Torment

A/N: This chapter by no means is to trigger anyone in any shape, size, or form. This is a fictional story and all scenes and actions are only for entertainment purposes. Please do not take any words or thoughts seriously and act upon them.

(Third POV)

Logan's car raced down the streets of New York like a flash of lightning, pressing hard on the gas pedal. Logan doesn't care if he's going over the speed limit or if he'll get a ticket; all he cares about right now is getting to Karolia as soon as possible. Logan's heart was pounding at a rate of ten miles per second. He had no idea what had happened to her, which made him even more conflicted. Karolia assured him that there were people around her and that she was in a reasonably safe location, but this did not calm Logan down. Hearing her sobs only fueled his desire to slam on the brakes.

When he saw the name EAT-OUT in big bold letters, he screeched to a halt. Logan jumped out of the car as soon as he parked it on the sideway.

"Baby, I'm close by. "Don't cry," Logan reassured the crying girl over the phone. He didn't hang up once, and he kept repeating soothing words to her every second. Logan ran to the location she mentioned, 'I-I am standing n-near an outlet called eat-out,' remembering the location she mentioned. Logan looked around, trying to find the familiar face. He notices a huddled figure beside the dumpster, her body shaking hysterically as she clutches her phone.

Oh, love! Logan moved at the speed of light towards the figure and sat on his knees in front of her before touching her shoulder. Karolia screamed, shuddering at the thought of that psycho's hand again around her body. But relief washed over her as soon as she saw the familiar face she had been hoping to see for the past fifteen minutes.

"Shh, shhh, love, it's me. Logan said softly, "It's me." Karolia's teary orbs met Logan's blue eyes before she sobbed. Karolia didn't hold back as she slid into Logan's warm body, wrapping her tiny arms around his neck and nuzzling into him. Karolia sobs into his shoulder as he whispers comforting words to her. Logan wraps his arms around her, drawing her closer to him, and rests his head on hers.

When he notices the torn and exposed area at the back of her dress, his fingers thread into the fabric of her shirt and he stills. As he examines the damage, his mind raced with a million questions. He wanted to ask, but he kept quiet. He placed his warm hand on the area to protect her exposed skin from the icy breeze.

Logan drew her away from his embrace before removing his leather jacket and wrapping it around her trembling body. He took her in his arms and walked away from the building, towards his car, quietly. Karolia rested her head on his strong yet comfortable chest, listening to his heart's wild drum, which strangely comforted her.

He carefully placed her in the passenger seat and buckled the seat belt. His thumb caressed her swollen red cheeks as he pressed a feather-light kiss on her brow. He then walked to the driver's seat and immediately started the engine. There was no word exchanged between them as the car circled the neighborhood looking for a calm and quiet place where they could get some much-needed privacy.

Logan's whole body trembled with hot red rage at the prospect of someone hurting his love. His fist wanted to punch someone, but he kept his emotions in check, at least for the time being. Karolia desperately needs him right now. He cast a glance at the trembling figure before turning away, his jaw clenched. Karolia has now become such an important part of his life that he knows he would do anything for her, including kill someone if they hurt her.

Logan pulled over in front of an empty lot and turned up the heater to warm up the car, despite the fact that he knew the cold wasn't the cause of Karolia's trembling. The moonlight illuminated the park's empty paved pathway that ran around its entire perimeter. He clenched his jaw as he stared at the greenery in front of him.

"Who was it?" Logan finally asks when his curiosity peaked. His attention was drawn to the curled figure in his passenger seat. Lia's eyes seemed lost, her mind fixed on the slayer and those dark days of her life. Now that the slayer who murdered her parents is back on the streets, very close to her, she fears for her life and the lives of those she loves.

He did say he would kill her.

"Lia," Karolia seems to be startled and looks at Logan, her eyes welling up with tears.

"W-What?" She stutter. Logan's knuckles whitened as he gripped the steering wheel. It hurts him to see her in this state. Scared and defenseless.

"I d-don't know" she whispered. And that was the last thing she said before she burst into tears again. Logan had no choice but to hold her and comfort her. He couldn't figure out why, and it bothered him greatly. But he restrained himself and decided to question her about everything once she had calmed down.

Logan finally drove back to Karolia's apartment after a half-hour wait. Karolia was exhausted and fast asleep at that point. He didn't want to wake her up because he believed she wouldn't sleep well this night. Even though he had many questions running through his mind, one thing was certain for him. It was his unsettling gut feeling. Whatever had happened to her, it wasn't the first time.

Karolia's eyes flew open and she sat straight in alert as soon as he opened the passenger door to carry her to her apartment, just as he had anticipated. She visibly relaxed when she saw Logan.

Logan mumbled softly, "Come on, let's get you inside." Logan drew her closer, wrapping his hands around her shoulder, assuring her and himself that they are both there for each other. And always will be, he thought.

Both of them walked quietly to the apartment, seemingly lost in their own thoughts. Karolia quickly unlocked the door and went to the kitchen to gulp down a glass of water to quench her parched throat. Logan stood on the threshold, his heartbreaking with every step she took. She was trembling.

Karolia turned to face him and smiled weakly. "Thank you, Log," she thanked him. "I appreciate you coming to get me," she sniffled loudly.

"Come here." Logan extended his arms to her, and Karolia dashed over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. Tears began to fall from her eyes once more, and a loud sob escaped her lips. Logan stroked her hair, attempting to calm her down.

"I-I hate this L-Logan." Karolia sniffled. "I despise being v-vulnerable. I wish I was stronger than this, strong enough to deal with my issues"

"You're very strong, Karolia" Logan tells her, "Don't let anyone tell you otherwise." He wishes he could say more to her, to boost her self-esteem, to console her, and to make her feel better, but no words are coming out of his mouth. He has no idea what Karolia has been through or what obstacles she has had to overcome in her life. But all he knows is that it was both difficult and unpleasant.

Logan took Karolia to the bathroom after their moment in the kitchen to clean her up. Karolia's eyes welled up with tears as she examined herself in the mirror. Her cheeks were swollen, and the man's fingerprints were visible on the spot where he slapped her. Her lips were dripping with blood, and her eyes were red and puffy. A warm hand cups her face, causing her to turn away from the mirror. Karolia's teary brown eyes meet his blue ones.

Don't cry, my love. I'm here, and you're safe now." He says, softly caressing the side of her cheeks. She nods, biting her lower lip to keep the tears at bay.

He smoothes back a strand of hair that has fallen on her face with his hand. With a wet towel, he slowly wipes the blood from her lips. Logan's jaw clenched and his eyes darkened as she winced in pain. He gently presses his lips against hers after cleaning her up. He wasn't kissing her, just lightly pressing his lips against hers. He presses his forehead against hers and pulls her closer to him.

"I'm so sorry, love," he says again. He regrets not being present with her at the time. He apologizes for not doing everything he could to comfort her. He feels helpless because the girl who owns his heart is afraid to open up to him.

Karolia's POV:

"How dare you!" yelled the green-eyed man, kicking my mother in the stomach.

"NO!" I screamed, trying to break free from someone's clutches. The man with the green eyes looked at me. His piercing gaze was menacing.

"Now it's time to say goodbye to them," he said, and the world around me came to a halt.

"No, please, no," his eyes were filled with pure evil, and he shot mom.

"Noo!" I screamed. As she crumpled to the floor, I saw blood oozing from her head. Then he shot my father, who was already knocked out.

"Now, Now..." said the green-eyed man to me. "How about a small punishment for running away from me?" he smirks darkly. When three people were pushed into the room, my heart sank. Grecia, Logan, and Scarlet.

"NO NO NO" I thrashed, shaking my head. But my pleas were ignored. Helplessly I watched them drop to the ground, their spirit leaving to the parallel world through their eyes.

My eyes flew open, gasping softly. My throat became constricted, making it impossible for me to breathe. Hot tears began to fall silently from my eyes. It astounds me that my tear gland is still active. I've shed enough tears to fill a pond.

When I feel Logan's arms wrap around me, I jerk slightly. I soon relax into his arms and turn limp in his grip, attempting to regain control of my breathing. It's been difficult to sleep tonight, and this is the third time this has happened.

I appreciate Logan stayed by my side tonight. I owe him thanks for holding me while I sobbed into his shoulder. I know he wants to ask me a lot of questions, but he didn't. He held back because he knew I needed him to console me, not to interrogate.

"Nightmare again?" he inquired, his face solemn. I nodded and gave him a weak smile, wiping my tears away with the back of my hand. Logan gently grabs my face with his hand and wipes the tears away with his large warm thumb.

Logan chastises me, "This is the third time you've tried to sleep but woke up with a nightmare, Lia." I avert my gaze, feeling guilty. When I close my eyes, all I see is that man's face.

"What's the matter, Lia? "At the very least, tell me now," Logan asks, as I expected. "What were you doing outside late?" he inquired, raising my chin to face him.

"I went to Tyler's uncle's shop for a job interview. He wasn't free until 8 p.m." I replied truthfully while carefully avoiding the first question. Logan let out a deep sigh.

"I overheard your conversation with your friend yesterday," he says as he sits up straight on the bed. I did the same thing. When he looked at me again, he had a dissatisfied expression on his face.

"Why didn't you speak with me, Karolia? I can always find you hundreds of jobs."

I bite my lower lip, unable to respond. It had completely escaped my mind to ask him.

"I-I'm sorry, I d-didn't think of it"

"Anyway, forget about it," Logan said, and just as I was starting to relax, he asked the question that made me stiffen.

"Who harmed you?" Logan took a close look at my face.

"I-I d-don't know" I lied, looking everywhere except for him. It's better if he doesn't know anything because he might leave me if he finds out about my pathetic past.

He groaned loudly, "Lia." "You're lying. You know who it was"

My eyes well up with tears once more. "P-Please Log, don't ask me anything right now," I sighed loudly. Logan sighs as he wraps his hands around my shoulder and pulls me in closer.

"I'm sorry, love." He kisses my temple, and I close my eyes and enjoy it.

"I'm not going to ask you again if it means it'll break you like this every time. But I hope you understand how I feel here as well. It's difficult for me to watch you cry while knowing nothing about what's bothering you. It just kills me on the inside." His grip on me tightened with the last line, and it squeezed my heart even more. I was dying to tell him. To lift this burden from my shoulders. But how can I tell him that the girl he's seeing now isn't the same as she was a year ago?

Will he ever look at me the same way he used to? After he finds out what happened, will he hold me or kiss me? With that question in mind, I succumb to the darkness that had been luring me in.

When I felt my throat becoming dry, I awoke once more. All of my cryings had done far too much harm to both my mind and body. Logan was sleeping on his stomach, and I could hear him snoring softly. His one hand was still holding my waist in his sleep, but it was loose enough for me to escape without waking him up.

When I looked at the clock, I felt bad that I had kept him awake until midnight. He must be exhausted from looking after me all night. When I awoke from a nightmare, he was patient. Every time I closed my eyes, the same scenes played out again and again, but I managed to relax for Logan's sake.

The thought that he had been awake for me for half the night, consoling and calming me down, spread a tremendous warmth inside my chest.

I went to the restroom after gulping down two glasses of water. Walking appears to be extremely difficult given how much energy I expended today. My body has taken a beating as a result of moving to the apartment and what happened today. The lights in the bathroom blinded my eyes for a few seconds until I got used to them.

I take a breather and look in the mirror. My eyes were red and swollen, my cheeks were puffy, and there was a faint red mark on my neck. The harm he has done is nothing compared to what he has done in my mind. Tears welled up in my eyes once more as I looked at the pitiful human who stared back at me through the mirror. I thought I'd never had to deal with this again. I thought everything was over, then how is this possible?

"It's all because of you" I close my eyes as I hear his voice in my head. The dark green eyes stared at me with venom. I shake my head to clear my mind.

I opened my eyes again and the petrified reflection stared back at me. I turn on the faucet and wash my face with warm water, hoping to wash away all my fears as well. I hang my head low as I take deep breaths to calm my racing heart.

"Tell me why I shouldn't kill you, right here right NOW?"

I clutch my head as a tiny whimper escapes from my mouth. My eyes well up with tears as I try to block out the reverberating sound of his voice. Make this stop, please

"LOOK AT ME"

When I felt his voice and presence right in front of me, I opened my eyes with a gasp. In a state of shock, I thrash back. The pain and fear were rising within me, and it appears that they had reached a point where they could not be reversed. As I try to think of a way to ease the pain, my breathing pattern becomes labored. The green-eyed man's grip on my heart tightened even more as if he was crushing it in his hands. I need something to relieve the immense pain in my heart.

I frantically search through the cabinets, hoping to find a sharp razor blade that I desperately need right now. When I couldn't find it anywhere, my patience ran out. I felt like it was my only way out of this pain, and if I didn't get it soon, I don't know what would happen to me. It's terrifying, but that's exactly what I want. To divert my attention away from the pain. To dull my senses.

My frantic movements caused me to push everything off the counter. Everything that I have yet to arrange in this new washroom is strewn about on the floor. I didn't give it much thought as I knelt in front of the partially opened carton box containing all of my bathroom necessities. I vigorously search through my bathroom kit, and my eyes widen when I come across the black razor. I heard some movement outside my door, but my mind was preoccupied with the sharp object in my hand, so I ignored it.

I sit, leaning against the wall, and close my eyes, allowing my mind to trace the skin on my hand to make the cut. I get a faint burning sensation, which I remember from the first time I did this. The slow initial touch, the rush of adrenaline before dragging the blade deep into my skin. Just as I let the blood trickle down the floor, I heard the door bang, which startled me and caused the blade in my hand to slip out of my grip.

Logan's face fell into a furrowed brow as he noticed my huddled figure on the floor. But when he realized what I was doing, his eyes darkened. I shielded my bruised hand with the other, attempting to shield it from the cold stare. As he stared at me, I watched his jaw and fist clench and unclench.

"I-I," I began, but my words became stuck in my throat as I saw him charge at me. Bending down, he grabbed my arm in his steel grip and yanked me up from the ground. He opened the faucet without saying anything and held my arm under it, washing the blood away. I hissed in agony at the stinging sensation but said nothing. Mostly because Logan scares me at the moment. I could feel his rage from the way he held me, harsh and unconcerned.

He then wrapped a towel tightly around the cut, allowing the cloth to suck my blood. I don't yet have a first-aid kit. Then he wrapped his hands around my knees and waist and picked me up like a bride. I stared at Logan as he lowered me onto the bed, my both arms clinging to my chest.

"I'm sorry," I finally said to him. But he ignored me and began opening the nightstand drawers, looking for something.

I just wanted to ease my p-pain-"

"Shut up," he said sternly. I bit my lower lip as I felt the same burning sensation. Gosh, why do I keep crying!?

"P-Please, Log, don't do this—" When he slammed the drawer, I jumped. He gave me a cold stare.

"Stop talking, Karolia, before I lose it."

I nod and look down, feeling guilty. He kept looking for a while longer before coming to a halt. When I looked up, he was holding a tablet strip and a glass of water in both hands. He approached me and extended his arms, holding the medicine and water in front of me. I took it from him without saying anything and gulped the sleeping pill. It's strange coming from him because he opposes the use of chemical drugs. But I understand why he's acting the way he is. I've turned into a source of irritation for him.

I sat back down on the bed, cradling my arms once more. I turn to the left so that I can face Logan. But he didn't even bother looking at me. Logan lay on his back, his arms covering his eyes. I squeeze my eyes shut, forcing myself to sleep, and the drug helps a little. I forgot about the green-eyed man and my past for the rest of the hours because I was thinking about one thing only.

He didn't wrap his arms around me. He didn't kiss me as he used to every time I awoke from a nightmare or for any other reason. He didn't whisper sweet nothings in my ear.

******

(Next morning)

I enter the kitchen feeling somewhat refreshed and clean. Thank you to the drug that knocked me out for 10 hours and the hot shower I took. Logan sat on the barstool, his phone in his hand, talking to someone. His gaze locked on mine. I gave him a small smile, but he didn't return it, which hurts me. I know he's upset with me for what happened yesterday, and he's not hiding it.

"Good morning," I mumbled softly as he hung up the phone. He got out of his seat and said,

"Get dressed" I frowned in confusion.

"For what?"

"I'm taking you to a therapist"

My face became hard. "NO," I said firmly, crossing my arms against my chest. He clenched his fist and grit his teeth.

"Yes, you are going" I rolled my eyes at him.

"I'm not. You can't force me into this"

"Fucking hell, Karolia!" Logan raised his voice and I flinched slightly. "I'm trying to help you here"

"I'm alri-"

"Yes, you are definitely alright" he chuckled darkly. "Hurting yourself clearly indicates that"

I press my lips together as I look down at the ground. I'm not going to see a psychologist, no matter what he says. They irritate me. They dig deeper into our minds to release all of our emotions and pain. It's not easy, to be sure, but they don't get it. With their sweet words, they entice us to open up.

"You're going. Period" Logan says. I glared at him, my eyes narrowed. He sighed heavily before the coldness in his eyes melted.

"Lia, you must speak with someone. Keeping everything to yourself is having a negative impact on you. Mrs. Martin is one of New York's best therapists. I guarantee she can help you."

"No way, Logan. "I am not going!"

"Why the fuck not?" he finally yells at me. In frustration, he runs his hand through his hair.

"Because," I said, raising my voice as well. "I can't share my past with a stranger, Logan. I simply CANNOT."

His eyes were filled with anguish as a flash of pain flashed through them. "Do you regard me as a stranger as well?" That's why you're hesitant to say anything to me?"

I shake my head immediately. "Of course NO. You're not a stranger Log. It's that its-" I swallowed heavily.

"It-s what, Karolia?" I took a deep breath.

"I'm terrified. I'm afraid that after hearing what happened in my life, you'll abandon me forever. But I won't blame you," I laugh sarcastically. "Why would anyone want to spend time with my pitiful self?" My life is a jumble."

"Lia," Logan sighed heavily, and I looked up at him. "That is my decision, not yours. I decide whether or not to stay with you."

I give a nod of my head. "Right," I grumbled. To calm my racing heart, I took deep breaths. I believe it is time for me to finally open up to him. Allow him to swim through my pain and explore my past.

"Then you must keep an open mind about this."

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