The Weight of Vengeance
Ryan
I watch her as she sleeps, the quiet rhythm of her breath grounding me. I can’t help but chuckle to myself, knowing I wore her out. I will have to wake her soon since I promised Cade, I would get her to her session with him as long as he allowed me to sit in on that session. I still don’t trust him not to try to make a move on her but after the strength Avi showed me, I want to be there to watch her lay into him for making her fall. Her strength, her resilience—it never ceases to amaze me.
I know she’s not as fragile as I sometimes see her, but the reality is hard to ignore. She’s been through more than anyone should ever have to endure, and yet, she still rises—always stronger than before. I’ll make sure Cade doesn’t forget that. He might be her therapist, but I’m here to keep her safe. No one gets to take advantage of her vulnerability. Not anymore.
She is no longer that fragile girl I met when I was 17. No longer that girl I wanted to protect from the world, she’s stronger now. She’s a force, a reminder that no matter how broken we all are, we can still rebuild ourselves. We’re all shattered in different ways, cracked by the things we’ve seen, the pain we’ve endured. But somehow, the pieces don’t just go back the same—they fit together tighter, stronger. Like she does. Like I can.
Maybe we have to break to understand just how strong we really are. Maybe it’s in those shattered edges, those scars and fractures, where our real power lives. As I carry her, that strength of hers settles into me, anchoring me, reminding me that even in this moment—when everything feels like it’s falling apart—we’re still here. Still breathing. Still fighting.
She’s not just surviving. She’s becoming. And somehow, that power resonates in me too, like we’re both being rebuilt in the spaces where we were once broken.
I carefully slide out of the bed, making sure I don’t disturb her. The warmth of her still lingers on my skin. Cade brought her things earlier this morning while she was in the shower before he headed to his office.
As I go to the closet to gather some clothes before I shower, I spot the small box on the top shelf. I pull it down carefully, my hands trembling just slightly as I open it. There it is — the little bird necklace I gave her on her 18th birthday. The one she left behind, tossed against the wall in a fit of anger and hurt I am sure. The one I gave her so she can remember me by. The only thing I could offer her that was something more than my broken self.
I run my thumb over the delicate silver wings, remembering how she smiled and jumped into my arms when she opened the box, how she trusted me even then.
I close the box and clutch it tightly against my chest for a moment, my heart heavy with regret. I shouldn’t have let her go. I should have fought harder for her. But I was scared—scared of being the one to break her, scared of how deep my feelings ran, of how much I needed her. I’ve spent too long convincing myself that I wasn’t enough, that she deserved better than someone like me.
But now, looking at the necklace again, I know I can’t keep running from this. From her. She’s part of me and I’ll spend every waking moment showing her that I’m here now, ready to be everything she needs—no more walls, no more hesitation.
***
When I step through the bedroom door after my shower, the sight of her hits me like a physical blow.
She’s sitting against the headboard, knees to her chest, her face buried in her hands, shoulders trembling with silent sobs. The room feels too small, too quiet, and for a moment, everything stops. I thought I could handle anything, but seeing her like this, it shreds me.
“Avi…” My voice cracks as I step closer, my heart pounding. “Little Bird, what’s wrong?”
Her head snaps up at the sound of my voice, her eyes wide and desperate. Before I can say another word, she leaps into my arms, her body trembling as she clings to me like she’s afraid I’ll vanish if she lets go. Her tears drip down my chest, her breath coming in ragged gasps against my neck.
“The dream … the nightmare…” she whispers, her voice fractured, thick with pain. “I kept screaming for him to stop.”
The words slam into me like a sledgehammer to the chest, knocking the breath from my lungs. My grip tightens instinctively, pulling her closer, as if I can hold her together, as if I can steal the agony from her body and take it for myself.
“Who?” My voice is low, but edged with something sharp, something dangerous. “Tell me, Little Bird.”
Her whole body tenses, a violent shudder rolling through her. Then, barely above a breath—
“Samuel.”
The name alone sends ice through my veins, burning and freezing all at once. My jaw clenches so hard it aches. Rage surges like wildfire beneath my skin, but I force myself to stay steady—for her. My fingers weave into her hair, grounding her, grounding myself.
“He isn’t here, Little Bird.” I press my lips to her temple, my voice hoarse but firm. “He can’t hurt you anymore.”
Her sobs shake against my chest, raw and broken. She grips me like I’m the only thing keeping her tethered to this world, her nails digging into my back. I let her. Let her hold on, let her use me. Let her tear into me if it means she’ll feel safe.
“I could feel him,” she chokes out, each word laced with horror. “His hands on me—I couldn’t escape. I couldn’t move. ”
A guttural, helpless rage coils inside me, a darkness I barely contain. I wish I could rip every memory of him from her mind, erase every touch, every nightmare. But all I can do is hold her tighter, press my lips to her forehead, and promise what I can.
“He’s gone, Avi,” I whisper, my voice thick, unsteady with the weight of my vow. “He will never touch you again.”
I feel her body tremble in my arms. She’s been through hell, and I couldn’t protect her from it—not before, and certainly not when it mattered most. But I’m here now, and I won’t let her go. I won’t let the shadows of the past pull her under again.
I pull her back slightly, just enough to meet her gaze. Her eyes are still filled with that haunting fear, the same fear she’s carried for so long, and it rips me apart. I can’t stand seeing her like this—not when I know the truth. Not when I know I’ve done what I had to do to make sure she’ll never be haunted by him again.
“Avi,” I start, my voice low and steady, even though my heart feels like it’s ready to shatter. “You don’t need to be scared of him anymore. I took care of it. Samuel—he’s never going to hurt you again.”
Her breath hitches, her eyes searching mine for some sort of explanation. I know she’s thinking of the nightmare, of the memories that won’t leave her, but I need her to understand. I need her to know that he can’t touch her, that I made sure of it. “You don’t need to worry about him, Little Bird,” I continue, my words slipping out more forcefully now. “I made sure of it. I took care of him—took care of everything. He’s gone.”
She blinks, her lips trembling as she processes my words. I see the hesitation in her eyes, like she’s not sure if she should believe me, but I don’t blame her. I was always the one who kept her at arm’s length, never letting her in fully. But now… now, there’s no more distance between us.
“I did what I had to do, Avi,” I say, the words feeling heavy on my tongue. “He hurt you, and I couldn’t let that go. I won’t let anyone ever hurt you again—not him, not anyone.”
** *
Past
Ryan Age 25 Aviana Age 21
It was a dark oppressive night, the blackness that blanketed the sky made everything feel suffocating. My boots crunched against the dying grass as I walked toward the fraternity house. My heart is pounding harder with each step. I knew what I had to do. It was the only way to make sure my Little Bird was safe.
Samuel thought he could break her. Thought he could destroy everything she was. He didn’t know who he was messing with — something that was mine.
I reached the frat door, my fists clenched, every muscle tight with the anticipation of what I was about to do. I didn’t need to think about it anymore. He hurt her for the first and last time, and now, it was time for him to pay.
I opened the door quietly, stepping into the dark space. There he was, sprawled out on the couch surrounded by empty pizza boxes and beer cans. He didn’t know I was coming, didn’t know what was about to happen. I moved towards him, my steps quiet but deliberate, each one carrying me closer to ending her nightmare.
“Samuel,” my voice low in a sing-song tune. His head snapped up at the sound of my voice, his eyes wide for just a second.
“Wh— what — who are you? What do you want?” he said fearfully, trying to stand up.
“I am your worst nightmare. I want you to pay,” I replied, my voice deep and steady.
“What?” he is still half asleep, probably unsure if this is a dream or real.
“For everything you did to her, Samuel. For everything you took from her.
The look on his face shifted to something like recognition, like he just realized he was about to lose everything. But it was too late for him to run. Too late to make excuses. I’d already made up my mind.
He lunged at me, too slow, too stupid. I was already moving. My fist connected with his jaw, sending him stumbling back. But I didn’t stop. I wouldn’t stop. Not until he knew what it felt like to be powerless, to know someone was coming for him and there was nowhere left to run.
“You think you can hurt her?” I growled, grabbing him by the collar, pulling him up so our faces were inches apart. “You think you can break her and get away with it? You’re wrong.”
The terror in his eyes finally started to show, and I could taste the satisfaction of knowing he was finally realizing the truth—that he was nothing compared to the force of vengeance I was becoming.
I dragged him across the room, shoving him against the wall, my breath steady as I looked him in the eye. “This is the last time you touch her. The last time you ever think about hurting her again.”
He didn’t expect me to grab him by the throat with a grip that would leave him gasping, struggling for breath. He gasped for air, his hands clawing at mine, but it was no use. The moment I’d walked in here, his fate had been sealed. The man who had tormented her was going to pay for it with his life.
I squeezed, feeling the pulse beneath his skin, hearing the panic in his shallow, frantic breaths. There was nothing more satisfying than the look of fear in his eyes. His eyes bulged as his hands continued to claw at mine, trying to pry them away. But it was too late for him. It had been too late the moment he laid his hands on her.
The more he struggled, the harder I gripped. I needed him to feel the weight of everything he had done. I needed him to understand just how much damage he had caused—how much pain he had inflicted—and how he would never get away with it again.
His eyes filled with panic, his face turning red as he clawed at my hand, but I wasn’t going to let go. Not until he realized the price of everything he had put her through.
“You’re nothing,” I whispered, my voice low, but thick with rage. “You’re not a man. You’re a coward.”
The pressure on his throat increased as I squeezed harder. He was starting to choke, gasping, desperate for air that wouldn’t come. His knees buckled, but I wasn’t done.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I released my grip when he no longer struggled against me, letting him fall to the floor.
I stood over him, looking down at the man who had terrorized her. He wasn’t anything now. Nothing but a shell of the man he used to be. I bent down, my voice low, a whisper that only he could hear. “You’re nothing to her. You can’t hurt her or anyone else anymore.”
I picked up his body, carried it to my truck and drove it down to the old, abandoned quarry on the outskirts of town. It was the perfect place — remote, hidden and no one ever went there.
The moonlight barely reached the ground as I dragged him through the dense trees, the only sound being the crunch of dry leaves beneath my boots. The quarry was overgrown with weeds, the jagged rocks rising like silent witnesses to whatever happened there. It had the right kind of isolation—a place to make sure no one would stumble upon anything they shouldn’t.
I hauled him to the edge, near the drop-off, where the jagged rocks jutted out like teeth waiting to tear through whatever came too close. Without hesitation, I dumped his body over the edge. The steep fall would ensure that no one would find him easily.
I didn’t need to watch the body hit the bottom. The moment I let go, I knew he was gone. The world had been rid of him—no more pain, no more threats. Just a dark, silent void where he once existed.
I stood there for a moment, letting the cool air hit my skin, feeling the weight of what I’d done settle around me. But it wasn’t regret. No, I couldn’t afford regret. Not when I had to protect her.
I turned and walked away, knowing that place would never betray the secret. That place would keep him hidden forever.