Scott hit the brakes so hard, nearly causing an accident. Smoke rose from the tires as a result of the extreme screech. He disconnected his phone from the bluetooth because what she said sounded too serious to ignore.
"What did you say?", he asked again, phone on speaker.
"There's someone in my house.", River whispered. She sounded scared and stressed. There was an eerie echo, meaning she was in hiding.
"Where are you right now?",
"In the closet. Please, help me.",
"I'll be there as fast as I can. Don't hang up _",
"Please, hurry.",
Scott made a U-turn, driving like an insane human being. Every car seemed to be moving slow. He honked roughly a hundred times.
"Are you still there?", he asked, panicking,
"I can hear him. He's in my room.",
"Don't speak. I'm almost there _",
He suddenly heard the sound of a breaking mirror, followed by River's bitter scream. It drove him crazy.
"RIVER!",
River cried over the phone, but her voice was distant. The phone was now obviously on the floor. She was out of the closet. The following minutes were horrifying. He could hear River sobbing and begging for her life to be spared. What enraged him were the sounds of kicks and groans. River was being hit.
Scott wished he could fly.
He arrived before he knew it and parking the car was out of question. He ran to the door to unlock it but it was already open. The door lock was broken. Inside, the lights were off but he could still see the mess made in the living room. That's not what mattered to him. He was just there for his person.
"RIVER!", he called from the top of his lungs.
But no response came. He remembered she was in the bedroom and that's where he rushed to.
Alas! There was River, laying on the floor, bruised and squirming. Both her hands were wrapped around her stomach, the spot where she had the most pain. How Scott got to her was more like flying because it was quick. His hands trembled.
"River! Stay with me!", he stressed it, panting.
"Scott?", she slowly opened her eyes, voice dry.
"It's me. I'm here. I'm sorry.", and he started crying there and then.
"Hold me. Tell me I'm safe.",
And Scott immediately took River in his strong, manly arms. He held her too tight, his tears wetting her blouse.
"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry.", he sobbed.
"It's not … your fault.", she tried to comfort him.
"No, it is. I knew this would happen. It's all my fault. I'm the reason they hurt you. I'm sorry. You didn't deserve this.",
"It's okay. I'm okay now.",
She gently patted his back. It was very real, that smile on her face as she listened to him plead and sob. Oh, she was very proud of herself. What an actress she was. There was no intruder. Nobody was hit. The only person in pain was him, not her. She'd done everything, from breaking the door lock to faking the horrifying experience. And he bought it like a dummy.
What a success. Her queen was slowly forming her path to the castle.
…
"Are you okay?", Zydal asked Scully.
They were closing the studio for the night, and the whole mood felt plain. She just had to put it out there.
"I am. Why?", Scully asked too.
"I talked to Helzeny. She told me what happened.",
"Oh.",
Of course he was sad. She could see it clearly.
"She was very honest about what she wants. I'm going to respect it.", he said.
"Come on. Just like that?",
"What do you expect me to do? If she was interested, I'd have pursued her. But she's not.",
"Did she tell you that?",
"She did.",
Zydal sighed, "I never knew she was that unserious. We're all looking for potential guys. Nobody has time to fuck around. We're not getting any younger. What's wrong with her?",
"Hey, it's all up to her. She's a grown lady who knows what she wants. We need to respect that.",
"But you _",
"I'm heartbroken, yes, but I'll survive. She advised me to find another girl whose goals align with mine and that's exactly what I'm going to do.",
Zydal approached him. His way of dealing with heartbreak wasn't healthy. To her, he sounded like he was in denial.
"I know you like Helzeny. She just needs you to show a little more effort. All girls love that. Keep pursuing her. I'm sure she'll fold. You deserve a nice girl like Helzeny and she sure could use a matured, successful guy like you.",
"This isn't my first time being turned down by a girl. It's not even my first breakup. Sometimes a no means no. Last thing I want is to make Helzeny uncomfortable. I'm moving on.",
"This is just so sad.", she wiped her hand across her face, "I'm still going to keep the shoes though.",
Scully chuckled, "All yours little sister.",
***