His heavy body rolled off, she could breathe easy.
Matthew gave her a quick once-over. Ran a hand through his short hair, pushed strands back.
+When I'm out the shower, you better not be here.
Door shut, she moaned in pain. Skin on her lower back and ass felt numb. Sobbed.
-Ahh… God..
If she'd jumped off a balcony it might hurt less…
Body basically drained…
Forced herself up, crawled on all fours across the bed, one foot on the floor. Every move made the numbness fade. Breathed fast, tried not to focus on pain. no strength to grab clothes or wrap the sheet. Dragged feet on the floor, left the room. What now?
Got to her own room,
Sat on the floor by the door a few seconds till the black spots cleared…
Took minutes, then grabbed the sheet, tried minimal skin contact. going down stairs to kitchen felt like a hundred years. Grabbed the intercom and held the button.
-Put some cream or ointment for skin in the kitchen elevator. Something to reduce swelling. Painkillers too.
/Yes, ma'am.
-Faster.
Bit her lower lip harder. Dying from pain.
Two minutes later elevator came up. Grabbed cream and pills, went back up stairs.
Headed to the balcony, poured water from the fridge, swallowed two painkillers.
Wiped tears with her hands.
-Why won't you stop? Fuck… you… ah Goddd
Scared to cry loud and let Matthew hear.
Locked the bathroom door, went to the shower. Set the water, collapsed to her knees under it and cried. Didn't know exactly which mess she was crying for. back pain? weakness? Her life? Or the way Matthew talked to her like trash?
Didn't know what she'd done to deserve this…
Water hit her back skin, she hissed in pain. Turned it off, stepped out. Tried drying gentle with the towel. Grabbed the cream, started. First her ass. Then lower back.
Bruises and Matthew's teeth marks clear on her lower back skin.
"Why doesn't this hell ever end, Mom? Why doesn't it end?"
She grabbed her hair and pulled it hard.
"Why do I have to be like this? Why does he have to enjoy my body like this?
Why… why am I here?"
After struggling for a while, she managed to reach the bed and lay on her stomach. She didn't cover herself.
"You have to get up… you have to get up tomorrow. Again… again… if you surrender, you'll die.
I know you'll forget tonight… tomorrow you have to get up.
Yeah, I have to get up."
As she kept talking to herself, she fell asleep.
…
It was almost six in the morning when he woke up. he got ready to run like he used to. he felt lazy this week since he hadn't followed his exercise routine. he put on shorts and a sweat shirt.
he tightly wrapped the cream-colored bandage around the wound on the back of his hand.
he opened the door to the room and cast a hesitant glance toward Diana's room. Should he check? he scolded herself.
"You've forgotten how you used to blame yourself, idiot? And now you want to check just to what end?"
he couldn't listen to her reason. Using the excuse that she shouldn't get sick and be unable to have proper sex with him, he quietly opened the door to Diana's room.
Her naked body curled on the bed caught his eye.
He stepped toward her. Her back was red, not as badly as last night though. There was cream on the console. He took some and tried to gently rub it on her body's wounds. She moved and moaned. Her body was cold.
"Idiot. She can't even make the room warmer, at least."
He grabbed the remote and turned up the temperature a few degrees. He pulled the blanket up to her lower back and left the room.
Jacob was in the kitchen drinking water.
His gaze met his.
_I figured you'd be up.
+Good morning.