It Has to Be A Dream

Torrance's POV

I don't know how long I was laying on the bench before I started thinking about Nick again, staring off into the clouds. There were lots of people passing by on the paths in the park.

A guy walks up a path in the park, and stops next to me. He says, "Torrance? I-Is that you?"

I look up at Nick and rub my eyes thinking to myself, I have to be dreaming. There is no way that my ex, who left me by the way, could be standing 5 feet from me. "Nick? I have got to be dreaming."

He stared at me for a moment, then blinked a few times. "No. You aren't." His brows furrow and he starts to walk away.

Tears come to my eyes seeing him walk away. I sat up quickly. "Please, don't go."

He stops walking, back still to me. "Maybe you should go find Parker if you want company." He sneered.

I look at his back confused. "I don't understand, what did I do to make you leave?" I stood up taking a step toward him then stopped myself.

He turned toward me slowly. "What did you do?" He threw his hands in the air. "I dunno, Torrance. Maybe sleeping with my cousin....Yeah..that sounds about right."

I gritted my teeth, shaking my head. "I don't know who told you that but I never cheated on you, Nick." I had a pretty good idea who told him and he would pay for it. He had always wanted me and was happy when Nick left me.

"Why would you bother to admit it now. It's been a year....You’ve moved on"

"I tried to find you but it's like you just disappeared off the face of the earth. You left no trace whatsoever." I pointed my finger at him. "YOU didn't give me a chance to explain, you just left." Tears were falling down my face, all the hurt from that day coming back. "I haven't moved on. I just try to live day to day and not think about having to live without you." I stumbled backwards to the bench and collapsed on it, my face in my hands.

He didn’t move for a moment, he looked like he was thinking or not sure what to think. After a moment he walked toward me and sat on the edge of the bench. "Are you saying that Parker lied to me?"

I nodded, sniffling from crying. "Yes, he lied to you."

He looked down at the ground. "I've wasted a whole year thinking that you had betrayed me."

I glanced over at him. "I've thought all this time that you just didn't want me anymore."

He looked over at me. "I've never wanted anyone but you."

I sighed. "I'm sorry, Nick." I drop my hands from my face. "I've been living with Parker for the past couple months trying to make myself happy again. Until he decided he could control my every move. And..." I couldn't tell him how Parker had treated me. I looked down at the bruises on my wrist where he had grabbed my arm a few days ago.

His brows furrow again. "You live with him...." He looked away. "Right...Of course." He said his voice really quiet

I shake my head. "No, I lived with him. I left today when he told me I HAD to listen to him." I sat back against the bench. "I know how that sounds, after you thinking I was cheating on you. But the truth is I've never slept with Parker. Not even while we were living together." He had tried to but I just wouldn't.

He closed his eyes for a moment then opens them again, still not looking at me. "It's none of my business."

I pulled my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around them, staring at the ground. "I'll make him pay for what he's done."

"You should just stay away from him...If he is capable of doing something like this...I don't know what else he will do to keep you around him."

"He hasn't been very nice to me." I bit my lip. "So maybe you're right."

He looked over at me. "What do you mean?"

I showed him the bruises on my wrist and temple. "He's also tried to force himself on me." I said looking away from him ashamed.

He took my hand in his, looking at the bruises, I saw his jaw clench. "I'll kill him."

Fear filled my whole body. "You don't know how bad he's gotten since you left. Please, don't." I swallowed hard. "That's 99% of the reason I was living with him. I was scared of him."

"So you want me to do nothing? You are covered in bruises...he tried to force you to have sex with him and you want me to do nothing????"

"I'm just scared you'll get hurt, Nick. It's not that I don't want you to."

He shook his head and stood up. "Where is he?"

I shrugged. "I guess he's still at HIS house."

He wiped the tears off my face with the back of his hand, he nodded and walked away,calling back over his shoulder. "I'll find him."

I watch him walk away, wondering if I'll ever see him again. "Please, be careful." I just stayed on the bench where I was at knowing that if I faced Parker with Nick it would only make things worse.