Alaina had never paid much attention to Josh Hammens until that one day in the choir room. He came in loud as usual, slapping his late note onto the teacher's desk like it was his declaration of defiance.
Alaina didn't even know why she spoke to him, but she soon found out that she'd regret even looking his way.
"What song is that?" she asked, her eyes still on her notebook, not looking up.
Josh stopped in his tracks, surprised she'd even acknowledged him. It wasn't typical for girls as pretty as Alaina to even glance in his direction. He didn't know if it was in that moment or later, but at some point, he realized just how easy it was to manipulate her.
"Its by Bullet for My Valentine," Josh replied, then noticed Alaina was looking at him, really looking.
Her gaze softened, and suddenly, he saw her differently. She was noticing him too, in ways he didn't expect. His jet-black hair, his piercing green eyes, and that smile—one that, to anyone who looked, screamed trouble. But for some reason, Alaina was drawn to him. And he, too, was intrigued by the brunette who'd dared to talk to him.
That summer before junior year, Josh did something unexpected: he asked her out by stealing his mother's wedding ring and giving it to Alaina, telling her to wear it around her neck.
"It's so beautiful," she said, her voice filled with excitement. "I love it."
Alaina had been ecstatic, dreaming of their future together, of getting married as soon as they turned eighteen. But as senior year began, Josh's grip on her tightened. And that was the moment Alaina realized what it felt like when you were trying to fill a hole in your heart—a hole she wasn't even sure existed before Josh.
Alaina joined the cheerleading team during her senior year, and she loved it. The rush, the camaraderie—it was the one thing that made her feel alive again. But Josh? He hated it. He hated the attention other guys gave her.
"You've got to quit the cheerleading team," Josh said one afternoon, just after she'd finished a pep rally and was rushing off the basketball court, still riding the adrenaline.
Alaina stopped in her tracks, stunned. "What? No, I'm not going to quit just because you're insecure."
The words slipped out before she could stop them, and as soon as they left her mouth, she regretted them.
Josh's face turned red with anger. "Fine. If you won't quit, then we don't need to be together." He turned and stormed out of the gym without another word.
Alaina stood there for a moment, her heart sinking. She was too heartbroken to finish the pep rally, so she said goodbye to the other girls and left early. When she reached the front doors, Josh was waiting for her, a smug grin on his face.
"I'll quit," Alaina said, dropping her gym bag to the floor.
Josh pulled her into a hug, smiling as if he'd won.
When Alaina graduated, she moved forward with her life, but Josh didn't. He dropped out of high school he reasoned that he needed to "keep an eye" on her as she went off to college.
By the time she finished college, Josh had proposed to her, and they moved into a tiny apartment they could barely afford. Alaina picked up shifts at a local diner to keep the bills paid, but Josh's behavior had shifted.
One night, Alaina discovered the truth. Josh had lost his job three months ago, and instead of trying to help, he'd been spending the money they had been saving at strip clubs and bars. But that wasn't even the worst of it. He had started abusing her.
Alaina had finally reached her breaking point. One night, when she decided to leave him for good, Josh came home drunk, stumbling through the door.
"What the hell is this?" He kicked her suitcases over, spilling beer all over his shirt. "Fuck!" He slammed the beer can on the floor.
Alaina stared at him, disgusted. "Look at you. I've had enough. I'm leaving… for good."
Josh's eyes narrowed, and a cruel smile crept across his face. "I fucking made you, how dare you try to leave me?"
Before she could react, he slapped her across the face so hard she crashed to the floor. Her eyes welled up with tears, but she slowly turned to face him.
"You slapped me?" she said in shock, her voice shaking.
Josh didn't respond. Instead, he ripped off his belt and began to beat her mercilessly. Alaina screamed in pain, begging him to stop, but it was no use. He was beyond control.
After he was done, he climbed on top of her, and the abuse continued in ways that shattered her soul.
When he finally passed out, Alaina lay face down on the carpet, crying. It wasn't until the first light of morning crept through the windows that she found the strength to get up. She grabbed her bags, left the apartment, and never looked back. As she drove across the country, her blonde hair blowing in the wind, she threw her phone and engagement ring out of the window, leaving Maine—and Josh—far behind.
That was three years ago.
She hadn't heard from him in all that time, but recently, her sister gave Josh her number, and now he was calling nonstop. Every time she saw his name on her phone, Alaina was tempted to block it. But as much as she hated the reminders of what he did to her, she knew that each call was another reminder of how strong she'd become, how much she'd fought to get away from him.
It wasn't until Aaron picked up the phone one day and blocked Josh's number that she finally felt free.