•Already Gone By Kelly Clarkson•

Evelyn knew she was gone even before she opened the door. Her fingers wobbled on the knob for a moment before she took a deep breath and pushed it open. Though everything looked the same, everything screamed her. The comforter they shared, or well stole from each other throughout the night and woke up giggling.

Koba barked excitedly, wagging her little tail. Evelyn scooped down and picked up the puppy, allowing her face to form a small smile as the little animal looked up at her adorably. But then she put her down again. "I'll take you out in a minute." She promised the confused-looking pup.

The counter where they'd shared many a make-out session while Charlotte and the puppy played in the other room. The bathtub where Elizabeth carried Scout as she had one of her episodes. The couches, where they lounged on lazy Saturday mornings.

Evelyn squeezed her eyes shut as she remembered the first time she'd taken a risk and invited her into her house. All her life she'd been sheltered, she'd been beat down. Evelyn had gone through the foster care system as well. She too had been abused mentally and physically.

She had been taking a risk when she told Loretta to place Scout with a boy in her training. Maybe it was selfish, maybe it was unfair. But the only way for her to truly heal is if she sees the things she can do to someone who's bigger than her. But she knew one thing for certain, she was a fool.

Who was she to place Scout in such a position? She wasn't her mother, she wasn't her guardian. She was in love with her, and as her partner, she should've been there for her instead of pushing her into something she wasn't ready for.

Evelyn's heart was tearing. She breathed deep and turned, catching the blue sky and sand and the warm breeze. She had pushed too far this time, and she'd lost her.

Raking a hand through her hair, the brunette let out a low sigh and made her way into the bedroom, picking up miscellaneous things as she did so. Evelyn was never the sort to mope around and cry whenever things went wrong. She put herself to work. Many people thought this was to avoid the pain, to bottle it up, but for her she was channeling that pain into something productive.

Her days and the pain she faced in the foster care system were never far in her mind. But whenever she was with scout, they canceled each other out. Both their pain was vicious and always trying to tear through them, but when they were together, that pain had no leverage.

As she picked her way through her house, half of her was empty. She was unaccustomed to this feeling. Evelyn had always known what she wanted. She knew the minute Scout stood up in her office with nostrils flared and eyes burning, she'd known what she wanted.

But for the first time ever, she'd have to put someone before herself. In the system, there was no room for friendships. Friends, if they so claimed to be, would either steal from you or expect something in return.

Evelyn had learned to put herself first. Not out of selfishness, but survival. If she hadn't, she wouldn't be here today. Yes, she was broken. She had scars both visible and not, but now that she has had a taste of real love, there is no way she is ever letting go of it.

•••

"Charlotte come on, we need to go." I prompted her. With an adorable sigh and a shoulder slump, my little girl made her way over.

My lips twitched into a smile. "Hey love. Are you ready to head home?"

Char yawned and rubbed her eyes. "I don't wanna go home." She murmured. Laughing, I scooped her up into my arms.

I'd taken her to an arcade, figuring we could both use time out. The house was dark and lonely now. I didn't want to be there. My dreams were haunted with her. I wasn't angry anymore, but I wasn't sure what to do. I wanted to go back to her, but I didn't know if she'd accept me.

It's been three weeks since I'd last spoken to her. We'd seen each other in the hallways but never held each others eyes for more than a few heartbeats. It was agonizing, but necessary.

I carried Charlotte outside, nearly jumping out of my skin at the group of men in dark clothing that were smoking up a joint beside it. My stomach grew uneasy. The arcade was a little ways always from the town, and wasn't very big. Nearly everyone was gone now save a few cars. The dinner rush was over.

One of the men whistled as I walked by. "Hey sweetheart! Why don't you and your little girl come play with us?" I clutched Charlotte closer to my chest and ignored them.

Most of the riff-raft that blew through town was just high schoolers with a death wish, but this, this was malice. This was deceit. This was wanted criminals. These dirty bastards meant every word they spewed from their mouths.

A grimy hand wrapped painfully around my upper arm and spun me around. I clenched my jaw and narrowed my eyes onto the filthy, greasy, hooked-nosed man in front of me. He grinned back at me, exposing rotten teeth. His nails dug into my skin.

I could feel myself coil, my body tightening. "Let go." I snarled at him.

His friends laughed. "Aw come now," he pulled me closer, forcing me to dislodge Charlotte and push her behind me. "We just want to have a little fun." His beady black eyes fell on Charlotte, and I lost it.

Twisting my arm sharply out of his grip, the second I'm free I fist my hand and slam it into his nose. The man howls and stumbles back, his meaty hand covering his nose, which gushes blood.

"You bitch!" He growls, the sound nasally with his broken nose. I have a split second of smug satisfaction before his fist slams into the side of my face. My head smacks against the building behind me. I feel like my brain is being rattled around. I'm snapped back to the present when hands wrap around my wrists and pin them behind my back as he drags me back behind the building. "Mommy!" A wail has my head twisting around, terror and rage filling my body as I watch the third man wrap his arms around her.

"Now here's how this is going to go," bloody-nose man says, sauntering up to me. He grips my chin in his thumb and first finger. My face twists into a snarl. "You're going to lie still and do everything we say, and we won't hurt her."

His words are punctuated by another blood-curdling scream. I strain to see her, and catch a glimpse of the man twisting her arm back, almost to the point of breaking it. Tears of rage spill down my face, but I nod anyways.

He grins a bloody grin. "Good girl." His hands fall to my jacket, and pull it down over my shoulder. My dinner nearly comes up when he leans over and kisses my exposed shoulder.

He pulls off the jacket, with help from his "assistant" and shucks it aside. His hands fall to my belt next, and my eyes go to Charlotte's fear-filled ones. "It's okay baby. Close your eyes." I force a calm expression on my face.

Charlotte's watery blue eyes disappear from sight. The men chuckle in satisfaction. My head droops in appeared submission. His hands go to my belt, my whole body protests. A grin flashes across his face as he pulls out a switchblade and flicks it open. He traces patterns on my stomach with the cold metal.

I bide my time, waiting. I don't make a sound when he drags the knife through the flesh of my stomach, tearing through the skin and allowing blood to pour forth. "We got ourselves a quiet one." He laughs. I clench my jaw, refusing to give into his taunts.

Only when he lowers the knife, dropping it onto the ground, do I make my move. Using the guy behind me as leverage, I push against him, forcing him to release me and stumble away, and lift my legs into the air, wrapping them around blood-nose's head. A quick twist of my hips and he falls to the ground with a broken neck.

That was a maneuver we learned last week, but Hernandez made us swear to never use it unless in extreme peril. The guy behind me stares at me in shock, but before he can react I swoop down and grab the knife and launch it at the man holding Charlotte.

It sinks deep into his thigh, hitting his femoral artery. He howls, shoving Charlotte away from him to clutch his bleeding appendage. I can tell Charlotte wants to run to me, but I motion her back, my eyes still on the last guy. I step towards him, but he must be new to group raping parties because his face turns white and he turns and runs.

Charlotte immediately runs to me and jumps into my arms. Ignoring the pain in my stomach, I wrap my arms around her. My tears spill over as she cries into my neck. "Shh baby, it's okay."

Clenching my jaw, I carefully get us to the car and slip her inside. It's a struggle to disentangle her arms from my neck. "Charlotte, it's okay. I'll be right up there." I sooth. Her arms reluctantly unwrap themselves from around me.

I kiss her forehead softly and buckle her in, sliding into the drivers seat a minute later. The car starts, but I don't drive away just yet. My eyes are riveted on the two men who lie in the parking lot and it suddenly dawns on me that I got away.

A pressure in my chest pops and I grip it, gasping for air. I've never gotten away before. Not before something has already happened. I understand now. I understand why she did what she did.

"Mommy?" Charlotte asks, breaking me free of my thoughts. Turning in my seat, a flood of love falls over me as I take in my little miracle.

"Yes?"

"Where are we going?"

I glance at Charlotte and then back at my GPS before returning to her. "Home." I smile and set course for Evelyn's.

❤️