4. Saviour

Few weeks passed after that single and unfortunate incident between Lydia and her perverted neighbour. Thankfully, with no follow-ups. She didn't even see him again. By the window or around the house. She only saw his car disappear during the day, magically reappearing in his driveway every single evening. She never saw him walk to and from it. Not even once.

Her mom had eventually relented and followed the officers' advice, installing thick and sturdy curtains at every window around their home. It made Lydia feel safer and more comfortable, even though their place now looked like an acting stage as almost all of the exterior walls of the house were actually made of glass, just like almost every other house in their neighbourhood.

Stupid architects with their stupid ideas. Futuristic design my ass!

She groaned in frustration as she struggled to pull back one of the thick curtains in their living room to receive at least a small strip of natural light. The sun was slowly setting, bathing the entire neighbourhood into a soft rosy glow.

For the millionth time, she was once again home alone and bored out of her mind. Her parents had left for yet another quick business trip, leaving her by herself for the night.

There.

She studied her handiwork for a few seconds, hands over her hips and lips set into a straight line as she noticed that she had actually managed to pull it all the way back.

Great.

She definitely knew that it will be a pain in the ass to pull it back over the window, yet she chose to just leave it like that for the moment. At least until the sun had disappeared completely from the horizon. It made her somehow feel less lonely.

So she went to get herself some ice-cream and a glass of wine, preparing herself for a nice and cosy evening as her favorite show was just about to start.

Her bare feet padded on the glossy marble flooring, subtly echoing around the silent house as she made her way towards the kitchen. She opened the freezer and grabbed the ice-cream before anything else, as it definitely needed a few minutes to thaw a little before she could eat it.

"Lydia!"

Her brows suddenly furrowed in confusion at that fleeting and muffled sound reachind her ears, thinking that maybe she had just imagined it. So she resumed back to what she was doing.

"Lydia, baby where are you?"

Her heart suddenly jumped in fright the very second that familiar male voice called her name. For a second time.

Her hands started to shake, thickly swallowing. And with silent movement, she deposited the ice-cream over the island. Blowing out a breath before she stealthily tip-toed all the way to the front entrance hallway and peeked from behind a curtain. Just in time to notice her ex-boyfriend Mike drunkenly walking around their front yard in his hazed search for the door.

"Lydia!"

"Shit."

"Shit shit shit!" She cursed under her breath, her heart starting to pound relentlessly. Why was he here? What was he doing here?!?

"Come on baby I'm sorry, okay?"

"Lydia!" She listened to him belt out like a raging cow on her front lawn, wincing uncomfortably.

She nervously started to chew on her bottom lip, thinking how pissed her mom was going to be if she ever found out that Mike was here and into an inebriated state, to top it all after what he did to her right after they had broken up.

She'd loved him so much. She'd given him everything. Her body, her soul. None of it was enough though. He still went and cheated on her, reasoning that she wasn't as skilled as other girls. She didn't know how to please him. No matter what she did. It'd never been enough. So after five long years, she finally stopped trying, releasing him from their "boring and lifeless" relationship, as he'd called it.

It still wasn't what he wanted, as it turned out. He changed his mind right away, insisting that he still loved her. He only needed some extra spice. Some extra flavour. What Lucy and Austin had. A knack for fetishes involving other people.

That was where she drew the line. She wasn't into it. It scared her, the idea of sharing her body, such precious pieces of her soul with random strangers, or even her own schoolmates sometimes. It wasn't her scene. Her idea of how a perfect relationship should look like. She only ever wanted love. Pure and sweet love. Someone to hold her, shower her with all their attention. Someone hers and only hers. He never understood that. Didn't even care to. He only wanted to have fun.

She could still remember the very first time she dared to tell him no. How much it hurt. It still brought tears to her eyes. The way he put his hands on her-

"Lydia!"

She jolted with fear, blinking away those sad memories. She needed to do something. She needed to drive him away. Fast. He was going to alert the entire neighbourhood with all that shouting!

"Baby! Please!"

"Oh my god," She started to hyperventilate, her steps small and fast as she paced around the house, desperately wracking her brain for a solution.

She obviously couldn't call her mother to come and save her again and she definitely couldn't call the cops either. Because then her mother would surely find out anyway one way or another and then she would get punished again for her mistakes. Exactly like the last time. She didn't want another month without her phone, her car. Her allowance. She couldn't bear to be the laughing stock of her friends again.

She couldn't even call her friend Lucy either. Because she knew that she most definitely wouldn't come to help her anyway. She was always busy doing stuff with Austin.

"Lydia, baby come on out please!"

Her panicked state increased tenfold every time she heard Mike call her name. She couldn't let him keep shouting like that. He was going to get her in so much trouble!

"Fuck!" She almost felt on the verge of crying, helplessly pacing around until the only viable solution came to her mind.

No...

"But I have to..." She quietly told herself. She had no other choice. It was either deal with him now or deal with her mother's wrath later.

She grimaced at the thought, realizing that either way she was totally fucked.

Shit.