"Yes."

I mentally and physically braced myself as Greg's eyes flooded with tears. Tears of joy. His entire middle aged, handsome face crinkled in elation as he lifted himself up off of the floor, salty tears falling over his wide, smiling cheeks.

The site made my heart cry out as the tiniest and most confusing sensation of guilt wracked my insides.

I pushed those absurd feelings to the back of my head for now, knowing I needed to put all of my focus into these next few, mortally crucial moments.

If I couldn't manage to pull this off, I was dead. The only way I was leaving this torturous house, was either by myself or not at all. A life with Greg by my side was not a life at all. That would be a fate incomparable to even death. No, if my plans of escape were thwarted, then that was it for me. I would die here, by the hands of the man I'd feared for years. And I would never get a chance to tell Nathan how sorry I was and how much I still loved him.

No pressure.

I inwardly rolled my eyes at my never ending stream of sarcasm even in the worst of situation and forced my attention back on Greg as his hands came up and grasped at the sides of my face tenderly.

"God...I love you so much, Alexandria," he whispered in a vulnerable voice.

Acting skills don't fail me now.

Against every signal from my brain, I managed a slight uplift of my lips into a smile that I prayed matched his.

"I love you too."

Greg let out almost a pleasurable sounding moan once my words hit his ears. His eyes closed as he reveled in my false confession and I took that moment to let my smile stumble, giving it the smallest but most necessary of breaks.

My act was soon swept back into play as Greg beamed up and me and fumbled with the velvet box that held the ring.

He popped the ring out of the boxes confines and held it up to me, the diamonds sparkling back at me tauntingly.

"I will make you so happy. I swear it. Not a day will go by that I won't love you or be right by your side to make you smile or laugh. I will never leave you."

Oh god...

He held the ring between his pointer finger and thumb and stuffed the small box back into his pants pocket. Greg began to walk around to the back of the chair I was handcuffed to and I knew this was my only chance.

"Uh, Greg. Do you think we could start of our relationship with me not handcuffed to a chair?" I forced a laugh, letting him know that I was in a light, playful mood and trying to convince him he had nothing to worry about.

"Plus, I want to look at you when you put the ring on," I said in what I hoped came out in an endearing tone.

I felt Greg hesitate behind me. There was complete silence encasing the room as I waited in agony, my heart pounding in my chest so hard that I was almost positive Greg could hear it.

Oh shit. Oh shit. He doesn't buy it.

I'm fucked.

I felt fingers grasp at my hand, skimming over the braces around my wrists. Every hair on my neck stood to attention when the sensation of warm breath cascaded over the back of my neck.

"I guess you're right. There will be plenty of time for these later," he said seductively in my ear as I felt the handcuffs being jiggled with and then the key turning inside of the lock until I felt a distinctive click against my wrists and the metal was lifted from my wrists.

My chest heaved on its own accord in relief and I immediately drew my hands up to my front, rubbing my palms over my sore, cut up wrists trying to soothe any pain that they could.

First step: Done.

I quickly stood up before Greg could take the chance away and wobbled slightly; not having used my legs for what I assume had been over 12 hours or more.

I grabbed onto the chair for support but Greg was already on it as he shot over to me and grasped at my shoulders, trying to right me.

"Woah, you've got to take it easy, love. Your body's been through a lot since yesterday."

If my plan went accordingly, taking it easy was not on my agenda for the day.

"Yeah, you're probably right. Thanks." I smiled up at him and fought to keep my lips tilted up as I connected my stare with his hazel eyes that drilled into mine with a maddening love.

"Now, if I may, I've been dreaming on this moment for years," Greg crooned at me adoringly as he turned me to face him and grabbed for my hand.

With dread and anticipation flying through my blood stream, I watched and waited for my moment. He had to be just distracted enough so that I could make my move without any sort of rebuttal from him too quickly after, giving myself enough time to run, find the door, and get the hell out of here.

Cold metal slid over my ring finger, burning me with its touch. The feeling was overwhelming and my left hand suddenly felt like it weighed 80 pounds and I had this desperate need to saw it off.

All too quickly for my focus, Greg finished his long awaited task and brought his gaze up to mine, desire and happiness eluding from his eyes.

And then, he leaned in. Before I could register what was happening, his lips were planted on mine and that was the exact moment that I made my move.

The second his revolting lips touched mine, I reared back my leg and sent my knee as hard as I could directly into his groin.

Greg let out a painful groan and doubled over, clutching at his nether regions.

With all of my strength, I pushed his hunched over body into the kitchen table. He knocked into it with great force and toppled over, landing hard on the tile floor.

Greg was down and now was my chance.

Without looking back, I bolted through the kitchen and into the hallway, refusing to look over my shoulder. My feet brought me through the hallway and my eyes searched desperately for the front door. Any door in fact.

I scanned the foyer like room I had just entered and turned in every which direction, my chest heaving and until I finally set my stare on exactly what I wanted.

A distressed white door, stood just feet away and I almost audibly let out a cry of joy at the site.

I ran for it. My feet pounded against the floor, bringing me closer and closer to my escape.

My hand reached out and touched the handle, hope rising inside of me.

I did it!

All of that hope that had harnessed in that moment came crashing down though and my heart shattered inside of my chest when I felt a hand grab at the back on my head, yanking me back by my hair.

Pain exploded through the back of my head with the force of the tug. I stumbled backwards and lost my footing, coming tumbling down along with the person behind me.

I landed with a thud on a hard, flat chest and the breath was abruptly knocked out of me.

I gasped for air as panic swarmed my mind. Two arms appeared from beneath me and rolled us over so that they had the advantage over me.

Travis's enraged face met mine as he loomed over me, his body pressing into every inch of mine.

"You're not going anywhere, missy," Travis spat at me mockingly as his hands fought with mine, his fingers grasping in between mine as he got a full hold on my hands and thrust the above my head, leaving me completely exposed beneath him.

"Hm, I think I like you best in this position." Travis spoke with vile intent, his breath fanning across my face. "I think if I talk my dad into it, he'll let me have a go at you. We could have so much fun, Alex..."

He then brought his face down just centimeters away from mine, his lips brushing across mine.

"And I guarantee you I'd fuck you better than your teacher."

A battle cry tore through my throat as I bucked my head up and knocked it against Travis's as hard as I could.

Travis shot up off of me, straddling me, and grabbed for his nose, blood already oozing out from beneath his fingers.

"You broke my nose, bitch!" Travis cried as I tried not to focus on my own pain that was radiating across my forehead from the rough head-butt.

I ignored the protest from my head as I used every bit of strength I had left and thrust my hips up and threw Travis's unsuspecting body off of mine.

He tipped off of my body just enough to give me room to squirm out from beneath him. I rolled onto my hands and knees, the hard tile floor, cool to my touch. With desperate, ungraceful movements, I crawled up to my feet and took off one more for the door.

My adrenaline was pumping furiously through my veins and I knew I was fighting for my life now. Any minute, Greg would bust through into the room and go ape shit on my ass, probably killing me in the process.

But before I could conjure too much hope to escape, two hands grabbed at my waist and threw me back.

My body flew at an awkward angle through the air as I tensed for the undeniable impact, which came only seconds later.

I screamed out in agony as my body crashed into a book shelf of sorts. The wood splintered into my skin like tiny, serrated knifes all over my body and my head snapped back and hit the side of the book shelf; hard.

Black spots formed in front of my eyes as nausea quickly took over my spinning mind and my stomach twisted painfully with the need to vomit.

The pain was that extreme emanating from the back of my head and all over my body.

I tired lifting myself out of what was left of the book case but found just trying to lift my head proved to be a great difficulty.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Travis. Red faced, blood smeared, and fuming heading my way.

Yet, just as he was about to pounce again on my badly battered body, another figure tore through the room and tackled his to the ground.

Greg became my saving grace for the second time that day as he took his own son to the ground brutally.

"What the fuck did I say about touching her?! Now look what you did!" Greg roared at his own son.

"She was trying to get away! I did it for you!" Travis argued back as my mind tried to concentrate on the fight happening just feet away from me. But that was becoming an increasingly difficult task as the desire to fall into a deep sleep was calling for me and it looked more and more enticing by the second.

"I don't care! You. Never. Touch. Her!" With each word, I heard skin meet skin in a crunching punch as Greg wailed on his son.

It only took three hits but within those three punches to his already broken nose, Travis was down for the count.

He lay unconscious underneath his father but I could still see the slight raise of his chest, signaling me that he was still alive.

Unfortunately.

My head lulled to the side, knowing that I needed to get up. Move, fight, do anything to get out of here alive. But the chances of that happening were becoming more and more slim with every passing second.

With a great heave, I rolled my body out of the broken wood pile, grabbing a piece of splintered wood, bigger than my hand, and concealing it within my grip.

Within seconds, I heard heavy footsteps stomping over to me. Greg's face soon flitted into my blurred vision.

"Why, Alexandria? Why would you do that?" He asked with sorrow seeping through his words.

He gripped at my arms and shook me when I couldn't answer. My head jerked and I cried out in pain from the force of his movements, his grip on my arms tightening with each moment, undoubtedly leaving bruises.

"Because," I huffed out, wiggling my fingers around the wood in my hand, prepping myself for what I was about to do. "I don't want to go with you."

Greg's eyes swirled with confusion, his brows creasing downward.

"Why not?"

"You need help Greg. You need so much help..."

"No! I need you!"

"But I don't want you!" I yelled, my voice raising and breaking towards the end as my throat constricted with tears.

Greg's eyes hardened like ice as he brought his face in closer to mine. "Yes. You do."

I shook my head with pleading eyes, staring up at him. "I'm sorry."

My voice was barely above a whisper but as Greg's hands clenched around my arms with more and more force, I knew he had heard me.

"Greg, you're hurting me!" I cried out as the pain became too much and tears poured down my cheeks.

"You're hurting me, Alexandria!" He yelled back at me, his voice livid and his eyes wild.

He was losing control. Now was the time.

I moved the hand that occupied the sharp piece of wood back as far as I could manage and then plunged it into his side.

Greg yelped in pain and grabbed for the piece of wood, which much to my displeasure, had only sunk in about two inches. Not nearly enough to do any real damage but I would take it.

I didn't waste a second before turning on my stomach, ignoring the shards of pain slicing through my stomach as the wooded splinters penetrated through little pieces of my skin.

My head roared and the room was spinning but I was determined to make it to that door or die trying. And as I felt a hand wrap around my ankle and drag me back, I knew that it would be the latter option.

Greg flipped my body so that I was again resting on my back as he used his strength and weight leverage to pin my body down to the floor, his hands dangerously close to my neck.

"Why do you keep doing this to me!?" Spit fired out of his mouth in angry spurts as he yelled at me.

"I have done everything for you! I love you so damn much and this is how you repay me? By fucking stabbing me? Why?!" he roared once again, causing me to flinch and my resolve to break completely under his fiery gaze.

"Because I hate you! You ruined my life! You ruined your family's life and you are so fucking delusional, you make insane people look sane!"

I gasped for breath once I finished my outburst. I knew I shouldn't have said it, but I couldn't hold it in any longer. This man had driven me to the edge of my own sanity and I didn't know if I'll ever find my way back.

"You hate me?" Greg questioned as his hands unconsciously moved up further on my neck. "You don't hate me. You love me. Tell me you love me!"

His stare was wild on mine as he waited for my answer; an answer that I was positive he wasn't going to like.

"I love Nathan and only Nathan."

Horror sliced through me as I saw the same switch in him flick off suddenly and his eyes flooded with hate.

Alarm coursed through my body when Greg's hands tightened around my throat, cutting off any and all air that I needed for survival.

He was crushing my windpipe with the force of his hands and I drew my hands up to claw at his, scratching him with my nails and trying to cause him any amount of pain as my lungs grew more and more desperate for air.

"You love him?" Greg spoke in a low, deranged voice that I hardly recognized as his own.

My eyes began to bulge as my legs kicked out underneath me, knowing that I had to try anything at this point to get free. The last site that I wanted to see before going fully into the darkness was not Greg's demented eyes staring back down at me with glee as he sucked the life out of me.

It was Nathan. I wanted to see Nathan one more time before death claimed me.

I wasn't ready to die. There was so much more that I wanted to do, to see. I wanted to one day walk down the aisle with my father next to me, holding back tears as he gave me away to the man I planned on spending the rest of my life with.

Nathan.

There was no other human being on this planet that suited me like he did and I cried silently as I thought of the memories we would have made together and the happy times we would have had, all of the laughs and then one day... a child's small laughter. A child with wild brown curls and dashing blue eyes.

More tears streamed down my face as the feeling of being robbed of so many things flooded my thoughts and my mind began to fog over.

My lungs were burning and I was beyond lightheaded. This was it and I knew it.

I closed my eyes and focused strictly on the image of the small, curly haired boy with the eyes of his father as my mind swirled and my limbs started giving up the fight.

Greg continued to scream over me but I couldn't make out any of what he was saying anymore. I simply began to float...succumbing to the pain and fate.

And then, his hands were gone.

I gasped for the oxygen in the air like a newborn. My hands flew up to my throat and grabbed at it as I continued to draw in breath after breath, and coughing repeatedly after each intake.

The fog over my mind was abruptly vanished when I heard a voice call my name.

A familiar voice.

I rolled over onto my side, my eyes adjusting back into the light of day when I spotted him and gasped.

"Nathan."

Nathan has arrived everyone! So what did you think?? Did you like the action? Poor Alex is messed up :( 

Please vote and comment if you loved it! :)