Fight - Prologue - 4/27/08

Spoiler:

A young woman sat alone outside a restaurant twenty miles from the architectural college she attended. She was less than a week away from graduating and receiving a degree in interior design.
The girl gazed despondently at the pouring rain, waiting for someone who would never come. She tried to convince herself that her date’s car had broken down and he wasn’t near a phone, but deep down she knew the truth. Rising from her seat, she silently walked to her car, not caring that she was getting soaked.
On her way back to the campus, she constantly berated herself on her naivety. To her great surprise, she spotted her boyfriend’s car parked next to a small house not five miles off campus. She pulled in behind him, and unconsciously knowing what she was going to find, got out of her car. The girl walked up to the side of the house and peered through a window. The room was completely dark, but she could see two people inside. A flash of clarity settled over her, and she stumbled backward, making a mad dash for her car.
She knew nothing much had happened, but just the prospect of her boyfriend’s lack of faithfulness was enough to send her reeling. Well, for a Christian he certainly has a strange way of showing me loyalty, she thought. It was one of the last coherent thoughts she could form.
The front door opened just as she pulled away from the curb. Despite her intentions, she glanced back once, just long enough to see the dark-haired man bestow a kiss on the house’s occupant. The world seemed to crash in around the girl, and she drove blindly through the storm, only slightly aware that there was a car behind her.
The woman barely registered pulling into the campus parking lot. She stared blindly at the car pulling in next to her and the man getting out. He walked toward his dorm, not glancing back once. The girl was filled with fury, and, after a few minutes deliberation, got out of her car and walked promptly to her boyfriend’s room.
She didn’t bother to knock, and upon entering verbally attacked the man inside. He denied everything, of course, but she was sure she knew what she had seen. Disgusted just to be in his presence she stated that she had no wish to see him again and quickly left.
The man was hurt and confused. It had never dawned on the girl that if her boyfriend truly had been cheating on her he would have been drenched from the rain. Then again, the girl did not see the dark form watching her from outside her ex’s dorm either.

Bella2594 wrote:Heres Chapter 1:

Chapter 1

Spoiler:

A sharp peel of the phone jerked Alydia Jameson from her reverie. The foreclosure of the architectural firm had been a hard blow for Alydia and many of her coworkers. Luckily, she had procured a job as an interior designer at a local firm. This was, no doubt, yet another new or aged firm calling to accept one of her coworkers in a high-class position. It was far from her ideal job, but a young girl down on her luck didn’t really have a choice in the matter.
It had been two years since the elderly manager of the aging firm had taken pity on her and given Alydia a job. Alydia had quickly become one of the most respected interior designers in the firm, but even her job did not fill the void left inside her heart.
Less than a month before she moved to Chicago a man she had deeply loved betrayed her. Alydia had never thought that Clark Danes would ever do anything to hurt her, but the naivety of a young, starry-eyed girl often affected her judgment. She had never been able to understand how such an upstanding Christian man could stoop so low. Still, more often than she wished, Alydia found herself thinking about dark hair that was always slightly in need of a trim and deep, soulful brown eyes.
Partly dazed, Alydia answered the phone. She patched the misdirected call through to her employer, barely registering that the caller was someone wanting to purchase the building. She gazed blankly at the bustle of people walking past her door. A voice came over the intercom, announcing an impromptu meeting.
Alydia pulled herself up with a sigh and set off for the spacious boardroom. Her best friend Lou walked up beside her. “Are you alright?” she asked. “You look kind of zoned out.”
“I guess you could say that,” Alydia replied. “It just seems strange is all, to be back where I started.”
“What on earth do you mean? We both have jobs waiting for us at Stryker.” Somewhat miraculously, Lou had also procured a job at the same firm who had accepted Alydia.
“I know, but it just feels like we’re starting over. You know what I mean?”
“I guess, but I wasn’t going to stay here forever anyway.” Lou’s dark lips stretched into a smile as she tucked an unruly strand of black hair into her messy bun. “Besides, a new beginning may be just what you need.”
Alydia laughed sourly. “What I need is better judgment. And, unfortunately, I don’t think there’s a very good chance of that happening.”
Lou’s caramel-colored face fell. “You can’t keep blaming yourself, Alydia. It was not your fault; there was no way you could have known. I certainly didn’t.”
Lou hated herself for introducing Alydia to Clark. She often wished there was a way to get her friend to smile again. Whenever she did it was forced, and it never reached her sapphire eyes. Lou didn’t really understand why she was still so upset over Clark, but then again she hadn’t loved him the way Alydia had. He had swept Alydia off her feet and then dropped her off a cliff. Lou guessed she was still falling.
Alydia didn’t answer; she couldn’t. She did blame herself for her failed relationship. Her supposed naivety had gained her two miserable years and nothing else. Alydia had heard that time healed wounds, but experience told her that it only made them worse. She walked into the boardroom and took a seat beside Lou.
Flipping her wavy black hair over her shoulder she turned to Lou and said, “Is there something wrong with me? Why am I still constantly thinking about him?”
“You loved him,” Lou said matter-of-factly. “You still love him.”
Alydia looked down at her hands. “I’m with Shawn,” she whispered sadly.
“And how’s that working out for you?” Lou knew all about Shawn Black. He certainly wasn’t sore on the eyes with his jagged blonde hair, tan skin, and piercing green eyes, but Lou thought he seemed slightly psychotic. Often changing emotions in the blink of an eye, he scared her. And she could see that he scared Alydia as well. Lou knew it was because of that fear and that fear alone that Alydia would not end her non-existent relationship with the infuriating man.
Before Alydia could reply, the CEO of the company walked into the room and called the meeting to order. She barely registered that the executive officer was discussing the foreclosure. Alydia knew she should have been paying attention, but Lou’s words haunted her. She didn’t want to admit it, but Lou was dead on. Her relationship with Shawn was strained and one-sided, but she didn’t know how to end it. His erratic mood swings terrified her, and he was so possessive Alydia was honestly afraid of what would happen when she ended it. She didn’t think he would take rejection well at all. Still, surely he didn’t actually think she loved him, did he?
There was no way to tell. Besides, what did she have to lose by staying with him? She had no one else, and she hated being alone. If she hadn’t been so blind this whole disaster could have been averted. Clark’s betrayal had left her weak and senseless. She didn’t know what to do with herself, and she thought about the possible scenarios as the CEO rambled on. Alydia chastised herself repeatedly for thinking about him. It had been two years. She should have forgotten him by now. Wasn’t that what was supposed to happen? However, instead of him fading from her memory every day brought another detail- his smell, his eyes, his voice- and another pain to her heart.
Alydia jumped when Lou touched her shoulder. She stood and walked out with her, not saying a word. Lou noticed her silence and commented on it.
“I’ve just got a lot on my mind,” Alydia replied vaguely.
“Okay, honey, you’ve got to do something. I can get Marcus to have him come down if you want. You know they still talk every once in a while.” It was a hard reminder that Lou’s cop husband knew exactly where Clark was, and Alydia did not. There were days when she was glad she didn’t know, but then there were times when she would kill to get that information. She was just too afraid to ask.
“No. I don’t want to see him. I don’t think I could stand it. He probably wouldn’t want to see me anyway.”
“Alydia, you should hear yourself. It’s been two years, and you are just as much in love with him as you were when you met him, if not more. He hurt you, and you still love him. You cannot focus on anything except his memory. If that’s not a sign, please tell me what is.”
“I don’t care. I wouldn’t care if Cupid came and hit me over the head with a heart-shaped mallet. It wouldn’t mean anything. I can’t trust him, so I can’t love him.”
“Yet you do.”
Alydia sighed in frustration. “I mean I can’t have a relationship with him. I don’t want to have to wonder constantly if he is seeing someone else. Wouldn’t you feel the same if it was Marcus cheating on you?”
“I see what you’re saying, but you know you can’t live like this much longer.”
“Eventually I’ll forget him, and I’ll move on. I just need some time.”
“You’ve had two years. How much more time do you need?”
“I wish I knew.” They had reached the small vestibule. Alydia glanced down at her watch. “Well, as much as I would love to continue this cheery conversation, I think I’m going to head home. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Alydia…,” Lou started to say.
“Look, I just want to forget him. I don’t want to go searching for him. I don’t want to start another relationship with him. I just want to stop hearing his name and seeing his face everywhere I turn. I just need this to stop.” She pushed the door open and walked out into the afternoon sunshine.
Thirty miles away Clark Danes sat in his office, staring at the walls, thinking of her even as she thought of him. It bothered him deeply that even after two years he still loved her and missed her. His work distracted him, but it never staunched the pain for long. He knew that his best friend’s wife often spoke with Alydia, but he had never had the nerve to ask Marcus to help him find her. It disturbed him that she had been so wrong. Whatever she thought she saw was a lie. He had been in his dorm all night; his phone had not been working, and his car had disappeared that afternoon before he was supposed to have left to meet her. Clark thought that maybe one of his friends had borrowed it without telling him, but after hearing what she said he wasn’t so sure. He knew he was wasting his time brooding over something that could not be changed, and yet he did. As much as it hurt, he couldn’t get Alydia Jameson out of his mind.
Clark’s phone rang; he didn’t even glance at the caller ID before he answered. “What have you got for me?” he asked, propping his feet up on his desk.
“What? Not even a “hello” for an old friend?” Lou’s soft voice took the place of the voice he thought he would hear.
“Sorry. I thought Marcus was calling.”
“Uh-huh. Well, what exactly was it that Marcus was supposed to get for you?”
“A little nosy, aren’t you?”
“Yes. I picked it up from a certain friend, and I imagine you would like to know about that certain friend. Am I right?”
A stab of pain went through his heart, but he managed to stay calm. “No, you’re not.”
“You’re lying,” Lou stated smugly.
“You’re delusional,” Clark shot back. He stood up and began to pace. This was the only reason he hated talking to Lou. She was always trying to get him to talk to Alydia, to try to make amends. Somehow, he always ended up stressed out after conversing with Lou for any amount of time, extended or otherwise.
“You know she’s miserable.”
“She’s the one who left.” Clark leaned against a wall, suddenly weary.
“Did she really have a choice, Clark? Honestly, what else could she have done?”
“She could have stayed and heard me out. I don’t know who she thought she saw, but it wasn’t me.”
“Look, I’m not going to argue with you about this, and I’m not going to judge you. This is between you and Alydia. I don’t want to get involved, but I think you should talk to her. Even if she turns you down at least she will get some confidence back. Maybe then she can actually get on with her life, and so can you.”
Clark had heard enough. “Well, as enjoyable as this is, I have things to do and people to see. So, you can tell Alydia that if she wants to talk to me I would be glad to deal out a few minutes of my time, but other than that, you can forget it. I don’t want to waste my life chasing an empty dream.”
“Just think about it, Clark. Are we going to see you this weekend?”
“I don’t know yet. I’ll see you later.”
“All right. Bye.”
“Bye.” Clark snapped his phone shut and walked over to his desk. He sat down in his chair, massaging his temples. It was bad enough that he thought about her constantly; Lou only made it worse by bringing her up in every one of their conversations.
“This is pathetic,” Clark murmured. He doubted anyone else would pine after the same woman for two years when she obviously didn’t want him, but something told him to hang on a little longer. Just a few more days. Something was about to happen. The only question was what.
“Forget it.” Clark knew he sounded like a broken record, but there was no way he was going to cave. Lou wanted to know where he worked and had sent her guinea pig of a husband to find out. Marcus had been pleading with him for the last half hour, and Clark was at the end of his rope.
“Clark, it would make life easier on us both if you just told me so I can tell her.”
“Why don’t I just jump from the top of the Chrysler building? It would be faster and less painful than giving up the only haven I have left.”
“Look, Lou’s obviously persistent. She’s not going to stop until she gets what she wants.”
Clark glanced around the crowded diner, unwilling to answer. The sounds of a ballgame reverberated around the room from a plasma screen in the corner. Vigilant basketball fans surrounded the television, cheering for their favorite teams. The small diner was one of the few places Clark could escape from Lou’s chiding and his own thoughts. Or so he thought. Clark looked back at Marcus, wishing he was anywhere but there.
“Lou doesn’t seem to understand that I would go back to Alydia in a heartbeat, but that’s up to Alydia. I don’t know how to get it through her thick head. She doesn’t need to start with me.”
“Lou knows that, and she also knows how obstinate Alydia can be.”
“That, too. But it’s been two years. I doubt she’s as obsessive as I am.”
“So, you do have a perception of time? I was wondering. I’m sorry, but it has been two years. Most people get over failed relationships in less than that amount of time. Why do you think you haven’t gotten over her?”
“I think it’s because there was no incentive for her leaving. I know what she thought she saw, but she was mistaken. I guess it’s just because I didn’t willingly give her up; I didn’t really have a say in the matter. I don’t know. I love her, and I don’t really think I have to explain that.”
“That’s understandable.” Marcus gave a small chuckle. “Man, don’t you miss the days when all we had to worry about was passing a class?”
“Yeah. It’s too bad we didn’t know how to appreciate it.” Clark glanced at his watch, then out the diner’s single window. Dusk was setting in, and no one in their right mind would brave the streets of Chicago alone at night. It wasn’t as bad as New York, but crime was the same in any big city.
He stood and pulled on his coat. “Now time’s flying by, and we’re powerless to stop it. Tell Lou she’s out of luck and not to bother trying again.” Marcus nodded absently, and Clark left.
The cold Chicago wind hit Clark with enough force to make him gasp. He had never seen a more brutal winter and could not have been more anxious for the warm temperatures spring promised. Then again, there was a part of him that not even higher temperatures could warm. Just a little longer, he thought. He just had to hold on for a little longer, just a few more days. Something would happen. Good or not he didn’t know, but there was going to be fireworks.

Bella2594 wrote:Here's my next chapter. Hope ya like it.

Chapter 2

Spoiler:

There is love, and then there is obsession. Not just any obsession, but suffocating, outlandish obsession. The insufferable man had reached that threshold and crossed it. Alydia stared at her hands as Shawn’s intolerably jovial voice filled her ear. She wasn’t sure what he was saying, and she honestly didn’t care. This had to be the fourth time he’d called in the past nine hours. How many times did she have to cancel their dinner before he understood that she wasn’t going to come?
“Alydia?” Shawn said. “Alydia, are you still there?”
“Hmm? Oh, yeah. Sorry, what were you saying?” Alydia shook her head, trying to emerge from the fog.
“When do you start your new job?” he asked, still overly cheerful. She sensed an underlying purpose to his question, as was common with Shawn.
“Day after tomorrow. Why?”
“Just wondering. Why don’t we go out tomorrow night to celebrate?”
Alydia bit her lip to keep from groaning. “I don’t know. We’ll have to see; I may be too tired. Wait and talk to me tomorrow.” Alydia heard the low beep of Shawn’s pager in the background. Saved by the bell.
“Yeah, I’m going to have to go. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Alydia rolled her eyes. As if. “Yeah, talk to you later.” Alydia flipped her phone shut and leaned back in her chair.
The small apartment seemed larger and lonelier as Alydia stared at the four walls. In the two years that Alydia had lived in the apartment she had changed nothing. The walls were still an ugly off-white, and the five rooms were sparsely decorated. In a way, the meager residence represented Alydia’s life and state of mind. It was blank, devoid of emotion and all hope.
She walked into her bathroom and, leaning against the black-tiled counter, stared into her mirror. She didn’t recognize the woman staring back at her. Alydia wouldn’t have been surprised if the mirror cracked from the overwhelming sorrow enveloping her. She didn’t know if she was just pathetic or if she had truly lost the slippery grip on her sanity. It was getting to be too much, the anguish and regret. And there was always that nagging at the back of her mind that said she had overlooked something. Alydia just couldn’t figure out what she had missed. The memory of that fateful night did nothing but send an icy stab of pain through her heart. The sorrow of reliving that night seemed too high a price to pay for Alydia to continue to keep trying to decipher the small action or event she had so carelessly neglected to see.
“Dear God, what am I supposed to do?” Alydia prayed. Her faith had been the only solid thing in her life. That hadn’t changed since Clark’s betrayal. She knew that God had not forsaken her and never would. Trials were just part of life, and despite everything that had happened she knew she had to stay strong.
An Italian melody penetrated Alydia’s thoughts. She walked into the next room, wiping tears from her eyes. Flipping open her cell phone, she gave a brief, monotonous greeting..
“Well, aren’t you cheerful.” Alydia was completely floored. The last time she had heard that voice was six months after her college graduation. Coretta Hall had been a close friend throughout high school and college. They had drifted apart a while back, and Alydia hadn’t heard from her since.
“Coretta? Is that you?”
“No, it’s Jodie Foster. Yes, it’s me. My gosh, Alydia, surely you’re not that surprised.” Alydia rolled her eyes at Coretta’s cynical humor.
“We haven’t spoken in a little over a year. Why in the world would I not be surprised?”
“Well, fine, if you want to be like that. I just thought you might be happy to hear from an old friend.”
“That’s not what I meant, and you know it. And don’t tell me you called to just shoot the breeze. Now, what’s up?”
“I am pulling up to your building right now. I just thought I should give you fair warning.”
Alydia moved over to her window and looked out, searching for a small green Charger. It wasn’t there. “Where’s your car?” she asked, her brows drawn in confusion.
“I’m getting out right now. Look again.” A tall auburn-haired woman emerged from a white Ferrari, glancing in the direction of Alydia’s apartment. Her hazel eyes were covered with big, dark sunglasses, and she held a cell phone to her ear. “Well?”
“Oh, my gosh. Where did you get that car?”
The woman laughed and sauntered toward the outer door. “I got a raise. A really big raise.”
“I’d say.” Alydia unlocked her door and sat down on her suede couch. A few minutes later Coretta ambled through the door, snapping her phone shut. Alydia stood briefly and hugged her friend.
“Now,” she said after they both had gotten comfortable, “what is all of this about?”
Coretta sighed heavily. “I guess I’ll just get right to it. It looks like I’m going to be staying in Chicago for awhile. A friend of mine needs some help, and I don’t know how long he’s going to need me to stick around.”
“Okay, what does that have to do with me?”
Coretta feigned consternation. “What, I can’t visit a friend without having an ulterior motive?”
Alydia raised her eyebrows. “Coretta, let’s be serious here. Have you ever not wanted something from somebody?”
“Okay, fine. I just wanted some information on the city.”
Alydia looked skeptical. “And?”
“And a place to stay.”
Alydia shook her head and gave an exasperated sigh. “You can have the guest room.”
Relief showed through Coretta’s eyes. “Thank you so much, Alydia. I knew I could count on you. I would stay in a hotel, but you know how much I hate big cities and…”
“Hold on, now. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I said you could stay, but on one condition.”
“Sure, you name it.” Alydia was suspicious for a moment. Coretta wasn’t one to be overly eager to please. She dismissed her friend’s odd behavior as senseless paranoia. A sly look in her eye, Alydia grinned somewhat wickedly.
“I want to drive your car.”
Coretta laughed. “Oh, is that all? Well, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt, as long as you promise not to total it.”
“Yeah, like you have room to talk. I’ve seen your driving, Coretta, and it’s not pretty.”
“Oh, so that’s how it’s going to be.” Alydia grinned softly, suddenly feeling weary. She felt slightly numb and knew that soon she would shut everything out. It was like she wouldn’t allow herself to be happy, and her subconscious seemed to kick in at the most inconvenient times. This torture and self-loathing truly was dismal and exorbitant. Equal amounts of irrevocable love and unmistakable hate seemed to constantly race through her mind along with other emotions she wasn’t able to decipher. Alydia couldn’t seem to make sense of the jumble of emotions and trying left her exhausted and frozen.
Alydia wasn’t sure how much time had passed when she became aware of Coretta staring at her. “What?” she asked, completely dazed.
“What’s wrong, Alydia? I’ve never seen you like this.”
“I wish I knew. I’ve just been really paranoid lately.”
“You always were a terrible liar. Alydia, wake up and smell the roses. You still love him, and that obviously is not going to change.” Even Coretta, who wasn’t exactly that perceptive, had pinpointed the source of Alydia’s agony. Maybe it was more obvious than Alydia had originally thought. “Why don’t you do something about it?”
“Because you’re wrong. That’s not it.” Alydia averted her eyes, praying that Coretta didn’t pick up on the slight catch in her voice. Technically, she wasn’t lying, or if she was she didn’t know it. Admitting that she still loved him would be like giving up the last little bit of freedom she had. It would throw her completely into his possession, and she knew she couldn’t let that happen. She would never resurface if it did.
“Then what? Is it Shawn?” Alydia didn’t understand Coretta’s sudden interest in her well-being, but just the mention of Shawn’s name sent shivers down her spine. Why did she feel so uneasy about him? Maybe it was just futile paranoia; maybe it was something else. She didn’t know, and she honestly didn’t care. She really didn’t care about anything anymore.
“I don’t know.” It was the only answer she could give. To anything.

Clark wasn’t sure what was happening, but he seemed to be moving in slow-motion. The flashing red and blue lights illuminated the officer’s face as he said something Clark didn’t hear. One thought and one thought alone raced through his mind. Something’s wrong. Something’s missing.
The interior of his house had been completely destroyed. Everything was in pieces. That was what the officer had been trying to tell him. It didn’t seem like anything was missing, but they weren’t sure. They needed him to take a look as soon as he could and contact them if something had been taken.
“No one saw the assailant.” That one line screamed through his head, over and over again. It wasn’t right. Something was wrong with that statement. At least one person should have seen the aggressor. Unless…
“You said that no one was here at the time this was happening, right?” Clark could barely force the words out of his mouth, dreading the answer.
“That’s correct,” the officer- Clark’s racing mind didn’t pick up on his name- said.
“Then something is missing.” The world began to spin, and Clark could barely keep from falling over. Leaning heavily against his car, his dark hair falling into his face, Clark listened to the officer ask him what he thought had been stolen.
Breathlessly, Clark replied, “My sister.”

Everything was falling into place. The girl was tied to a chair, cowering in fear. A gloved hand stroked down her face, and she shivered. Then a knife pressed against her throat as a menacing voice said, “Be careful now. I wouldn’t want this to slip.” The girl’s kidnapper laughed maniacally.
The girl whimpered behind her gag and tried to move away from the cold blade. Surely someone was coming for her. They’d know she was missing by now. The only question was if they would find her in time. She was fairly sure this maniac would do anything to get what he wanted, but what exactly did he want?
Hurry. Please hurry, she thought frantically. After all, she didn’t know how much time she had.