— HEAVY TW —

This chapter includes a large chunk that depicts rape, as well as physical and mental abuse.

If you would like to skip that portion I put a

" " at the beginning and end of that portion of the chapter.

If you skip this portion, you will not miss anything crucial to the storyline, just keep in mind that obviously Rylee has been through a LOT of not okay things because of Michael.

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"The jury declared him guilty of all charges."

All Rylee could do was cry when she heard Jane say those words over the speaker of her phone. Sebastian was sitting beside her on the couch when she got the call, arm around her shoulder, squeezing it tightly.

"Oh my god, Jane."

"He got 45 years, Rylee. No parole." Jane said, practically smiling into the phone.

Rylee began full out weeping at this point. Phone dropped into her lap, hands on her face as she completely leaned into Sebastian's side. He embraced her with both arms now, rubbing comforting circles into the side of her arm with his thumb.

"That's incredible Jane, thank you so much for everything you've done." Sebastian said in lieu of Rylee.

"Of course, I've been happy to help. We still have a bit to talk about, but I will call you back tomorrow, so you can have some time to process everything. Alrighty?"

Sebastian picked up the phone from Rylee's lap, "Sounds good, thanks again."

"Bye Sebastian, Rylee."

Sebastian and Rylee both said bye in unison and Sebastian hung up the phone, tossing it on the table in front of them.

Sebastian curled back into Rylee, who had pulled her knees up to her chest, resting her head on her knees, tears still streaming.

"What's going on in that pretty little head of yours?" Sebastian asked, pushing back Rylee's hair, waiting patiently for her to be ready to answer.

"I'm just...overwhelmed...elated...relieved... Michael's done so many things...so, so many things to try to ruin, change, or mess up my life. Things that didn't even come up during trial talk..."

"When we were together, he eventually controlled every waking aspect of my life. Where I went. Who I saw...and at one point, I didn't know or realize until much later, he got me fired from my job so I would have to depend on him monetarily.

"Alexa saw the signs. She tried so so hard to get me to see it but I couldn't...not until the night when Alexa came over and finally talked some sense into me but that was also one of the-" she paused. Taking a deep breath. "One of the worst nights...." She recalled it, shuddering.

September 10, 2015

Alexa ran into Rylee's apartment building, folding up her umbrella from the downpour that had just occurred. She knocked on Rylee's apartment door, umbrella dripping heavily on the ground. She stood there for a moment, waiting and a beat later, Rylee opened the door in shock, eyes red and puffy, as if she'd just gotten done crying. "Alexa? What are you doing here?" She sniffled.

"I came to check on you. You're my best friend Rylee, I can't leave you alone to stew with your thoughts."

"If Michael finds out your here, he might get..." angry, livid, pissed, "...upset." She hesitated about letting her inside, but chose to anyway. Alexa was her best friend. She couldn't turn her away. Alexa leaned her umbrella by the door and took a seat on the couch by Rylee.

"Rylee. Seriously. He scares me. The only reason I haven't tried to whisk you away from him is because I'm honestly afraid he'll beat you...or...or kill you."

"He wouldn't do that Alexa."

"Then what is this?" Alexa said, snatching Rylee's arm in her grip, turning it to show the hand shaped bruise on her upper arm. "I'm not blind and I'm sure as hell not dumb Rylee.

It kills me to see you living like this. You used to be such a free spirit and now you're a...a little canary trapped in a cage, forced to go chirp in a coal mine somewhere."

Rylee knew where she was going with her metaphor. Coal miners would keep canaries in cages and take them deep down into coal mines with them. They would whistle and chirp, happy as can be, not knowing they were being used as a safety system for carbon monoxide. Soon enough, the canaries would die from CO poisoning, for the benefit of someone else.

"I feel like you really need to do something. Or these bruises are going to turn into something worse."

Rylee stared at the floor. Deep down she knew Alexa was right. But she couldn't just leave Michael. It would never be that easy. She had no car. She had no money. Nothing. Everything she had was somehow tied to him, he'd made sure of it.

"I...don't know how. "

Alexa could've almost cried at her sentence. A first step towards escape for her best friend. "I'll help you Rylee. I love you. I want you safe. Please. Please Rylee."

"What should I do? He'll find me wherever I go Alexa..."

"Come stay with Mark and I. He's knows what's happening. He's onboard with you staying with us. He also has a pistol in the safe..."

Rylee hesitated for a long moment. "Okay. But I need time to sort through my stuff. Figure out what I can take."

Alexa nodded. She hated knowing her friend would still need to suffer a few more days in this relationship but hearing those words from her were better than the "no, I'm fine/we're fines" that she had been spouting for the last six months.

"Mark and I will help you get your things. Just let me know what day. But please, please make it within the week Rylee."

Rylee nodded and stood up, ushering Alexa towards the door, "Michael will be home any minute. You should go but I'll keep you posted."

"Okay. I love you Ry."

"I love you too Alexa. Thank you."

As soon as Alexa departed with a hug and a wave, shutting the door behind her, Rylee immediately fell to her knees and sobbed. Alexa was right and she needed to get out as soon as possible. She looked at the clock to see that Michael would be home any minute. She wiped her eyes dry, and patted down the clothes she was wearing to look more put together. She walked into the kitchen for a glass of water.

Just like clockwork, Michael strolled through the door kicking off his shoes at the door.

There was a moment of silence. And then Michael's loud voice cut through it, echoing through the apartment. "Rylee. Come 'ere." He pushed up the sleeves of his button up, loosening his tie.

Rylee's blood ran cold at the sound of his angry

voice bellowing through their apartment. She set down her glass and walked back to the living room.

"Hey Michael, how was your day?"

He stalked over, grasping her chin and cheeks in his palm, squeezing them tightly in his hold.

"Who's...is that?" He pointed towards the front door, pointing out the abandoned umbrella. Shit.

"It's...mine. I went to the market down the street...

"Dont fucking lie," he said grabbing at her throat and tossing her on the couch.

"I'm not." Rylee almost stuttered out.

"So you think I'm fuckin' stupid? What goes through your stupid little brain Rylee? Honestly. Imma ask again and just once. Who. Was. Here?"

"...Alexa came to say hi."

"Ugh her. Why are you friends with her?" He practically spit venom as he spoke, "she's such a bitch."

Rylee didn't say anything. She knew the best thing for her to do would be to just let him rant. Get it over with.

"You know who you need?"

Rylee looked at him from her prone spot on the couch, again, not answering. Just waiting.

"Me." He said harshly. Rylee was surprised and yelped when he flipped her over on the couch. She was about to say something but he grabbed her by the hair and shoved her face down into the throw pillow on the couch, "No, I don't wanna hear shit, Rylee." He pushed her further into the pillow, her breathing starting to cut short.

He removed his hand from the back of her head and she pushed back up to catch her breath. She tried to fight him off of her, but it was difficult in her position. She kicked her feet but he ended up just sitting on her legs. And when she started to try to grab and scratch at him, he grabbed at both of her arms and pulled them behind her, making her fall back to her original position.

Her heart began to race as she felt him wind his tie around her wrists. He knotted it tightly, leaving no room for any escape tactics. "You're fuckin mine Rylee. And I'm gonna show you that you are."

She tried to scramble from beneath him but the softness of the couch and her lack of hands made it impossible to get anywhere. He yanked down her sweat pants and underwear, hiking her ass up in the air so he had full access.

He slapped her ass once and pulled himself out of his pants. He spit into his hand, jerking his length a few times and then immediately slid into Rylee's folds, causing her to cry out at not only the invasion but also the dryness. God, it hurt.

"Please stop, please." Rylee begged but all Michael did was slap her ass again, causing her to clench around him. He continued to thrust in an out of her as he groaned at the feeling and said "Mmm you love this Rylee. Look how wet you are." He reached around the front of her legs and stuck two of his fingers inside along his length, pulling them out and shoving them into Rylee's mouth.

Rylee had tears streaming down her face now. "M-Michael. Michael stop." Rylee cried.

"God. So fucking hot Rylee. All mine." Michael practically chanted as he slapped her ass again, making her clench once more, and that is what pushed him over the edge, cumming deeply inside her.

He got off of her and watched her laying there, motionless, staring to the side. Her tears still streaming. He knelt down and pushed some hair out of her face, almost lovingly. But just as quickly, he grabbed a handful of hair and shoved her face back into the pillow. Rylee was caught off guard by this and hadn't gotten a breath before she was forced down. He held her there, watching her body tense as she quickly ran out of air.

Her body jerked and her fingers tensed under the knots of the tie. Am I about to die? Is this how it goes? When the edges of her vision started turning black she slowly gave in, and that was when Michael let her hair go. He mumbled "Mine." in her ear and walked away.

Sebastian was seeing red.

He couldn't even speak. Or think. Michael was the worst monster of a human being Sebastian had ever come across. It made him feel physically sick.

He was brought back by Rylee's quiet voice and light touch. "Seb, baby?" She reached her hand over, gently placing it on top of his.

"He raped you...he's tried to kill you and he's raped you." Sebastian ran his hand through his hair, trying not to lose his shit. A 45 year sentence wasn't enough. A life sentence wouldn't be enough.

"Sebastian. What's done is done." Rylee commented calmly.

"Have you ever told anyone before?"

Rylee hesitated, "No, not even Alexa. Just you...right now."

"Why?"

"Because...when you're in a relationship with someone, it's hard to get people to believe you were raped. They assume 'oh they're dating, it's all consensual.'"

"That's fucked up..."

"And that's the life of being a woman." Rylee shrugged, twiddling her thumbs in her lap.

"How do you do it?" Sebastian asked. He thought he was thinking it but he heard the words come out of his mouth.

"Do what?"

"Stay so fucking positive, and lighthearted, and loving after you have dealt with so much trauma throughout your life."

"Alexa's helped me...a lot. Therapy also worked wonders for me. I just learned that the events of my past don't have to control my future so I don't let them."

Sebastian turned to face her, hand cupping her cheek gently. He leaned in to kiss her for a long moment, "God I love you, Rylee."

"I love you too, Sebastian," she responded.

Sebastian stayed sitting on the couch but he patted his lap, inviting Rylee to lay down, which she did. Her head cradling perfectly on his thigh as he ran his fingers through her hair, playing with it, occasionally massaging her scalp as he went. She was exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster of the day. She was slowly drifting in his lap when there was a quick knock on the door, causing her to jump.

Sebastian hadn't even had the chance to move when he saw Chris and Alexa open the door.

Rylee stood up immediately and closed the gap between her and Alexa. They both embraced one another tightly, tears falling from both the girls faces. They didn't have to speak. This physical contact was all they needed to be able to say what they needed to say. It's over.

Sebastian stood up and also met Chris for a hug. "Kevin told me the verdict on set. I couldn't be happier for you two." Chris stated as they separated.

Eventually, the girls split apart and switched hugs, Rylee hugging Chris and Sebastian hugging Alexa.

"I've said this before and I'll say it a thousand times over, thank you for always taking care of Rylee." Sebastian whispered quietly to Alexa before they parted.

"Always, Seb. Always. Thank you for doing the same. I'm so happy you two found each other."

Alexa whispered back.

The group of four friends stayed together for the evening, ordering pizza and relaxing. Sebastian had ended up back in his spot on the couch, Rylee's head back in his lap. Alexa was sitting at the other end of the couch with Rylee's feet in her lap. Chris was sitting in the arm chair by Alexa's side.

Rylee had been asleep for the last half hour or so as the others talked quietly among themselves.

"I'm just glad it's all over." Alexa sighed.

"Yeah," Sebastian responded, his hand back in Rylee's hair, gently massaging his fingers through again. "God. It's taken every fiber of my being not to lose my shit over all the stuff I've heard that Rylee's gone through."

"Yeah, Alexa's given me the CliffsNotes version of what alls gone on. I can't imagine being stuck like that and feeling like you have no way out..." Chris shook his head sadly, adjusting the hat on his head.

"And yet she's still the most wonderful, caring person I've ever met." Alexa tacked on. "If I went through everything she has, I don't know if I'd be here today quite honestly."

Chris squeezed Alexa's hand, trying to provide her some comfort.

They all jumped when Rylee whimpered "stop!" in her sleep. She hadn't moved or woke up. She simply spoke and was quiet again.

"Hopefully that's something that won't keep happening to her...she lived it enough when she was awake. It's awful that she's got to deal with it when she's asleep too." Alexa pouted.

Another hour or so passed and Chris and Alexa were going to head out. Sebastian gently woke up Rylee and ushered her up off the couch to head upstairs as they all said goodbye to one another.

When Chris and Alexa were out the door Sebastian and Rylee headed upstairs, changed and got ready for bed. Both spooned together closely as Sebastian scooted in behind Rylee, laying his arm across her waist, and Rylee linking her hand with his.

"I love you so much, Sebastian." Rylee mumbled into her pillow.

"I love you too, baby." Sebastian responds, kissing her shoulder blade.

And with that, they both drifted off to sleep.