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escalates. My eyes grow wide but the fear quickly turns into anger. I run to the door, opening it up and am pushed back against that same wall. His hand is around my throat so hard that it raises me up in the air, my feet kicking as I try to struggle. “Ah! My lovely whore. Now, why in the fuck wouldn’t you let your favorite man in the door, huh?” My eyes squint at him as I choke on my saliva, trying to gasp for air that is being cut off as he squeezes his hand. “Where ya been, girly? And why in the fuck is your phone turned off or are you just ignoring my calls and texts? Huh?” He leans into my face, and I close my eyes tight as his tongue sticks out from his ugly mouth, licking up and then down the side of my face. His hand tightens again as he shakes it making the little breath I could take not available anymore. Opening my eyes, I watch his head snap to the door, and I look over quickly when I hear a car door slam outside the building. He looks back at me, his cocky grin showing on his ugly face, and he chuckles. “You’re turning a little red in the face, my whore. Better go, for now, but I’ll find you. Soon” His mouth crashes to mine, the smell of stale cigarettes and whiskey filtering up my nose and vomit starts making its way up my throat.
    Dizziness begins to overtake me when my body slams on the floor, hard. I begin gagging and coughing, trying to bring in oxygen, my hand lightly around my throat. When I finally can take a few deep breaths, I lean over and begin expelling everything in my stomach onto the floor. Once there is nothing left but dry heaving someone lifts me, and I start to fight, punching them wherever I can, kicking and trying to scream but nothing comes out of my mouth.
    “Stormy! Stormy! Stop, baby. It’s me! It’s Bo!” My body relaxes, and I collapse in his arms.
    “I don’t know, Mom. I came into her apartment and found her getting sick on the floor. I’ve already cleaned it up and she’s laying on her mom’s bed. Yes. Ok. I’ll let you know.”
    I open my eyes slowly, Bo’s sitting on the bed beside me and worry marring his gorgeous face. The cool cloth he’s pressing against my forehead feels good but my throat is sore, and it hurts to swallow. “Bo,” I croak. His eyes snap to mine, and a small smile develops.
    “Here, Peaches. Have a drink of water.” He helps raise me up by the back of my head and I drink about half the bottle. After helping to lower my head back on the pillow he looks at me, his eyebrows creased low and his smile turns into a frown. “What happened, Stormy? You were violently ill and the skin on your throat is really red.” I swallow, hard.
    My eyes roam the room, making sure we’re alone, and then back to his baby blues. “I…. I’m not sure. A man. He held me by my throat, cussed at me and I guess…. I guess you scared him off. Thank you.”
    His brow crease further. “What did he look like? I’m calling the police. I….” I stop him with my hand on his arm, my head shaking frantically as well as my body. “Why? Stormy, you need to file a report and get him behind bars where the asshole belongs.”
    My eyes close, visions of his face, the feeling of the pressure against my neck, and I open them quickly. “I…. I didn’t see him. He had…. He had his hand against my throat and I…. My eyes were closed and….” My breathing escalates, and I feel nauseated.
    His hand caresses my face. “Shhh. Okay, baby. Okay. Calm your breathing down for me. There. That’s my girl.” I take some deep breaths. My eyes close and I lay there trying to forget, trying to find some resolution in lying to the only person I have in my life, the one person I love and finally, finding some peace in his touch, I dream of us.
    When I awake I find Bo’s not in the room. I sit up, throw my legs over the side of the bed, standing slowly, and then walk to the door and open it quietly. Jade is sitting on the couch wrapping up pictures that were once on