"Hey babe, I'm h-" I walk through the front door only to stop dead in my tracks, horrified at the sight before me.

Liam, who had been the love of my life ever since we met, looks up at me blankly while the gorgeous woman underneath him stares back at me with an equal amount of horror on her own face. Her clothes lay in a colourful puddle on the floor as she does her best to cover her modesty with her hands.

I feel myself start to go numb, my heart breaking. Liam slowly climbs off the woman, clumsily pulling up his pants in the process and I watch the woman get up off the couch and quickly put on her clothes before running out the door, mumbling an apology on her way past.

Staring at Liam, I notice a smug grin creep onto his face. He walks toward me and proceeds to slap me before I can even register his movements. My check stings as tears begin to fall from my eyes. The smell of alcohol rolls off him in waves as he grins at me.

"You weren't meant to be home until later" he grunts, the sickening smile still on his face.

I open and close my mouth a few times like a fish, unable to find any words to answer him. My breath catches in my throat as he plants a sloppy kiss on my lips before pulling out his phone from his back pocket and making a call. 

Still frozen to my spot, I hear him mention something about a bar to the person on the other end before hanging up and turning his attention back to me. He lazily caresses my aching cheek, eyes roaming my body for a moment.

"Oh sunshine, you can't stay mad at me forever. I'm really sorry," he slurs, moving his hand to play with my hair for a moment.

I give him no response which in turn warrants me another slap to the face from his calloused hands. Although this is the first time I've caught him cheating on me, sadly the beatings are more than a one-off occurrence. He would beat me and then tell me that it was my fault even though it wasn't. I should have known. I thought he loved me. Or at least I thought he did until a few moments ago. Oh, how I was blind.

"I'm going out to the bar, don't wait up" he grunts before grabbing his keys and wallet and storming out of the door.

As soon as the door slams shut, I feel myself drop to my knees as an agonising pain rips through my chest. My breath comes out in fits and starts as choked sobs rattle from my throat. How dare he! I should have listened to Tessa and her warnings but instead, I excused his behaviour because I thought I loved him. She was right and she had been from the start. God, I feel so stupid. 

I look around the apartment before me, at the life we created together. Suddenly, the walls feel like they are closing in, suffocating me as my entire life crumbles before me. I need to get out of here.

Shakily, I bring myself to my feet and stumble into the bedroom. Grabbing my duffle bag out of the wardrobe, I begin to shove as many clothes into it as I can before running into the bathroom and grabbing my toiletries from the counter. Anything I don't grab I will come back for later. Right now, I just need to leave. My breath continues to catch in my throat while a fresh wave of tears streams down my face. I make my way make out into the lounge and over to the beautiful wooden bookshelf that stands in the corner of the room. Liam was never one for reading, it was the one luxury I truly had all to myself. Carefully, I grab my much-loved copies of Wuthering Heights and Pride and Prejudice and place them in my bag before opening up one of my book safes and pulling out enough money to last me a week.

My book safes had always had a decent amount of money in them which I saved for emergencies. Liam never knew about them either, especially after we joined our bank accounts together because if he knew I was keeping money from him, he would flip out. Now I'm glad I have them.

I place the wad of cash in my purse before grabbing a few more of my personal items. I go to grab my keys when something flashes in the corner of my eye. The photo of Liam and I placed neatly on our entrance table catches the light of the setting sun. We both look so happy however it was only taken last year and who knows how long Liam has actually been cheating on me for. I shudder at the disgusting thought before pickup up the frame, dropping it on the floor and smashing the glass with the heel of my shoe.

The suffocating feeling in my chest finally lifts as I race out of the apartment, the door slamming behind me. I run as fast as I can down the million-and-one stairs of our building until I finally reach the busy pavement in a giddy state. The cold wind stings my hot cheeks as I let go of a breath I didn't know I was holding. Now what?

Bewildered, I stare at the tall high-rise buildings towering over me and suddenly become very aware of how alone I am right now. I'm brought back to the real world by a person bumping into me, scowling at me as my bag falls off my shoulder. Shivering slightly, my gaze falls on the busy street before me and I attempt to plan my next move. Perhaps I could stay with Tessa for a while? Although, she has had a roommate for while now and probably wouldn't have any room for me at her place. Anxiety begins to fill my chest as I begin to panic, knowing what my only option is. I have nowhere to go except to my mother's house. 

I hadn't been there in about six years. Not since our last fight after my father had died. She had tried to reconnect with me every once and a while after that. The odd phone call here and there but it had never worked out. She had a wonderful way of making me feel small, like I didn't belong in her world. Even though she was the woman who birthed me twenty-eight years ago and I'm supposed to love her, we were completely different people. Like chalk and cheese. 

While she always had her life together, even after my father passed away, I was a complete mess and she used it as ammunition. She suffocated me to the point that I began to resent her. I left and I haven't been back since. Even just the idea of going back brings haunting memories of the night my father died to the surface. No doubt me showing up at her doorstep with just a bag and my crushed heart will be more than enough fuel to rip into me as she pleases but sadly I have no other options.

"Wait!" I yell frantically, racing towards the yellow cab as it begins to peel away from the sidewalk. My bag and purse swing from my arms as I catch up to the taxi, fling open the door and plop down heavily onto the back seat. Bags dumped at my feet, I groan and rub my eyes with the heels of my hands as I begin to let myself dissolve into my thoughts again when suddenly, a gentle clearing of one's throat brings me back to reality.

Nervously, I open my eyes and slowly turn my head towards the direction of the cough to find a devastatingly handsome stranger staring back at me, a smirk tugging at the corner of his perfectly full lips.

His sky-blue eyes feel as though they are burning holes into me, as if they can see straight into my soul and I have nowhere to hide.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I didn't realise that-" I start but I quickly get cut off by his laugh. I frown, confused as to why he is laughing at me which, in turn, makes him laugh even harder.

"It's fine, honestly. Just tell the driver where you're headed" he replies gently, his smirk now replaced by a smile. Instantly, I realise that the cab is moving once again and the driver glances back at me through the rear vision mirror.

"Oh, um, the subway station, I guess?" I tell the cab driver, unsure of myself.

"Which one, Miss?" the driver asks, grunting.

Oh god. That's a good question. The normal line to my mother's house won't be running at this time so I will have to take multiple different lines to get to Brooklyn.

"Ummm, Broadway-Lafayette St Station please?" I squeak as I run the subway map in my head.

The man nods, eyeing me up in the rearview mirror for a moment before turning his attention back to the road.

I shiver and stare out the window at the buildings whizzing past before glancing back at the handsome man sitting next to me.

"You guess?" the stranger asks, raising an eyebrow at me quizzically.

"Sorry?"

"You said you guess at the end of your sentence when you were telling the driver to head to the subway station. You're unsure of whether you want to go to the subway station?"

"Umm, yeah? I don't really know where I'm going, to be honest. I think I'm headed to my mother's house. I kind of just left my entire life behind and now I'm not really sure what to do with myself" I reply, making contact with his beautiful blue eyes.

My eyes widen at the words that just fell out of my mouth. I can't believe I just told this stunning man about the disaster that is my life.

"Oh. What happened? Is everything okay?" he asks softly, a hint of concern in his voice. 

I stare at him in shock for a moment. Why would this man even care about why my life is a mess?

"I just... ummm... I, ahhh... left my boyfriend because I caught him cheating on me?" I mumble quietly, my voice breaking slightly as tears threaten to well in my eyes.

"I'm sorry..."

"It's okay, I guess. Honestly, I'm not too surprised. It's not exactly out of character for him."

"How do you mean?"

"Ummmm, well he, umm..." 

"He beat you, didn't he?" the stranger says, a hint of anger in his tone as he stares back at me with an expectation for me to continue.

"Yeah, he did. How did you k-"

"Miss, you have a giant slap mark across your cheek..."

Instinctively, I touch my face. My skin is hot and I wince slightly as my fingers run over the swollen bruise forming on my face.

"Oh"

The stranger frowns at my response, watching me carefully.

"If you don't mind me asking and obviously you can choose not to answer, but how long has he been beating you for?"

I look down at my hands as memories of Liam flood my brain. Shivering, I shut my eyes to try and block them out before looking back up at the handsome man next to me. 

"Ummmmm, a while. It wasn't always like that though, he didn't always hit me. It started when the alcoholism kicked in" I continue, letting the tears well in my eyes

"I'm sorry, miss. I shouldn't have-" is all I manage to hear the beautiful stranger say before the horrifying memory takes over my mind.

Pacing around the room, I check my watch nervously for the third time in the past five minutes. He should be home by now. Suddenly, the front door of our apartment bangs open and in he staggers, so drunk he can barely put one foot in front of the other. I watch nervously as he stumbles over to me, a look of disgust plaster on his face.

"Are you okay?" I ask softly, biting my lip as dread begins to fill my insides.

"I'm more than okay, sunshine. I'm absolutely amazing and you want to know why?" he slurs, dribbling slightly. I shake my head and go to walk away when I am pulled back into his body, his grip painfully tight around my arm.

"Because my friends made me see how pathetic you really are" he snarls lowly, a fire burning behind his eyes.

"You should be lucky to have me you know" he adds, spitting at me.

Before I can even register what is happening, his fist comes into contact with my jaw and I fall to the ground in a crumpled heap.

Clutching my face in agony, I stare up at him with wide eyes only to find him staring down at me with a disgusting smirk on his lips.

"Get up," he says angrily before shuffling away into our room.

Carefully, I pick myself up and head into the bathroom, shutting the door and locking it behind me.

I stare at myself in the mirror, a dark purple bruise already beginning to colour my cheek. With my face throbbing, I clean myself up and cover the bruise with as much makeup as I can without crying before leaving the bathroom.

"I'm sorry, sunshine" he mumbles sleepily as I quietly slip into our bedroom.

"It was just the alcohol. I promise it won't happen again."

I shake my head at him before grabbing the throw of the corner of the bed and heading back out to the lounge.

"Where are you going?" he calls out from the bedroom, his words slurring together once more.

Without answering, I curl up with the blanket on the couch and close my eyes, letting sleep take me over. It's going to be a long night.

"Hey? Miss? Are you okay?" the stranger asks nervously, bringing me out of my thoughts and back to reality yet again.

"Hmmm?" I ask, confused as I look around to see that we are still in the cab. A sudden wave of claustrophobia washes over me and my insides begin to twist like a can of worms.

I need to get out of here.

"You zoned out for ages. I was just wondering whether you were okay or not?" the stranger replies carefully.

"I'm fine. I just have to get out of here" I reply, panic present in my voice.

"What?" he asks confused.

"Excuse me, sir?" I call out to the driver. "Can you stop the car please?"

"No! Wait? You can't leave" the strange says quickly with a worried expression on his face.

"I'd rather walk" I reply quietly as the car pulls over and I step out quickly. I go to pay the driver but instead, the beautiful stranger hands him a wad of cash, telling him to keep the change before stepping out of the car too.

"What are you doing?" I ask softly, new tears welling in my eyes as I breathe in the fresh air.

I watch nervously as he steps closer to me, avoiding the people walking in the busy street to pick up my duffle bag.

"Keeping you company. You've already had a rough night by the sounds of it, plus it's late and it's not exactly the safest for you to be by yourself on these streets" he says softly, with a small smile before turning and walking down the busy sidewalk.

"You coming?" he calls out, turning to look back at me with a grin painted on his lips.

I stare at him in shock for a moment before flinging the strap of my purse over my shoulder and running to catch up with him.

"You don't have to come with me you know," I say quietly, looking up at the handsome man walking next to me.

"I know I don't, but I want to. I believe that everything happens for a reason, whether we like it or not, so a part of me believes that we were meant to cross paths and I want to know why" he says softly, meeting my gaze with those beautiful eyes of his.

"Okay," I reply with a small smile, a little confused by his whole logic but intrigued nonetheless.

"So the subway then, huh?" he asks, jutting his chin out towards the end of the road. Follow his gesture and see that the stairs leading to the underground station are in fact at the end of the road.

"I guess so," I reply sighing, causing him to raise an eyebrow at me.

"It will be okay, I promise. Just try and enjoy being a passenger for a while on this stupid journey we call life because some things you just can't control" he says softly, winking at me before gently taking my free hand in his and leading me down the road.

I ponder his words as he continues to guide me in between the endless amount of people on the sidewalk. I'd never really thought of life like that before, however, now is as good a time as any to give it a go. A fresh start. A new perspective.

Time to be a passenger, I guess.

__________________________

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hey Guys,

I hope you enjoyed this first chapter! It's been a long time coming.

Please feel free to leave me your feedback as I always appreciate it. Also, if anyone reading this is from New York City, please pm me as I would love to have a conversation about life in NYC as I'm from New Zealand and so writing a book based on a place I have never been to before can be quite challenging. I've done loads of my own personal research, however, talking to a local would be even better as it would help to improve my story.

If you would like to follow me on social media, my Instagram handle is allamy_duffell.

I hope you all are well and having a good day wherever you are in the world and I will see you all in the next chapter!

Love,

Allamy xx