Alice parked in front of her house and pulled out her phone, she felt an

overwhelming sense of guilt for leaving Levi behind and wanted to help him in some

way. ‘If only I had my gun.’ She thought to herself. Her trembling fingers began dialing

911 before she hit send her racing mind recalled the man pulling out the police badge.

This reinforced her sense of panic and fear as she felt helpless in this situation.

Her new life began to feel no different to her old one. No matter where she went there

were terrible and violent people like this. In the distance she began to hear sirens, they

continued to get louder, and Alice’s heart began to race faster as she became frozen with

fear. Flashbacks of Alice’s past paralyzed her, then the police car flew right by her and

around the corner and it snapped her back to reality.

Alice rushed out of her car and into the safety of her home, then down the hall and

she retrieved her gun and locked herself in the bathroom with the lights off. Her mind

was a mess, bouncing between thoughts of her past and imagining what kind of violence

Levi is enduring. She began to cry uncontrollably with the gun sat beside her in the dark

and her back against the bathroom door.

She began to calm herself with deep breathing and telling herself that the past is

behind her. As for Levi, she had some faith in him and hoped that the stories of him

beating all those men at the bar that night were true because the guy who can do that

should be able to take care of a few ignorant loser hicks like those guys. ‘He’ll beat all

their asses, I’ll pick him up tomorrow, and then we’ll laugh about this whole stupid

situation. He’ll be okay.’ These comforting thoughts relax her mind and she began to fall

asleep in the dark room.

A loud banging wakes Alice up and she is hit with a moment of confusion as she

begins to recall all the events that have happened today. Then there’s 2 more loud bangs

and she grabs her gun. After another loud bang she realizes it’s her front door that

someone is banging on, she slowly makes her way to the door and looks out and sees a

battered Levi standing there with a look of concern.

She throws open the door, startling him and she pulls him in for a hug. He winces from the injuries he sustained

from the fighting but endures it because in this moment Levi realizes he’s never been

embraced by anyone like this before.

All he's ever endured was torment and violence, this was a complete 180 because it actually felt good. After she finally let go of him, he saw

tears in her eyes. “Are you okay? I’ve been out here knocking for like 5 minutes, I was

worried someone might’ve followed you home and something happened.”

Alice wiped her eyes; she hadn’t even considered that possibility. She was too

worried about him. “I’m fine, I actually was sleeping.” She felt a little guilty saying that

as she saw the dried blood on Levi, some of which she could tell wasn’t his.

“Sleeping?” He asked.

“Yeah…”

“With that?” He motioned towards her gun.

Alice got embarrassed and hid the gun behind her back in a rush, she was so

excited to see Levi alive and well that she completely forgot about it.

“So do you always sleep with your friend here because this is twice now you’ve

answered the door with him.” Levi pointed towards the gun Alice was holding behind her

back.

Alice blushed “First off, it’s a her and no. Today had me a bit rattled and that is

putting it mildly.”

Levi smiled “That makes sense, for me it’s just another Tuesday in this town.”

“Alright tough guy, how about you come inside and get cleaned up. Just ignore

the mess, I just moved in not long ago.” Alice moved inside and Levi followed.

He looked around and said, “What mess?” Looking at what seemed like a normal

home with 2 unopened cardboard boxes in the corner. “Those, that’s the mess?” he

motions to the boxes.

“Those and I haven’t dusted in a while.” Alice said while walking into the

kitchen.

“Remind me to never invite you to my place.” He said and followed her. Alice

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

grabbed a white hand towel and began wetting it under her sink. She handed it to him and

Levi began to clean off the dried blood that was covering him.

“I can only imagine what your place looks like. Especially seeing how messy you

are some days when you come to work.” Alice jokingly said to him.

“What do you mean?” He asked.

“Dude, it’s been more than a few times that you show up and I can taste the

whiskey smell covering you. That and I’ve seen you wear the same 4 shirts every day

since I’ve known you.”

“Is it really that bad?” Levi asked, he had grown used to the liquor smell that

covered him.

“Yes!” Alice answered instantly.

He shrugged and went to hand her back the hand towel that had now turned red.

Alice laughed and said, “You can just throw that away.” She pointed at the black trash

can in the corner.

Levi threw it away and said “Alright, well I’m going to head out now that I know

you’re safe and sorry about the towel. I’m also starving, so I’m going to go get something

to eat.”

Alice was a little surprised he didn’t want to stay a little longer or ask if she

wanted to go with him to get some food. “Wait!”

Levi turned towards her. “What’s up?”

“I still have your phone and if you want, I can make us some food, I’m pretty

hungry too.”

“Oh yeah I forgot about the phone and if it’s not too big of a hassle then yeah I’d

love something to eat.”

Alice was happy that he was deciding to stay over longer. “Cool, I’ll go get the

phone out of my car and I can make us this chicken I picked up the other day. You can

just hangout on the couch, here’s the remote to the TV. Levi sat down and turned-on

Netflix and began browsing, he had never really watched TV sober.

He didn’t own a TV and only watched it at the bar. Alice went outside and grabbed the phone out

of her car, when she came back in Levi was watching some movie about the Mafia.

She handed him the phone “Let me start making the food and I’ll help you setup

the phone.” Levi nodded. Alice went into the kitchen and got started, after some time she

came back out and walked Levi through setting up his phone as well as how to use it in

its entirety.

It took about an hour for them to eat and finish setting up the phone. “Here’s

where to put people’s numbers in so it’s easier to call or text them.”

“Neat.” Levi replied.

“Here I’ll put mine in and you can put in anyone else’s that you can think of.” She

handed him back the phone.

Levi took it and said “I don’t really have anyone else’s number and I don’t think I

need anyone’s. Well maybe Alex’s I guess.” He then looked at his phone and a look of

confusion sprawled across his face.

Alice asked, “What’s that look for?”

“Who’s Lexi?”

Alice got a lump in her throat and said, “I was just messing with you to see if you

would notice” She fake laughed and quickly took the phone back to change the name.

She thought to herself ‘It’s fine, everything is fine, just old reflex.’

Levi just brushed it off as a weird joke/test to see if he was really paying attention

to what she was showing him. Alice gave him then phone back and the 2 finished eating

and watching movies together on the couch. After the first one, Alice got blankets for the

2 of them then the hours flew by as the 2 sat there. They kept a slight distance between

them as if they were too nervous to get any closer.

After some time Alice began to doze off and her head began to rest on Levi’s

shoulder. Levi didn’t seem to mind; in his head he was thinking about how this was

actually kind of nice. Alice decided to move a little closer to him, but then he jumped.

It woke her up and she said “Sorry. I didn’t mean to- “

“You’re fine, you just pressed on a spot that hurt a bit from the stuff earlier.” Levi

didn’t want her to think he didn’t like having her close to him.

“Are you sure you don’t need to go to the hospital?”

Levi let out a small laugh “I’m absolutely positive I don’t need to, nor do I want

to go to the hospital. I’ve always healed fast.”

“What if you broke something, like your rib?”

“It wouldn’t be the first time and I know I didn’t, I’ll be good in a few days.”

Alice was still worried that Levi was just trying to be a tough guy, she then

checked her phone and saw how late it had gotten.

“It’s getting pretty late, I should head out.” Levi grabbed his phone and started to

get up.

“Are you going to walk?” She asked.

“Yup.” Levi answered.

“At 2am?” Alice couldn’t believe Levi’s apparent rush to head home.

“How else am I going to get home?”

Alice shook her head “I’m driving you.”

“What? No, you have already done enough. Get some rest and I will see you at

work tomorrow.” Levi began to put back on his boots.

“Fine, then stay the night. I’ll sleep on the couch and you can take the bed.”

“Thank you. But really, I’m good.”

“Pick one, I’m driving you or you’re staying here.” Alice crossed her arms.

Levi could tell he wasn’t going to win this and gave in. “Fine, I’ll stay here. But

I’m sleeping on the couch.”

Alice smiled and got up “Deal, let me go get you a pillow.” She left and Levi

went back over to the couch. She gave him the pillow and he laid down, the 2 said

goodnight to each other. She went to her room and Levi closed his eyes.

He knew there was no way he was going to get any sleep tonight.

No liquor in his system and being in a new place with another someone he barely knew.

All that equals out to a sleepless night for him, but at least she was happy.

Alice finished her nighttime routine. She laid down, she felt safer with Levi sleeping in the living room.

Levi on the other hand was too riddled with paranoia to be able to sleep that night, he laid there for hours in the dark

unable to suppress the traumas that haunted him.