A COWBOYS REDEMPTION

𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐍

I woke up to the soft light filtering through the curtains, the morning sun shining in my face.

As I stretched and blinked away the remnants of sleep, an unsettling emptiness settled around me.

Malakai wasn't in bed anymore. My heart began to race, fear building up in my chest. What if he was waiting for me downstairs?

With a trembling breath, I pushed the covers aside and swung my legs over the edge of the bed.

I needed to get dressed. I hurried through the process, my hands shaking as I pulled on my scrubs.

Each movement felt like a countdown to a moment I dreaded.

When I was finally dressed, I slipped on my shoes before I grabbed my bag, preparing just in case I might need to run away at any moment.

Standing at the door, I hesitated. The knob felt cold beneath my palm, and I took a moment to gather my courage.

My heart thumped loudly in my chest. Finally, I turned the knob and opened the door, stepping out into the quiet hallway.

I took a small step down each step slowly, trying to keep my breathing steady.

I peaked down, seeing Malakai asleep across the sofa.

Relief washed over me. I tiptoed down the remaining steps, my heart racing as I approached the keys resting on the table by the door.

I stretched out my hand, my fingers trembling, and felt the weight of my heartbeat echoing in my ears.

If I could just grab the keys without waking him.

Just as my fingers closed around the cool metal, I heard his voice. "Baby?" My heart dropped, feeling a weight in my stomach. I turned slowly, forcing a smile onto my face despite the panic inside me.

"H-hey Malakai."

He sat up, dressed in grey sweats and a hoodie, his expression confused. "You leaving without saying goodbye?" he asked, and I felt the blood drain from my face.

"I-I didn't wanna wake you up," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady, my smile wavering.

He laughed, a sound that sent a shiver down my spine. "Awe. It's okay, baby girl. I was thinking I could bring you to work today."

My mind raced. There was no way he just asked me that. "Oh... well, you don't have to do that, Malakai," I stammered, my voice barely above a whisper.

He kept smiling, an unsettling grin that made me uncomfortable. He reached out, taking the keys from my hand. "Let's go, baby." He leaned in, pressing a quick kiss to my cheek before walking out the door.

I stood there for a moment, eyes closed as I braced myself. Finally, I followed him outside, the cool air hitting my face as I stepped out.

??°

When we arrived at the hospital, Malakai opened the door for me, his demeanor oddly polite. It felt strange; he hadn't been nice to me in months. "Thank you," I managed to say, my voice filled with uncertainty.

"Well, I'll see you when I get home," I said, turning to kiss him goodbye. But he pulled back, a teasing smirk on his lips. "Oh no... I'm walking you inside. Come on."

He smiled again, and I whispered, "Fuck," under my breath, my heart sinking further as I followed him inside.

As we crossed the threshold, my gaze fell on Sawyor, who looked at Malakai with a disgusted expression before turning away.

Malakai's grip around my waist tightened, and he leaned in close,"I don't know what you said, but if that little fruitcake ever looks at me like that again, I'll break your fucking nose. " He whispered into my ear.

A chill ran down my spine, and I nodded, my heart pounding in my chest.

At that moment, the front doors swung open, and an elderly man walked in, holding a vase of flowers.

My confusion deepened as he approached the front desk.

The receptionist pointed in my direction, and the man then walked over to me, a warm smile on his face.

"For you, little lady," he said, handing me the flowers before walking away.

I stood frozen, a random vase of flowers in my hands, my mind racing. I glanced back at Malakai, who was now clenching his jaw, his expression shifting to pure anger. "Open it," he commanded, and my heart raced with dread.

I hesitated, my fingers trembling as I slowly opened the envelope attached to the bouquet.

As I read the words, the color drained from my face, and I looked back up at Malakai. His eyes were fixed on the note, and I could see the anger written all over his face. He looked back at me, before letting out a laugh, a cruel sound that made my skin crawl.

"Malakai, wait—" I began, but he had already started to walk away, shaking his head. Panic surged through me, and I rushed to catch up with him. "Malakai, it's not what you think, I promise! He was my patient!"

He stopped abruptly, scanning the hallway to make sure we were alone before he turned on me, his eyes blazing. "You think you can fuck over me, Milia?" he hissed, grabbing my arm with a tight grip.

I shook my head frantically, tears welling up in my eyes.

"No, Malakai! Please, it was nothing!" But he didn't want to hear it.

He shoved me into a nearby empty closet before he slammed the door shut.

I barely had a moment to gather what was about to happen before he shoved me against the shelves, the impact sent a pain through my back.

"Malakai, please," I begged, my voice trembling. "You know I would never—"

But he cut me off, pulling something from his pocket. My heart dropped as I saw the glint of metal—a pocket knife. My eyes widened in terror. "Malakai, please don't... please," I whimpered, tears streaming down my cheeks.

He grabbed my face, and I could feel his fingers digging into my skin. "I will fucking kill you, do you hear me?"

I tried to scream, but he pressed the knife against my cheek, silencing me. I could feel the cold steel biting into my skin as I let out muffled cries. "Remember who the fuck you belong to," he whispered, his voice evil.

He then reached into his back pocket and threw the keys at me, the metal clattering to the ground. "I'll catch a fucking Uber."

He then swung the door open, and walked out, slamming it behind him. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears, as I sobbed uncontrollably.

I pressed my back against the shelves, trying to catch my breathing, but the fear was overwhelming. I touched my cheek where the knife had pressed, feeling the warmth of blood mixing with my tears. Trembling, I fumbled with the keys, my fingers shaking as I picked them up off the floor.

I hated him.

I hated him so fucking much.

??°

"Milia, I promise we will get you out of that house. You don't have to worry." Sawyor's voice broke through my thoughts as he carefully cleaned the wound on my face. I winced slightly at the sting of the antiseptic, but I was grateful for his gentleness.

After an eight-hour shift, I felt utterly drained. My body ached, and my mind was foggy, barely able to process the day. I had let myself stay in that toxic environment for far too long, and now the weight of that realization was pressing down on me.

I couldn't believe I had allowed it to get this bad. I had promised myself I would leave before it reached this point, but here I was.

The thought of Malakai sent a chill through me. I had to get away before it was too late, but the question loomed large in my mind: how? I felt trapped, like there was no way out.

As Sawyor finished cleaning my wound and began to wrap a bandage around my face, I forced a smile. "Thank you, Sawyor. I appreciate it."

"No problem, sweetheart," he replied, his voice warm and reassuring. I watched as he carefully placed the bandage on my cheek, his brow furrowed in concentration.

My eyes wandered around the small room, taking in the familiar surroundings and then they landed on the colorful bouquet of flowers Wyatt had sent me. The flowers that caused all of this. They stood out, their vibrant colors lit up the dull room.

Sawyor noticed my gaze and turned to look at the flowers too. A smile crept onto his face. "Don't worry, I'll keep them for you, sweet girl. I'd want to keep flowers from the fine cowboy too if I were you."

I laughed, trying to hide my blushing. "Oh my god, shut up," I said, rolling my eyes playfully. Sawyor picked up the letter that had come with the flowers and handed it to me, his expression teasing. "He left his number on the back of it," he said, winking before turning to walk away.

I took the letter from him, my fingers brushing over the smooth paper. I opened it again, scanning Wyatt's neat handwriting. My smile faltered as I thought back to Malakai, the fear creeping back into my chest.

"Heidi's Blooms and Looms" I read the company's name out loud. I paused for a moment, my mind wondering.

I grabbed my keys from the table, before I took a deep breath, and walked out of the hospital.

??°

"I won't forget, Grandma," I promised, leaning over to plant a kiss on her cheek. She beamed at me, before she stepped out into the evening air, leaving me to finish up for the day.

Once she was gone, I picked up a box filled with leftover blooms, ready to take it to the back room.

As I moved toward the door, the little bell above it jingled, and I paused.

It was well past closing time, and I was about to call it a night when I heard it again.

The bell rang, signaling someone walking in.

I stepped out to greet whoever it was, ready to apologize for the inconvenience.

"I'm sorry, but we're cl—"

My words caught in my throat as I saw her standing there.

Milia.

She was in her scrubs, and my heart dropped a bit at the sight of the bandage on her face. It looked like the life had been sucked right out of her, and I felt a rush of concern wash over me. "Milia," I breathed, taking a cautious step toward her.

She pulled something from the back of her scrubs, and my heart raced when I realized it was the note I had sent along with the flowers. She managed a small smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I received your flowers."

"Yeah," I said, scratching the back of my neck. "It was just a thank you." I hoped she wouldn't read too much into it, but the way her smile faded told me it hadn't landed the way I intended.

Milia nodded slowly, and I couldn't help but let my gaze drift back to the bandage on her face. "Wyatt," she said, her voice steady but firm, "I have a boyfriend, okay?"

My heart sank a bit, and embarrassment flooded my cheeks. "Oh. I-I apologize. I had no idea. I swear if I did, I wouldn't have crossed that line, Miss." I felt like a fool, but it was her eyes that caught my attention next—tears were forming, and my chest tightened at the sight.

"Right." She wiped at her eyes, standing there silently, like she wanted to say something else but couldn't find the words. I took a step closer, my voice softening. "Milia, what happened to your face?"

I reached out instinctively, wanting to touch the bandage, to offer some kind of comfort, but she smacked my hand away. "Don't, Wyatt."

I slowly lowered my hand, feeling a mix of confusion and worry. She turned the letter back to me, her expression serious. "Don't do that ever again, Wyatt."

As she started to walk toward the door, my mind raced back to the hospital. I remembered the huge bruise on her arm, and now she had a cut on her face after receiving the flowers I'd sent.

Suddenly, it all clicked into place, and a sick feeling settled in my stomach. "Milia!" I called out, desperation creeping into my voice. She turned back to me, and I could see the confusion on her face. "Did he hurt you?"

Her eyes widened, and for a moment, I thought I might see her break down, but she stood there, staring at me in silence. She opened her mouth, like she wanted to say something, but then she just turned away, walking out of the shop.

I stood frozen, a knot tightening in my gut as I realized the answer I already knew. She didn't have to say a word; the truth was written all over her face.

Oh Milia.