She noticed that the snow that had been falling when she had first walked over to Annalise's had now stopped, leaving a thin blanket of white everywhere. She would have loved to revel in the beauty of it glistening in the moonlight, but she was too angry to stop.
She headed downtown towards David's apartment. Late night movie? She'd give him a late night movie in the face! ...That made no sense, but that was what she was going to do.
She passed by the sandwich shop. Their first date where she had been blinded by his flowery words and dashing smile. She knew he had to be too good to be true! She suddenly recalled something Jonathan had once said to her: "if you find someone who is smart in all areas, they're probably a fake". He had been right all along. Kristen had just always supposed that she had been lucky enough to find an exception. David had seemed so good with people, in life, and was very intelligent. Too bad he was a fake after all.
As she passed the sandwich shop and rounded the corner onto the street that headed in the direction of David's apartment, she found it empty except for one person casually leaning against a dumpster outside a closed restaurant. It was eerily quiet, especially for a Friday night. She wrapped her arms tighter around herself and marched on.
"Kristen? Is that you?"
Kristen stopped and looked towards the person leaning against the dumpster. She recognized that voice. "David?"
He pushed off of the dumpster and moved out of the shadows. "What are you doing here?" he asked.
Kristen stared coldly at him, although he probably could not really see it since there weren't many streetlights around. "I was just over at Annalise's," she told him.
"What? I thought you gave up on that," he said.
"I did, but then I got a text from her actually inviting me over."
"Really? What did she want?"
"Oh she had a lot to say..." Kristen replied slowly.
There was silence for a moment while David just stared at Kristen. Kristen looked at him, her rose-colored glasses removed and finally able to see the monster that lurked underneath.
"How could you do that to her!?" Kristen cried out, "To all those poor girls? Just... how could you!?"
The look on his face told her he knew exactly what she was talking about. "What?" he asked, folding his arms, "I gave them a choice. They didn't have to go that route. Most of them usually took my deal for at least two or three more times if not more. Your sister was the only one to refuse it right away."
Kristen shook her head. Had he no shame? "And what? You were just going to do the same with me? Get me in bed so you could film me, and then blackmail me with it until I finally couldn't take it anymore, and then turn me into a porn star?"
David smirked. "Well, as soon as I found out you were Annalise's little sister, I knew you had to be my next project. I figured since I had your sister by the end of the year, I would easily have you by midterms because you were so desperate to be loved, you bowed to my wishes no matter what I did."
That was like a knife to the gut. Kristen remembered everything her friends had been warning her about David's dominance in the relationship, the beating, etc.
"So it was all just a game to you?" Kristen asked, "Nothing was real?"
"Please," David scoffed, "I have perfected the art of seduction. I know all the things that will make a girl fall all over me." He smirked, "I cannot believe everyone falls for that grandmother story crap. Every time. Let's see, my grandmother has died five, six times now?"
He was so smug about all this. Kristen could just imagine, if he had a mustache, he would be twirling it evilly. He made her completely sick. "You are absolutely revolting!" she said, glaring at him, "You know what? I've had enough. You can just go and live your pitiful, disgusting life on your own without me. I've had it!"
She turned on her heel to leave. However, she suddenly felt fingers wrapped around her wrist, yanking her back around. David grabbed her other wrist and held her close to his face. "You think this is over?" he hissed, "You think it's that easy?"
Kristen fought against his grip, but he tightened his hold. "You may have escaped my original plan with the tape and everything, but I have worked too hard for too long to not get something out of this," he said, "All your endless chatter about chocolate and sandwiches and everything. And your constant clumsiness! I was going to nickname you Princess Tripster when I got your tape. I deserve something for all I put up with!"
Kristen's eyes widened and she struggled against him again. She was going to go for a scream, but it was cut off by David smashing his slimy lips against hers in a heated, hungry kiss. There was nothing Kristen could do. He had her hands pinioned against the wall behind her and her sound source was cut off by passionate kissing. She still squirmed against him, but her resistance was met with a hard smack across the face.
The hit momentarily stunned her into submission as her cheek stung, and David moved on to sucking at her neck. However, she could not let David have his way! She tried fighting once more. She kicked him and actually managed to get a scream in. However, this time in response, David actually shoved her backwards forcefully.
She stumbled and fell, hitting her head against the dumpster. A sharp pain shot through her head. She reached up the spot where she had been hit and felt blood trickling down the side of her face.
David was moving towards her once more. Everything seemed so fuzzy, Kristen could barely register what was happening.
"David!" a voice called from behind them.
David slowly looked back and Kristen managed to lift her head up enough to look as well. Annalise, in the flesh, stood wrapped up in a long, purple, billowing trench coat that waved in the gentle breeze. She had a look of forced confidence about her.
David turned towards her, a small smile playing on his lips. "Well, well, well," he hummed, "Look who's out of hiding."
"Leave her alone!" Annalise said.
"Why should I?"
"Because... because I know you're only doing this to get back at me," Annalise said, "I'm the only girl who said “no” right away and that hurt your ego. Please, don't take it out on my sister. She's not worth your time."
David raised an eyebrow. "Not worth my time? I've worked too hard to not get something out of this. I need my compensation and this is it." He pointed to Kristen still lying on the ground.
"I have a better offer," Annalise said.
"Oh really? What?"
"Me."
David peered at her. "Be careful what you wish for."
"I mean it. Leave Kristen alone and you can have what you always wanted," Annalise said.
David stared at her a moment longer, considering. "Deal," he said and then pounced.
Kristen had had been lying on the ground during the entirety of the conversation between David and Annalise. After the blow to her head, she could barely even sit up or move any of her limbs. Everything about her just seemed so heavy. Not to mentioned everything around her looked like one giant fog. Despite all this, she had heard the deal made between her sister and David.
She didn't care what kind of deals were made, nobody deserved what David was doing. And she couldn't let Annalise sacrifice herself like that. Especially not for her. She had to do something.
It took all of her strength to get herself into a sitting position, but she managed. Then she used the dumpster to hoist herself up onto her feet. She looked over at David and Annalise. David was all over her and Annalise was just standing there, taking it. Kristen had to look away.
When she did, her eyes fell in line with the dumpster she was leaning against and she saw its contents. A glass bottle was just within grabbing distance. She picked it up and turned back around.
David was pulling at Annalise's sweater now and working at her neck. She had her eyes closed, like she was just trying to shut everything out. Kristen struggled to move forward.
David spun Annalise around and pushed her against the same wall he previously had Kristen pinioned to. Kristen clutched the bottle tightly and crept closer. Neither of them even noticed her. Kristen raised the bottle above her head and brought it smashing down right onto David's head.
He immediately froze up, and Annalise opened her eyes, confused. Suddenly David teetered in place for a moment before crumpling to the ground, unconscious.
Kristen stood clutching to the broken bottle while Annalise stood still flattened against the wall with her rainbow hair falling loose from her braid, both staring down at David's unconscious figure, stunned. Then they simultaneously looked up at each other, both sets of eyes brimming with tears. They fell into each other's arms, hugging each other tightly.
"Kristen!"
"Annalise!"
Annalise saw the blood flowing from the cut on Kristen's forehead. "Oh, Kristen," she said softly, "I am so sorry."
Kristen reached up to it. "It's not so bad... is it?" she said, "The real question is, are you okay?"
Annalise took a deep breath, wiping at her eyes. "Yeah. I'll be fine," she said, "I mean, just give me a little bit to get my breath back and... whatever dignity I may have left."
Kristen raised her eyebrows. "Anna, that was one of the bravest things someone could do. I think you have plenty of dignity just for that."
Annalise gave a small, appreciative smile.
"Is that you, Kristen?" a voice interrupted.
Annalise and Kristen turned to look towards the voice. Jonathan and Sam stood not too far off. Kristen waved them over. When they approached, Kristen questioned, "How did you guys find us?"
"Oh, I texted them when I decided to follow you after you left my apartment," Annalise answered for them.
"How did... oh," Kristen began, but then remembered that Jonathan had visited Annalise earlier that evening and they probably exchanged phone numbers.
Sam noticed David laying on the ground nearby. "What happened?" he asked.
"It's a long story," Annalise replied, "Right now, I need you to take care of Kristen. She might have a concussion and she just needs general care and comfort. She's had a pretty traumatic night."
Annalise handed Kristen over to Jonathan and Sam and then turned back to David on the ground. "I've got something to take care of," she said darkly.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Kristen sat on the sofa in Jonathan and Sam's apartment, waiting patiently while Jonathan heated up water to soak a rag in. Sam had gone out to buy more hot chocolate upon discovering they were completely out when he had gone to make Kristen a nice cup to make her feel better.
Jonathan finally came back, rag in hand, and sat next to her. He reached out and gently began dabbing at the gash on her forehead.
"I don't think you'll need stitches," he said after a moment, "It's really not that big. It's just been bleeding a lot."
Kristen just watched him while he dabbed at the cut. There was such genuine tenderness and concern in his eyes. Something she never saw with David. With the knowledge she had now, David had never been genuine in anything, but even before she knew that, somehow looking back on the way he handled her, the way he spoke to her... there was just something lacking. Something truly tender. They never really had that true love connection.
But Jonathan, he had always treated her so nice and he was always so concerned about her. He even went and got her sister out of hiding for her. Why would he do that? Was he truly in love with her like Petey had said?
"So you went to see Annalise?" Kristen asked.
"Yeah. I got her address from Petey," Jonathan replied, "You needed help and I thought that the one person you might listen to would be your sister. Of course, I had no idea she had a history with the slimeball, that was just a coincidence, but that just motivated her even more to come on our side."
"Did she tell you the whole story?" Kristen asked.
"No. She just said that he had used her and that the same thing would happen to you if it wasn't stopped," Jonathan replied.
Kristen sighed. "I've been so stupid."
"No. He's been stupid," Jonathan said, "No, I take it back. He's been a dirty rotten scumbucket. You were just a victim here, it's not your fault."
Kristen repressed a smile. "You're so sweet," she said.
Jonathan smirked. "Don't over-estimate me."
"No I mean it," she said, "You've always been so nice to me. You help me in math, you make me feel better when I'm sad, you take me out for milkshakes..."
She looked up into his eyes. "Why are you so nice to me?"
He swallowed hard and stopped dabbing at the cut for a moment, but still keeping his hand resting on her forehead as he tried to form his words. "You're a great person," he answered, beginning to dab once more, "You deserve to be treated properly."
Kristen sighed. "I'm not sure that I do," she said, "I've just been bowing to his wishes for months. Just doing exactly what he did, doing everything his way. I never did anything on my own or for myself. I've got no real personality of my own."
"What are you talking about?" Jonathan asked, incredulous, "You are wonderful, and fun, and smart, and caring, and funny, and beautiful, and..."
His words were suddenly cut off because Kristen leaned forward and planted a kiss firmly on his lips. He froze, processing what exactly was happening. After a moment, she pulled back and he could clearly see tears in her eyes. "Sorry," she mumbled.
"No. It's just..." Jonathan looked down, his hand still holding the rag to her forehead. "I uh... I know you're upset and you've been through a lot tonight," he said, quietly, "But I don't want you to do something you may regret."
"No, Jonathan," Kristen whispered back, resting a hand on his shoulder, "For the first time in forever, I think this is something in my life I won't regret."
He looked up at her again, eyes round. She leaned forward once more and gently kissed him again. Jonathan's eyes shut and he gave into her kiss. For weeks he had dreamed of kissing her, to take her in his arms like this, but now to actually, finally be doing it... it was too good to be true. Her lips felt so perfect and soft against his, he never wanted it to end.
She slowly wrapped her arms around his neck and he responded in kind by resting a hand behind her neck and the other around her waist, pulling her closer. The rag fell to the floor, quite forgotten, as they fell back against the couch.
They did not even notice Sam open the door with a grocery bag in hand, see the spectacle on the sofa, and then slowly back out again with a small smile on his lips, quietly closing the door behind him.
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