Chapter 1

"NO! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME JUST BECAUSE YOU WANT MONEY" I screamed and cried at my parents as they told me that they were going to make me marry a 30 year old man when I am currently only 16. I didn't want to be with someone that I have never met.

"WOULD YOU STOP OVERREACTING?" my dad screamed at me, ready to swing a belt. He started to repeatedly hit me until someone intervend, someone that I didn't know.

"HEY, STOP!!!!" A deep voice echoed through the room. I froze in fear from the random person and my dad mid swing of the belt. I already had many bruises from the many hits that I received from the belt. The strange man got into my dad's face and started to whisper something I couldn't hear probably because I was still in a daze from the beating. I was soon picked up and sat down on the couch next to my mom. The strange man then took my dad outside and came back into the house.

"I am so sorry that you have to go through that. If I might ask what is your name?"

"L-Lexi…My name is Lexi"

"Hi Lexi it's nice to meet you, my name is Elliot."

"Hey… Elliot, may I ask who you are and why you are here?"

"Oh yes sorry about that, I was asked not too long ago to come here to meet you. Your father and I agreed that you would be marrying me."

"Oh yeah that. All of this had hit me like a freight train just out of nowhere at that. I had come home from school and my father told me and I had yelled at him for getting any opinion from me first, and that's why when you got here he was beating me."

"Oh is that so? Has he always been like this?"

"Yes ever since I can remember, but this is the first time that he has done this in front of my mom, and I didn't want to tell her because I didn't want her to get hurt."

"Oh okay well if you want you and your mother can stay with me for awhile and I can get someone to come get him for abuse if you would like."

"Yes please, thank you for everything." My mother was the one who spoke this time along with telling me how sorry she was that she did not see the signs about how my father was abusing me and asking for my forgiveness. I gave her forgiveness because it was kinda my fault for not telling anyone. Soon after my mother and I collected ourselves and started packing.

"Lexi?"

"Yeah, what is it mom?"

"Um if it is okay with you Elliot and I decided if it was okay with you that you would move in with Elliot now, but if that is not okay you can wait until the marriage."

"Um give me about thirty minutes to decide if that is okay."

"Yeah that's a big choice to make so I will check up on you later. I am going to finish packing for the time that I am staying."

"Okay mom, I'll talk to you in a little bit when I decide."

I had to start making my decision if I was going to move in with Elliot now or when we get married. To be honest I think I am going to move in with him now so that I have time to get to know him before we get married. I was almost done packing my clothes and it had been about an hour so I went to go tell my mom and Elliot that I wanted to move in with him now.

"Mom, where are you?" I had heard my mom trying to find out whether she was in the house or not, but instead of finding my mom I found Elliot.

"What is it that you need?'' To be truthfully honest Elliot was very handsome and had a very beautiful voice.

"Oh um I was coming to find you and mom to tell you that i am moving in with you now instead of later."

"Oh yes I was about to go get your mom to ask you because I don't want to invade your privacy and make you uncomfortable. Follow me, I will take you to your mother."

"Um thank you." While Elliot was taking me to where my mother was I noticed just how much taller he was than me. I was about 5'4 and he looked to be about 6'1. He had a nice suit on that was very well fitting. He was wearing nice dress shoes and his hair was slicked back. In a few minutes we got to where my mom was.

"Hey mom."

"Yes sweetie?"

"Um I decided that I am moving in now."

"Oh okay do you want help packing?"

"Um if it's okay can Elliot help me pack? I want to get to know him a little bit."

"Yeah that's fine if it's okay with Elliot."

"Yeah I'm fine with helping her pack. I would also like to get to know her better."

"Okay you two I will be putting my things away for the time that I am staying in my car."

"Okay mom I will be upstairs."

Elliot and I went upstairs and he helped me pack while I told him where some of my things needed to go. Once I got everything that I wanted to take with me packed we took my thing down to Elliot's truck because it had more room than mom's car.

"Hey mom I was wondering if you were ready to go? Elliot and I are done packing all of my things."

"Oh yeah I am, I have been for a little while I was just waiting for you and Elliot."

"Oh okay well Elliot's in the bathroom so we will have to wait a couple minutes before we can go."

"Oh that's fine. Hey, are you feeling okay? You look a little pale."

"yeah i'm fine I think I am just still in shock from what is happening right now."

"Okay well if you get to feeling sick I will go to the store and get you some medicine."

"Okay thanks mom."

"Are you two ready to go?"

"Yes Elliot we are ready to go."

"Okay well let's get a move on. Mrs. Whitlock just follow me, okay?"

"Okay"

On our way to Elliot's house it was quiet. Neither one of us talked to each other. It was about a 25 minute drive to his house. Elliot's house was 3 stories high and was a very modern looking house. Once we got there we started to unload mine and my mom's stuff. While I was unloading some of my things Elliot took my mom to show her which room she would be staying in. They both came back out about 5 minutes later to get everything in the house and in our rooms. After we got everything in the house Elliot showed me the way to my room.

"Lexi, would you like to stay in my room or have your own room until we get married?"

"Just for a little bit I would like my own room please."

"Okay that is fine. This way."

"Thank you"

"You're welcome."

When we got to my room there was already a bed, dresser, two bedside tables, and a tv. It took about an hour to get all of mine and my mom's things to our rooms. My room was about 3 rooms down from Elliot's room and my mom's room was right next mine so that could be closer. After my mom and I got everything in our rooms Elliot called us down to have some dinner. After we had dinner I took a shower and started getting ready for bed.