The Worst of Both Worlds

"You're gonna fuck him again, and you're gonna like it," Tito said through gritted teeth, pressing the cold barrel of the gun under my chin, making my jaw hurt.

I felt the hot tears streak my face that were falling from my eyes, evidence of the fear that I was unwilling to verbalize.  I shook my head no.  

I wasn't sure where I was.  It was dark with a single light hanging from the ceiling.  I was pressed up against a wall with my hands tied behind my back.  

"Mmm," he growled, nipping at my ear.  "Would you rather have me instead?"

He licked my neck, and with his head to my side I saw over his shoulder and gasped.  There, under the light, blind folded and duct taped to a chair, was Aaron.

My eyes shot open and I sat up with a start.  My tank top was soaked in sweat, and I wiped at the real tears that had trailed down my face during the nightmare.  I looked over at my clock, and it was only 4 a.m.

It was more or less the same one every single night since I'd ran into Aaron and Tito at the bar.  I think I was nervous that something was going to happen, and was combining what Aaron had told me with Luke.  So Tito was the worst of both worlds right now.

I was tired from sleeping restlessly and waking up constantly.  I was having a hard time remaining optimistic due to the stress from my dreams.  I had an appointment with my therapist the next day, so I was hoping he would be able to help me out, as I was at a loss.  I had been doing a lot better, and so the medication I was originally on I had gone off of, but I was thinking about asking to be put back on it again.  Or at least some type of sleep aid to keep me asleep at night.  I also decided I needed to talk to Detective Stratton to let him know about my run-in with Aaron and Tito.

I'd had my interview a few weeks ago at the Department of Health and Human Services for a position investigating child abuse and neglect.  They told me that they were waiting for a new "cohort" to start training, and had some more applicants to interview, but as soon as they heard about the new cohort and had made a decision, they would give me a call.  I tried to focus on how my interview had gone, to distract myself from everything else.  It was easier to think about that than anything else.

Eventually I must have drifted off, as I woke up to the sun trying to break through my curtains.  I stretched and yawned, still tired.

I made my way downstairs and saw Sarah was sitting on the couch, not at work.  "What are you doing here, slacker?" I asked through a yawn.

She shrugged, but didn't answer me and didn't look at me.  I poured a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and dumped milk in it.  I grabbed it, along with the box, for when I ate the cereal and then could add more to my leftover milk, and went into the living room.  I sat in a chair, and took in Sarah's appearance.  She still hadn't looked at me or spoken to me.  She looked rather disheveled, her blonde hair unkempt and matted from sleeping on it, smeared eye make-up, and wrapped up in a blanket.

"Are you sick?"

She shook her head no.

"Don't make me come over there and beat it out of you," I joked.

She then shot me a look, but burst into tears.

I looked at her alarmed.  I put my cereal aside, no longer important.  I got up and went over to her, and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close to me.  "Sar, what is wrong?"

She sniffled.  "Matt and I broke up."