Breaking away, p.1
Breaking Away, page 1
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Epilogue
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About the author
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons; living or dead, events or locales are entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2023 Vanessa Bernatchez
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher.
For permissions contact: bernatchez.vanessa@gmail.com
Book cover done by: Vanessa Bernatchez
Acknowledgment
I wanted to take this time to thank everyone who has helped me with the creation of this book. My Beta and Alpha teams provide feedback and editing, as well as making sure my vision is coherent, all of which I'm grateful for. I’m also thankful to my Arc Readers and my Spooky Peaches for the support and taking a chance on me.
This book touches a lot on the topic of abuse. Abuse is a wide umbrella that contains different types. I, myself, have grown up with a father who was mentally, verbally and emotionally abusive and then dated men who abused me as well.
I fell in love and started a family with a man who abused me in many ways. I left my situation when the violence became too much, causing my daughter to be at risk. The same man then sexually assaulted me while she was present, which then caused a multitude of issues.
As many survivors of abuse do, I too fell for another man that then abused me. This time, when I left, my daughter and I lost everything, resulting in our stay at a women's shelter for a few months. It takes a lot of strength to leave a situation like that. It takes a lot of strength to admit that you're being subjected to abuse.
I’m being a bit too personal in hopes that someone can connect with my story. You are not alone. You deserve so much more and I hope you find the strength to close the door on that chapter in your life.
To my daughter Ariel; Mummy loves you so much, my girl. You kept me going when all I wanted to do was give up. Thank you for being calm and kind. I couldn't have asked for a better child.
Again, a big thank you everyone, even my readers. I appreciate it immensely.
Before You Begin …
This book is part of the Reverse Harem/Why Chose world, meaning the female character of this book is in a relationship with three or more characters and does not need to pick one in the end. This novel contains strong language, as well as strong sexual nature. This novel contains sexually explicit scenes involving many partners as well as some scenes involving violence.
This book has themes of abuse. Please keep in mind that abuse happens in many ways and is not the same to everyone (mental, sexual, emotional, physical, ect.) Self harm is also present, as well as scenes of torture (a forced blow job and unwanted touching takes place during torture scene)
You have been warned of the material of this novel and possible triggers, continue at your own discretion.
If you or someone you know is struggling with abuse or mental health, please reach out; you are not alone.
Below are websites/numbers that are safe to use if you need help
Canada
* https://sheltersafe.ca/
* https://www.domesticshelters.org/en-ca/domestic-abuse-help-in-canada
Each province has their own hotlines.
United States of America
* https://www.thehotline.org/
* 1−800−799−SAFE(7233)
The Hotline provides service referrals to agencies in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Chapter One
Kori
The smell of burning wood and sea water surrounds me and I couldn't be more at peace right now. The beach is crawling with students from our graduating class. Some are drunk, laying in the sand, while others are swimming or dancing to the music. The bonfire shines bright as wood and textbooks burn before us, providing a much needed warmth against the coolness of the night. It was only a couple of hours ago that we all made our way across the stage in front of our parents, collected our diplomas, and then threw our hats up in the air to celebrate. Now we’re all at the beach, drinking and enjoying the time we have left together before we go our separate ways. It’s tradition. Bonfire at the beach, drinks and making memories.
Adam and I haven't applied to any colleges. He isn't sure what he wants to do with his life and I understand that. The one thing he is sure of is me and how he wants to spend the summer together before we choose what we want to do regarding school. I don't think I could leave Adam to go to some faraway college. We’ve been together since grade ten. Three years with him by my side, I can't throw that away.
We sit side by side, Adam drinking a beer while I rest my head on his shoulder, watching the flames dance.
“Hey, Kori, come swim with us!” a couple of my friends yell out. They're all scrambling out of their clothes and jumping through the waves. I smile at them, getting up off the sand to join but Adam holds onto my hand.
“Where are you going?” he asks, his voice stern. I look at him, confused.
“To swim with the others?” I ask.
He looks over to the group in the ocean laughing and splashing one another, then looks back at me. He lets go of my hand and I quickly take it away.
“Don't be long,” he tells me, taking a drink of his beer. I nod and head towards the shore.
“Come on in, the water isn't that cold!” my friend Ashley yells out.
I laugh and shimmy out of my jeans. I kick them away, then take off my sweater and the tank top I had underneath. Despite the beach bonfire being a tradition, none of us bothered with swimsuits. It's not a big deal considering we’re all adults and honestly, a bra and panties are basically the same as a bikini.
I hurry into the water and let out a loud shriek as the waves hit my bare legs. The water is ice cold, making my teeth chatter instantly. Everyone laughs.
“F-fuck y-ou Ashley,” I say as my lips quiver.
“It’s not so bad once you are completely in.” She teases.
I shake my head, knowing damn well that I will regret this, but still I take a deep breath and dive under the water. When my head breaks to the surface, I see Ashley hanging onto Caleb's side, shivering. The other guys are chuckling to themselves.
“You asshole, you're just as cold as I am!” I tease, splashing water towards her. She screams, trying to hide behind Caleb, but he gives her up. Caleb and Ashley started dating last year. I guess they met at a party and just hit it off. Just like Adam and me, they've been inseparable since.
“Oh, shit. Kori, your bra…” Ashley says in a low voice, swimming over to me. I look down and notice that my white lace bra isn't exactly keeping my girls concealed.
“Oh fuck!” I groan in embarrassment. “This is embarrassing.”
Ashley stays in front of me, helping to keep me covered, although no one is trying to take a look. “It's honestly not that bad, plus it's dark out.” She says in hopes of comforting me.
“Ash, you can see my nipples. I’m getting out.”
I give her a hug and swim back to shore. I should have known better, white always becomes see through. I guess I was just focused more on having some fun. I hurry over to my pile of clothes and struggle to put my jeans back on due to my legs being wet. When I finally get them on and buttoned, I look for my sweater but spot feet in its place.
“Seriously?” Adam scoffs. He throws me my sweater and I hurry to put it on, shoving my tank top into the pocket.
“What?” I ask, starting to walk back to the fire to get warm.
Adam grabs my hip and spins me back to face him. “Don't fucking walk away when I’m talking to you!” He spits. I can smell the beer on his breath. He's drunk.
“Adam, you're drunk. Let's go home.” My voice is soft but he laughs.
“Why would I want to go home with a slut? You're my girl, yet you chose to prance around in your bra and panties for everyone to see. Your fucking bra was see through by the way!” His grip on my hip tightens, making me uncomfortable.
“I didn't have a bathing suit. I forgot I was wearing white. I’m sorry. Let's just go.”
Adam scoffs at my request again and shoves me to the ground. I look up at him, confused. Adam has never treated me like this before, sure he’s been paranoid in the past, but he never put his hands on me.
“What the fuck?” I yell at him. He just gives me a wicked grin and le aves. Does not offer to help me up, doesn't apologize. He just walks away.
I get up, try shaking off the sand stuck to my clothes as best as I can and make my way to the bonfire. I look around. Adam is nowhere in sight. People are starting to leave and I can't find him anywhere. He was my ride. Why would he leave? Plus, he was drinking. He really shouldn't be behind the wheel. I run up towards the parking lot, looking for his jeep but it's nowhere in sight. I walk back to the bonfire, feeling defeated. I take a seat in the sand away from the few people left who are making out with each other. I notice Caleb helping Ashley to the parking lot and I jump up to reach them.
“Hey!” I shout, trying to gain their attention.
“What are you still doing here?” Caleb asks, confused as Ashely hangs onto his arm at his side. She clearly had a bit too much to drink but I know she's in safe hands.
“Umm, yea well, Adam left without me. We got into an argument.” The feeling of embarrassment is too strong to keep down. I'm just shocked that he would leave me here.
“That's messed up. I'll drive you home, it's not a problem,” he tells me and I run over to help him carry Ashley to his truck. I buckle her into the back seat so she has enough room to sprawl out as I get into the passenger seat.
The drive to my place is quiet except for the faint snores coming from the back seat. Caleb doesn't ask any questions about what happened. We aren't very close and he knows I’d be more comfortable talking with Ashley instead.
After a forty-minute drive back to the city, we arrive at my house. I thank Caleb for the ride and give Ashely a kiss on the forehead. They drive off and I walk down the path to the house. My parents are asleep, so I try to keep quiet as I unlock the door and walk upstairs to my room. When I close my door, I strip out of my clothes and submerge myself under the warmth of my blankets. I look through my text messages to see if Adam sent me anything, but there's zilch. I don't know why I expected him to call or text me when he's wasted. I hope he’s safe. Even if he was an asshole, the last thing I want is for him to get hurt.
∞∞∞
The sound of my phone's ringer going off wakes me from a great sleep. I take my sweet ass time to look for the phone and when I pick it up; I notice I have three missed calls from Adam. I send him a quick text explaining how I was asleep and then roll back over, hoping to get another hour of sleep before having to wake up. My phone goes off again.
“What?” I groan out.
“I'm outside,” he says before hanging up.
I look at my phone with disgust before tossing it on my pillow and groaning as I get out of my comfy bed. I throw on a clean sweater and a pair of sleep shorts before making my way downstairs and out the door. I spot Adam in his jeep waiting for me. He looks pissed off. I open the door and hop into the passenger seat. The car is still on, just set into park. His hands stay on the steering wheel, his knuckles white from the harsh grip.
“What happened last night, Adam?” I ask. He doesn't look my way, doesn't even acknowledge that I'm here.
“You were my ride. Luckily Caleb and Ashley were still around, so I got a ride with them.” I wrap my arms around my midsection out of nervous habit.
“You shouldn't have pranced around like a slut, then I would have stayed and taken you home,” his teeth clench as he spits out the words.
“I didn't know that my bra was see through as soon as I noticed I left. I’m sorry.” I tell him, hurt that he would call me a slut but feeling like I should have known better than to swim in my bra and panties if I was in a relationship.
Adam shakes his head with a grin on his face. “You know what, I'm getting tired of the disrespect you have for me, Kori. You knew damn well that those guys were fantasizing about fucking your tight little cunt. You loved the attention.”
He faces me as the words leave his lips. His grin is vile and sick. I can't even respond after the disgusting statement.
“I won't put up with this anymore, Kori. You’re mine and it’s about time you fucking act like it.” I look away, not wanting to meet his eyes. He grabs my chin and forces my gaze onto him. His grip is hard and hurts, making tears form.
“Look at me when I talk to you!” he yells, making me jump.
“This is the disrespect I'm talking about. I won't fucking take it anymore.” He lets go of my chin and I instantly push myself closer to the door, as if making more distance between us will help.
“Pack up a bag. We’re going to the family cottage. I’ll be back at five to pick you up.” I nod my head, not able to find the bravery to talk. I reach for the handle to let myself out but he hauls me back to face him again.
“Leaving without a kiss?” he questions.
I take a deep breath and lean into him, his lips crushing mine. His tongue slithering in and taking over completely. It's rough and makes me feel sick. I break the kiss and let myself out of his bright red jeep. He drives away and I walk back to the house. The need to brush my teeth and rinse my mouth out is all too strong. I can only assume that something happened at home that would cause him to be acting this way.
∞∞∞
I spent the rest of the day packing for the trip to his family's cottage. I'm pretty much on autopilot for the hours leading up to him arriving. I’d be lying to myself if I said I wasn't a bit nervous. I'm just not sure what will happen since Adam hasn't been acting like himself. Mom and dad left for their anniversary trip to Cuba this morning. They said I could join them but at the time they were booking tickets, Adam and I had plans for the summer. Now I'm beginning to wish I took them up on their offer. I could be sitting on the beach, toes in the warm white sand with a Pina Colada in my hand. Instead, I'm home waiting for my boyfriend to show up, hoping he is in a better mood.
He pulls into the driveway and I run up to the passenger side, hopping in and throwing my bag in the back seat. He has his country music blasting through the radio but turns it down when I buckle myself in.
“Hey gorgeous, ready for a good time?” He says with a smile.
I nod my head and he leans in, planting a soft kiss on my cheek before backing out from the driveway and heading towards the cottage.
His demeanor is a complete one-eighty from earlier. I’m not sure whether I should be wary or relaxed. As we drive down roads, we begin singing along to the music, enjoying the view. Adam rests his hand on my thigh most of the way, sneaking glances at me, causing me to blush.
My head is a tangled mess on how to behave. Do I act like I normally do with Adam or do I watch what I do and say in case he gets upset? The whole drive to the cottage he's a different person, the person I fell in love with. Maybe earlier was just a mishap.
The cottage belongs to Adam’s family. They’ve owned it since he was a baby and they always spent the summer and the occasional school break here. The cottage is a luxurious chalet made of wood. The cottage sits at the foot of a big forest with no neighbours around. They have a large wooden deck sitting on the crystal blue lake and a bunch of water activities like kayaks and jet skis. I’ve been to the cottage before but when we started our last year of highschool. I was too focused on getting all my credits so I opted out of going with Adam and his family.
Now we have the place for ourselves for the week. I think we could really use this time alone to figure out what we want. I have no idea if Adam is planning to go to college and if so, will he want to go together? I don't know what our future holds.
