My Bloody Valentine

[4everDifferent]

Looking at himself in the rearview mirror, Adam couldn't help but notice how he couldn't keep the smile suppressed. Everything at the interview had gone well and it looked promising. He had one more to do before he could, hopefully, finally get another job. While he had enough cash reserves to keep them afloat, Karen was another mouth to feed even though she never ate much. It meant higher electric bills and water bills and that ate away at his reserve far quicker than he could have imagined. Now, with a new job, he could take better care of her and meet his obligations.

Parking his car, his eyes turned to the apartment building and he couldn't wait to tell Karen how everything had gone. With a slight hop in his steps, he made his way into the building and up to the hall where his apartment was. His key slid into the lock and with a twist of his wrist, he unlocked the door and pushed it open. When it didn't open on the way, his brow narrowed, "Karen?" he called into the house, "Karen, there's something -" pushing his head through the space between the door, he caught sight of Karen on the ground. She had been the reason the door hadn't opened completely, "Karen!" he called to her.

Pushing his way through the door, he quickly dropped to the ground beside her and scooped her head off the floor, "Karen?" he asked her with concern written all over his face. His hand brushed the loose hair from her face as his looked it for injuries. Streaks of dried tears ran down her cheeks but there were no apparent injuries. His eyes moved along every inch of exposed flesh and still found no injuries, "Karen, what happened?" he asked as he waited for her to respond.

Reaching for his phone, he began to dial 911 but hadn't hit the call button. What if he called them and they didn't believe him? What if that detective got the case again and pursued him mercilessly as she had before? There would be no way he would get that job and before they knew it, he and Karen would be on the streets. This whole thing had turned from a nightmare into a hellish reality. They were trapped by prejudice and bad luck as something or someone continued to plague Karen. What had she done? She was perfect in every way and if he didn't do something, she would cease to be the woman he loved but instead be only an empty shell hollowed out by monstrous acts. He couldn't allow that.

 

[EchoFT]

For a moment she couldn't speak. The shock from Kevin's attack hadn't faded away and even Adam's touch couldn't reassure her this time. She wanted nothing more than to spill everything to him and cry on his shoulders but... This time, she could not. Kevin knew everything. Where she was, how Adam was trying to find a job... Everything. He was everywhere. Haunting her, continuing to torment her. And if she continued to hold onto Adam, then she was going to bring him down with her.

Shaking her head she began, "S-Sorry, I just-" Then seeing the phone in his hand, she panicked. With a cry, she grabbed both the phone and his fingers, preventing him from pressing anything else. "Please don't Adam! I'm fine!" Her voice cracked slightly and she cringed at her own panicked voice. There was no way Adam would believe she was 'fine' from that.

Taking a deep breath, she tried again. Her voice was still shaking and he could probably feel her hand trembling, but her mind was racing to find a way to pretend nothing had actually happened. "Well, I... Th-There was someone in the hall." She began, sifting through the real events to filter out what she could use and what she would have to omit or change. As she spoke, her lie began to take proper shape. "There was someone walking in the hall and... And it just reminded me of that night."

Karen felt a lump form in her throat. She hated this. She hated the fact she was being manipulated by Kevin, and that she was lying to her one and only friend. The only one that had been willing to stick with her and help her through the worst moments of her life. Still, she pressed on. She had to. "I fell into a panic and... I think it was a panic attack. I felt like I couldn't breathe, and I fell unconscious. And he... He appeared in my dreams." More tears fell as she stated a part of the truth.

"Please don't call anyone." She begged, "If that... If that woman comes here, she'll just use it against you again..! Even though n-nothing happened, she's going to try to hurt you and... I can't afford to lose you Adam." Her voice grew small as she confessed, "You're the only one I have now... If I lose you, I don't think I can even go on anymore."