You and I Forever

by Melissa Toppen

  “I will.” I say, pulling back. “I love you. I gotta go.” I say, backing out into the hallway. The second the door is closed, I take off in a jog down the hallway towards the elevator.

  Within two minutes I am climbing inside of my new Lexus, not able to contain my smile when the engine purrs to life. It's been a week and I still am not used to how amazing this car sounds and feels for that matter.

  Traffic is light at this time of the evening. It's just after nine and as such, most of the Tuesday rush hour traffic has died down and the streets are relatively quiet. It takes me just under fifteen minutes before I am pulling up outside of the dorm building I once shared with Andrea. It feels like ages since I have been here.

  Pulling into a vacant spot not far from the front door, I kill the engine and climb from the car. Locking the doors, I practically run inside of the building, eager to get upstairs and make sure Andrea is okay.

  I get to the landing of the fourth floor when my phone buzzes to life. I pull it from my pocket to see Andrea's name flashing across the screen. Stopping on the stairwell platform, I swipe the screen and answer the phone, a little breathless from my trek up three flights of stairs.

  “I'm here.” I get out in a pant.

  “Shit Anna. I'm sorry. Collin is here. He came over to talk.” She still sounds upset but a million times better than before.

  “Okay¸ do you want me to hang out for a while and wait?” I ask, not sure what I should do.

  “No. No. That's okay. It might be a while. I'm sorry.”

  “No apologies.” I say, leaning against the stair rail. “I will head back to the hotel but make sure you call me the moment he leaves. I want to know everything.” I say, waiting for her to agree before ending the call and retracing my steps back down the stairs.

  Pulling my jacket tightly around myself as I step outside, I lower my head slightly to avoid the cold wind blowing directly in my face and begin crossing the lot towards my car. The temperature has dropped significantly this week and has been getting really cold at night. I silently curse myself for not wearing more than a light jacket as I pull out my keys and unlock my car using the remote, a feature my old car did not have.

  “Nice car.” His voice washes over me like ice the moment I approach the drivers side. Flipping my head up, Aaron is standing just two feet from the front of my car, his arms crossed in front of his chest, a bottle a whiskey dangling from his hand.

  I don't need anymore indicators to tell me that this is not a situation I want to be in. “Thanks.” I stutter out, taking the remaining steps towards my door, eager to get the hell out of here.

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa. And just where do you think you're going?” Aaron laughs, stepping up next to my door just in time to shove it closed seconds after my hand reaches the knob.

  “I'm going home. Now if you don't mind?” I say, pulling on my door handle. With his weight pressed against it, it doesn't even budge. Backing away a few steps, I pin my eyes directly on Aaron's face, realizing immediately that I need to figure a way out of this situation before it goes from bad to worse.

  “You were saying?” He taunts me, taking a step towards me when I take a step back. “And I thought you lived here?” He questions, cocking his head to the side.

  “I did. I don't anymore.”

  “Is that so?” He questions, taking another step towards me.

  “What do you want Aaron?” I decide trying to talk to him may be better than getting him riled up. After all, I think that's what he wants. To see me panicked and scared. He's the type of man that gets off on striking fear into people, that much I know to be true.

  “What I want is to even the score with your little boyfriend.” He slurs, taking a step towards me. “But I think maybe we can work out an arrangement.” He cocks his head to the side, a wicked smile pulling up the side of his mouth.

  “Why are you even here?” I ignore his comment and try to get him to keep talking while I try to figure out my next move.

  If I run, he'll chase me. My phone is in my back pocket. He would be on me before I could even get it out. All I have is my keys. My keys. Instantly the wheels are turning. Positioning my thumb over the alarm button, I take another step back, prepared to push it if he comes at me.

  I'm not sure what good it will do me but a blaring car alarm is bound to pull the attention of someone. This is a college campus after all. Students are wandering the grounds at all hours of the night and there is also campus security. The car alarm is my best shot.

  “I came here with Collin.” Aaron slurs again, slumping casually against the side of my car before taking a long swig from his whiskey bottle. “Apparently him and his girl had a bit of a misunderstanding.”

  “And that requires you to be here why?” I ask.

  “Well when I found out he was leaving the party to come here, I offered to walk over with him on the off chance I might see you. Imagine my delight to see you get out of this sweet little ride here. Tonight must be my lucky night.” He smiles, his eyes not leaving my face for even a second. Pounding his fist on the side of my car, he pushes away from it.

  “Lover boy buy this for you? I bet he buys you all kinds of stuff. Collin told me about him. Some kind of rich athlete right? Is that why you're fucking him? For his money?” He takes a step towards me and I immediately take a step back. “I always knew you were a whore. I just didn't realize you were a gold digger too.” He snorts, laughing lightly to himself.

  “Aaron, you're drunk. Maybe you should head home.” I say, my finger still firmly on the alarm button as I take another step back.

  “Maybe.” He says, glancing at his watch casually like this is just an everyday occurrence. I relax slightly, thinking maybe he's just trying to get a rise out of me but then again, I know better than to let my guard down with this man. “Or maybe I won't.” He smiles again, this time telling me everything I need to know.

  He's already taken three quick strides towards me before I even realize he's coming. Spinning, I don't get one step before his hand closes down around my forearm and he spins me back around. The moment I am facing him, I swing my free hand towards his face as hard as I can, my fist connecting with his right temple but having very little effect.

  He laughs at my feeble attempt and drops his whiskey bottle to restrain my other hand, the glass pinging off the concrete but somehow not breaking. Realizing my keys are still in my hand, I press down on the car alarm button. The moment the noise registers through Aaron's inebriated state, he makes a grab for my keys.

  Tossing them as far as I can with next to no ability to move my arm, I manage to get them far enough that he has to drop one of my hands in an effort to retrieve them. He leans down the moment he spots them and I seize the opportunity to lay a hard kick to his knee in an effort to catch him off balance.

  It works. The second my foot connects with his bone, his leg buckles and he goes to the ground. Unfortunately, he does not let go of my forearm as he does and the weight of his body pulls mine to the ground right along with him. I land on my side on a hard thud, my arm hitting the pavement below me causing a splitting pain to shoot through my hand.

  I attempt to roll to the side but Aaron quickly recovers and pins me beneath him. With my keys in his hand, he quickly deactivates the alarm and tosses them to the side before grabbing my face in his hands and squeezing hard.

  “You stupid fucking bitch.” He spits in my face. “You never fucking learn do you? You thought you could fuck with me? Sick your little rich boyfriend on me and I would what, just let it go? Time to pay up Anna and I know just what you can do.” He pushes off of me, grabbing me by the hair as he pulls me to my feet.

  I scream at the top of my lungs praying that someone will hear me but if they do, they are too far away to see what is happening. No one comes to my rescue. No one is coming to help me.

  He tangles his fingers in my long strands and twists painfully tight, pulling me along side him. Reaching down, he grabs my keys. Pulling open th
e drivers side door of my car, he shoves me inside, my knee hitting the gear shift in the middle console hard as he forces me to the passenger side.

  I immediately reach for the passenger door and try to slip out the other side but his grip on my hair is too strong and he pulls me back hard, eliminating my ability to get away. “Aaron please. You don't want to do this.” I plead, trying to keep myself together as he fires the engine to life and punches the car into reverse.

  “Oh I think I do.” He pushes my head to the side the moment he's speeding down the road, releasing my hair. He knows that I have no way of escaping unless I plan to throw myself out of the door of a moving vehicle.

  Everything in me is screaming. I have to find a way out of here. There is so much adrenaline pumping through my body, so much fight. I know I have to try. If I die trying, at least I tried. Looking around the car, I try desperately to figure out a solution and then it hits me.

  My phone. Without another thought I make a grab for it in my back pocket. Aaron senses my movements and swerves into the other lane of the road trying to stop my action. Pulling back into the correct lane, the moment he sees my phone, he makes a grab for it.

  My hands are shaking so badly, I can't even manage to unlock it as I try to fight Aaron off from getting it. And then I remember, Bentley programed my phone to the car. Reaching underneath his arm, I hit the touch screen on the console, a voice immediately filing the space.

  “Call Bentley cell.” I scream, registering Aaron's panic the moment the voice responds; Calling Bentley cell. The phone rings through the speakers as Aaron frantically tries to end the call. It only rings one full ring before he finally figures out how to shut it down and the ringing instantly stops.

  My phone immediately buzzes to life in my hand but Aaron is already acting before I can react. His hand connects with the side of my arm and my phone flies into the floorboard. I try to make a grab for it but he grabs my hair again, this time pulling me hard to the side so that I'm positioned in a way that I can't even see out of the car window.

  “Aaron please.” I plead, hearing my phone ring over and over again. It won't be long now. Bentley will call Andrea. He will know that I'm not with her and when I continue to not answer his calls, he will come looking for me. Of that, I am certain.

  “Shut the fuck up Anna.” Aaron screams.

  “Stop!” My voice screeches through the car and I pull up with every ounce of strength that I have. I can feel my hair pulling away from my scalp and know that he probably has a handful of it in his hand when I finally manage to escape his grasp, but I don't care.

  Pushing against the car door, I try desperately to get the door open. I don't know what I am planning on doing but considering we are still in the city, there has to be a way to flag someone. Alert someone of what's going on. I fumble with the door handle but before I can even get a grasp on it, Aaron is pulling me back again. I swing in his direction, not even sure what I am swinging at just simply trying to fight him off.

  He's so busy fighting against me that he takes his eyes off the road for too long. I look out of the window just in time to see my car collide with another car that is parked on the side of the street. The impact twists my car to the side and then it slams into a pole, the collision jarring my entire body.

  The moment the contact is made, I can feel moisture on my face and I know I am bleeding, though I have no idea how bad it is or where it's coming from. All I know is that I am scared. Really scared. I try to push back but I'm so disoriented, I have no idea what's going on. My vision blurs and I feel like the car is shifting onto it's side though I am fairly certain we are sitting still. I hear Aaron's voice screaming but it grows fainter and fainter until eventually, it disappears all together.

  Chapter

  Twenty-Three

  “Anna. Baby. Can you hear me?” Bentley's voice breaks through the darkness but I can't seem to get my eyes open. They feel so heavy. Like they are being held in place by glue. “Anna.” I hear him again.

  I try again, managing to get one eye open and then the other, squinting into the lights above me which make it impossible to make out anything. Everything is a blur. Blinking rapidly, I turn my head to the side, immediately groaning when a pain shoots through my entire side.

  “Don't move. It's okay.” I hear Bentley again but my eyes can't seem to find him. It takes a few more moments for my vision to clear enough that when I look up again, I can make out his beautiful face hovering over me.

  “Bentley.” I croak out, my throat so dry it feels like I swallowed sand paper. “Where am I?” I look around, still not able to add up what is going on.

  “You're in the hospital baby. You're okay.” He gently rests his hand on top of mine as he sits down on the side of the bed and turns his body inwards. Suddenly everything comes back. Aaron. Being in my car. The wreck. The disorientation.

  My breathing immediately accelerates as I look around the room. “Where is he?” I can't control the panic in my voice but Bentley doesn't allow me to sit up when I try, though I'm not sure I really could anyways. My body feels like it has been run over by a truck.

  “It's okay. He's in jail. The police are wanting to talk to you but not until you're ready.” He reassures me, turning to retrieve a cup of water from the bedside table before facing me again. “Here. Drink this.” He sets the cup in my hand.

  Tilting it to my lips, I immediately drain the contents and hand the cup back to him. “What happened?” I ask, relaxing back into the pillow, having no recollection as to how I ended up here.

  “You don't remember?” He questions, cocking his head to the side.

  “I remember being in the car with Aaron but how did I end up here and him in jail?” I question.

  “Aaron wrecked your car with you inside. When paramedics arrived they found you unconscious. Aaron was belligerent and had to be subdued by police before being brought in. Andrea was the first one to arrive at the hospital. They were able to verify what happened based on her and Collin's statements along with the security camera footage from the parking lot outside of the dorms. You will still need to make a formal statement. He's lucky the police arrived before I found you, otherwise it would be me in jail.” He pauses, taking a deep breath before continuing. “You've been unconscious for almost two days. I was so worried that you weren't going to wake up.”

  “Two days?” I take a shaky inhale.

  “You have a concussion, ten stitches on your forehead, a few bumps and bruises, but nothing too serious.” He says, his eyes telling me immediately that there's more.

  “What? What is it?” I ask, suddenly terrified.

  “Well. When you arrived they didn't know the extent of your injuries. They ran some tests and well....” He pauses for a long moment. “You're pregnant.” He says, squeezing my hand lightly.

  “What?” The word rips from my throat and I immediately feel like I have just entered some sort of alternate universe. “I can't be pregnant. I... I...” I start, but he reaches out and gently touches the side of my cheek, silencing me.

  “You are. They estimated you at about three and a half months.” He gently pushes my hair away from my face, his eyes not leaving mine.

  “And it's okay? The baby?” I choke, emotion thick in my voice as I try to blink away the tears welling behind my eyes.

  “The doctor said everything looks perfect.” He says, his own eyes glazing over.

  “But I don't understand. How am I pregnant? They did a test. I have had a period all three months.” I say, trying to make this make sense.

  “I had the same questions. I guess it's not uncommon for women to continue to bleed especially during the first few weeks of pregnancy. The doctor said it's likely that you weren't far enough along to test positive when they did the initial test but based on the time line, you were pregnant when you came in with your knee injury. Which means.....” He stops when I cut in.

  “That I was pregnant in New York and this is that baby.” I say, my hand going
up to cover my mouth.

  “When I found out what happened, I was so terrified that I was going to lose you. To get here and learn that not only were you going to be okay, but that we are going to have a baby, I can't even begin to explain the elation I felt.”

  “You're okay with this?” I ask, completely floored by how calm he seems.

  “Are you kidding? Of course I am. Anna, we are going to have a child together.” He smiles down at me, his thumb working gentle strokes against my hairline. “If you weren't laying in this bed right now, I would be spinning you around this room I'm so happy.” He laughs lightly.

  “Let's not get carried away.” I laugh, cringing when a pain shoots through my stomach.

  “Easy.” Bentley holds me in place. “You are going to be really sore for a few days. While nothing is broken, you have some severe bruising.” He says, his smile fading away. “Anna. I'm so sorry.” He breathes, dropping his eyes to where he is holding my hand in his.

  “Hey.” I say, waiting until he meets my eyes again before continuing. “This isn't your fault. There is no way you could have prevented this.”

  “No but had I not come at him at the bar....” He starts, but I immediately cut him off.

  “It wouldn't have changed anything. He was drunk and I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. That's all this was. Aaron is a heat of the moment type of person. He didn't plan this, nor would he have come looking for me had I not shown up when I did.”

  “You called me.” He pauses. “When I tried to call you back, you didn't answer. I knew something was wrong. I could feel it. When I called Andrea and she said you weren't there, I knew. Ethan had just confirmed the location of your car when the police call came through. You knew I would track you.” He smiles knowingly at me.

  “I hoped.” I laugh weakly. “I didn't know what else to do.”

  “It was smart. And brave.” He tacks on.

  “Since when have you known me not to fight?” I raise my eyebrows playfully at him just trying to lighten the conversation.