trying to distract herself by staring at the white lines on the road. Every time Heather saw those lines, they reminded her of the day she and Alejandro went on that drive together. It usually made her feel calmer, but her heart was racing at the speed of light. We should've rescued Bruiser that same day. "Why didn't we get Bruiser a week ago?!" She cried. "I don't have a car. You could've driven me!"

"I wanted to keep you safe and make sure you were stable. I didn't want you to have to tell me his address when you were scared," Alejandro replied.

"Who cares?! It just hit me that my cat could be DEAD now, and I could've done something about it!"

"Heather, we don't know that for sure!"

"But he probably is!" She broke down in tears. "O-or Chandler took him to another place away from his mommy!"

"Heather!" Alejandro stated firmly. "I promise you; we will find him, no matter if he's in a different town or a different country. I will do whatever it takes to find him." He hated hearing her cry. He couldn't stand to see her in any more pain. Chandler had already caused enough damage. He had enough of it. If her cat is dead, I will buy her a new one. I'll do anything to make her happy again.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the house. There was no car in the driveway. Alejandro opened the door and slowly took one foot out. Heather unbuckled her seatbelt. Alejandro spun around. "I want you to stay in the car."

"What? Why? No one's here."

"Just in case. His car could be in the garage."

"He never parked in the garage." Heather placed her hand on the door handle.

"—Ok, fine. But stay behind me. I don't want him attacking you."

Heather took a moment to think about the possibility of Chandler being in the house. I may see him again. Could I handle that? "Ok." She nodded at Alejandro. He got out of the car and walked around to open the door for her. She stepped out and stayed close to him.

Alejandro led the way across the narrow path to the door. Heather remembered counting the cracks whenever she and Chandler first moved in and thinking that she would be there forever.

Alejandro pounded on the door. He waited for a minute or two before knocking again. "I think we're good," Heather told him. There was suddenly a loud crash from inside. Heather instinctively grabbed onto Alejandro's arm.

"I'm giving you five seconds to come out before I beat your ass!" Alejandro yelled. "Five, four, three, two, one!" There was no response. "I'm coming in, dickhead!" He twisted the doorknob, and surprisingly, it opened. Alejandro scanned the house. The living room was empty. Pots and pans lay on the kitchen floor, and the grey walls were stained with some sort of liquid.

"What the fuck?" Alejandro whispered.

Heather jumped when she heard a tiny thump from behind her. Alejandro quickly walked around and got in front of her. "Show you face, you coward!"

Heather felt something brush up against her leg. She stepped back and looked down. There, on the ground, was Bruiser. She gasped. "Bruiser! My baby!" She picked him up and cuddled him. The white cat meowed and started purring. Heather nuzzled her cheek against his fur.

Alejandro sighed in relief. He opened a few of the kitchen drawers, which he found empty. "It looks like he left."

"I'm so happy I found you!" Heather cooed to Bruiser. She gasped when she realized that the liquid in the walls was cat pee. "How long did he leave you for?! You poor baby!! You must be starving! Alejandro, we need to stop by the pet store on the way back!"

"Ok." He nodded, smiling. "I'm glad you found him. But that asshole ran away," he growled.

Heather sighed. "Of course."

Alejandro placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure the police will find him if we tell them and accuse him of domestic violence and animal abuse. I can contact authorities if you do not feel comfortable doing so. You'll have to answer some questions, though."

She frowned. "I don't think I'm ready. They'll just interrogate me and doubt my credibility. I know it's their job, but—it's hard for me."

"I understand," he replied softly. "I just want this guy locked up as soon as possible."

Heather thought for a moment. If I come forward, maybe I can stop this from happening to other women. "Actually—let's do it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

Alejandro pulled her into a side hug. "You are so brave for doing this. I'll be with you the entire time they ask you questions."

"Ok." She nodded, shutting her eyes and resting her head on his shoulder. Bruiser started squirming in her arms, and she laughed. "We better get going. He's getting restless."

He chuckled. "He is very cute."

**

"Chandler Davis is his full name." Heather sat across from a policewoman in the dining room at Alejandro's house. Alejandro sat close by on the couch in the living room.

"And you are Heather Wilson?" The policewoman asked.

"Yes." She nodded.

"Can you tell us what happened?"

Heather looked at the floor, shuffling her shoes across it. "He's hit me a few times."

"How many times?"

"Like—three to five times."

She wrote down what Heather said with her black pen. "Has he ever punched you?"

"Yes, twice."

Alejandro flinched. He didn't want to imagine what that looked like, but his mind immediately went there. I can't believe the nerve of that fucker.

"Has he ever threatened you?" The policewoman asked.

"He told me he'd hurt me if I hung out with him," Heather mumbled, pointing to Alejandro.

"He did?!" Alejandro glared.

"Sir," the cop said, reminding him to stay silent.

"Sorry."

She turned back to Heather. "Has he ever physically hurt you in any other way?"

"No," Heather lied. I can't tell them.

"Is there anything else he has done?"

"Yes. He left my cat when he ran away from the house we lived in together. Bruiser was left without any food." Heather's eyes watered at the thought of Bruiser crying for her all alone.

"Alright, sweetheart." The policewoman finished writing down the information. "Thank you so much for being brave and answering these questions." She gave her a warm smile.

I'm not brave. I didn't tell them the whole truth. Heather stood up without another word.

"We'll track him down," she told her. "We will call right away when we find him. He'll go in for interrogation, and then we'll set up a court date for the case."

Heather nodded. "Thank you."

The cop gathered her things. "Of course. I wish you well, ma'am. She gave Alejandro a curt nod before walking out the door.

Heather plopped on the couch next to Alejandro, mentally exhausted. "I knew you could do it," he said.

Heather stared up at the vaulted ceiling, counting the beams. "I wish this never happened. I wish I never went out with him two years ago."

Alejandro looked at her with commiseration in his emerald eyes. "I wish I could make your pain go away," he whispered tenderly. "But I know it does not work that way."

"No, it doesn't."

**

Heather was in her bed at her parents' house. The moonlight shone through her window. She felt a hand slide over her hipbone, and she felt arms snake around her waist. She shivered as fear invaded her body. A deep and malicious voice whispered in her ear. "You're mine."

Her heart stopped. That voice was all too familiar. The hand slowly traveled down and went under her panties. "No, please—stop!" Heather cried out. "Stop! NO! Get off of me!" She kicked and squirmed.

"This is what you deserve," the voice hissed.

"No! No!" She whimpered, her body going limp.

Heather woke up.

Her hair was drenched in sweat, and her whole body was shaking. Tears slid down her cheeks. She frantically scanned the pitch-black room to make sure no one was there.

An abrupt knock on the door nearly made her jump out of her skin. She gripped the sheets until her knuckles turned white. "Heather?" A concerned voice asked on the other side. She bit her tongue to keep from crying out of fear. If he knows I'm in here, he'll hurt me! "Heather?" The voice got louder. She couldn't control the gut-wrenching sobs that escaped her mouth. The door handle jiggled, and she grabbed the kitchen knife on her nightstand and hid under the blankets.

All was silent for a couple of minutes, but Heather stayed under, gripping the knife. Then, there was the sound of a key unlocking the door. Heather's cries became loud and trembly. She could hear slow footsteps on the wooden floor. They got closer and closer to the bed. Heather squeezed her eyes shut, praying that this was another nightmare.

The footsteps stopped. "Heather? Are you ok?"

I can't escape. I can't run unless I fight back. Heather took in deep, strained breaths, then lifted the covers. She aimed the sharp knife at the person standing near her.

"Whoa!!" Alejandro backed away, holding his hands up.

Heather stared at him, her eyes as wide as saucers. "G-get away from me!!!"

"Heather! It's me, Alejandro!"

She froze. "Ale—" her voice trailed off as she looked around the room. The light from the opened door revealed the cherubs close to the ceiling. All at once, she felt a sense of overwhelming relief wash over her. She let out the loudest exhale, holding her chest, and laid down the knife in front of her. "—What are you doing in here?"

"I heard you screaming," Alejandro replied. "Your door was locked, so I grabbed the spare key. Are you alright, chica?"

"I—" she took in everything. He has a spare key. There's no point in locking the door. But he was just making sure I was ok. He really heard me screaming, right? She wrapped her fingers around the knife but kept it on the blankets. "I'm fine. I just had a bad dream."

Alejandro looked at the knife. Why does she have a knife with her? And why did she lock the door? Does she think I would hurt her? "Heather," he began softly. "I am sorry if I made you uncomfortable by coming in. I was worried by your cries."

Heather studied his face. He seems genuine. It makes sense that I would be screaming in real life too. She sat crisscross, biting her lip. "Ok. Well, I'm fine."

"Very well." Alejandro nodded and pivoted his right foot around to walk out the door.

"—Wait!" Heather's voice came out faltering.

Alejandro stopped. "Sí?"

"Can you—can you stay with me?"

He looked surprised. "Of course."

Heather straightened out her legs and put the knife back on the nightstand. He cautiously walked toward the bed. He sat on the other side, slowly pulling the covers over himself. Heather tensed, and he noticed. "If you feel you are safer with the knife in here, that is fine."

She looked away, feeling embarrassed. "I'm—it's not for—I don't want to attack you."

"I know. You thought I was someone else, didn't you?" Alejandro asked gently. "But you also want to be careful because you are living with another man." Heather felt exposed. How can he see right through me like that? She nodded. Silent tears escaped her eyes.

"Alejandro scooted himself against the headboard. "I don't know how much this will help, but I'd never lay a finger on you." Heather wrapped the blankets around her body securely and laid back down. "Are you scared he's in here?" He asked.

Heather nodded shyly. "It's really stupid, but I feel like he's watching me."

"No, it's not." He laid down across from her. "He is scary, and he hurt you. Do not feel embarrassed about that."

Heather remained silent. She wished the blankets made her feel safe enough, but she kept wondering if Chandler was behind her, ready to attack. "Can you hold me?" She asked Alejandro. That way, she'd feel like she was protected from all around.

"If that is what you wish, señorita." He held
His arms out. Heather sat up and moved closer to him. She laid on his chest. Warmth washed over her the moment he wrapped his arms around her. She could breathe steadily again.

"Is this ok?" Alejandro asked.

"Yeah," she whispered.

"Can I try something that always helped me sleep when I had a nightmare?"

"What is it?"

"When I was a small child, I always had bad dreams about a wild animal chasing me in the dark. When I'd wake up, I was terrified that the beast was in the room with me. I'd get mi madre, and she would tuck me back into bed and ask me questions. Sometimes they were questions about my day, and sometimes they were questions about something I wanted to do. She told me to picture my answers in my head instead of the scary monster. It made me forget my fears, and I'd peacefully fall asleep every time." Alejandro rubbed her back. "Would you mind if I asked you questions?"

"Ok, you can ask me." Her eyelids were already feeling heavy from the soothingness of his voice.

"To start off, what's your favorite color?"

She laughed sleepily. "I like pink. But, like, the pale pink color."

"The soft kind?"

"Yeah." Heather nuzzled her cheek against his chest. She pictured her pink ballet shoes gracefully gliding across the floor.

"What does it remind you of?" Alejandro asked.

"Ballet. I used to take a ballet class in elementary and middle school. I practiced religiously." She giggled. "Bruiser was my only audience. He loved it."

Alejandro chuckled. He wanted to curse her parents for not watching her practice, but he didn't want to bring up anything negative at the moment. "I would've loved to watch those performances." Heather's cheeks felt hot, even in her tired state. "What's your favorite food?"

"I like sushi. Dragon rolls." Heather yawned.

He began to stroke her hair. "I enjoy sushi as well. Maybe we can get takeout tomorrow night."

"Mhm." She smiled, thinking of a dozen dragon rolls on a plate. She could almost smell and taste them.

"What's your favorite season?"

"Summer. I like to swim and wear crop tops—" her voice trailed off as she drifted into sleep, imaging herself on a warm beach.

"That's nice. Summer is a fun season." Alejandro massaged her head when he heard light snores from her. He thought it was adorable. I wonder if she knows she's a snorer. He laughed to himself. Her body feels so—perfect against mine. She fits perfectly in my arms. It was at that moment, Alejandro knew he didn't want any other woman.