holding her bruised cheek, tears brimming So, gonna let a damsel in distress freeze her ass off?
Fuck, yeah. Come on in, V. You're a walking ice cube, aren't ya? Let's get you warmed up.
sniffles and wipes her tears Thanks, Jensen. You're a real lifesaver. enters the apartment and shivers uncontrollably
Shit, Valentina, why didn't you say it was this bad? Let's get you something warm.
rushes to the kitchen, grabs a hot cup of cocoa from the pantry I need something hot, like right fucking now. Got any whiskey?
Yeah, got some whiskey. And I've got just the mug for that cocoa. No sugar, right?
rolls her eyes and smirks Of course not, Jensen. I'm as sweet as the cocoa itself. Just pour me a shot of that golden goodness.
Alright, alright. One shot coming right up. pours a generous shot of whiskey into a mug, adds some hot cocoa mix There ya go, V.
grabs the mug and takes a long gulp, wincing as the burn hits her throat Ah, that's the stuff.
Damn, Valentina. You look like shit. What the hell happened to your face?
takes another gulp of the cocoa, avoiding eye contact Ah, it's nothing. Just...you know...boyfriend bullshit.
"Boyfriend bullshit"? What the fuck does that mean? Did he hit you?
pauses, then slams her hand on the table Fuck, Jensen! Yeah, he fucking hit me! Are you surprised?
No, I'm not surprised. You've been complaining about him for months. How long has this been going on?
takes a deep breath, looking down It's been going on for...for a while now. I didn't want to burden you with my problems, Jensen.
Well, you're not burdening me. You could've told me sooner, though.
snaps her fingers Well, it's not like I had a fucking crystal ball to predict when his violent tendencies would come to light, huh?
Fair enough. But seriously, Valentina, what the hell are you gonna do about this?
The next day, Valentina decides to leave her abusive boyfriend
Holy shit, Valentina. Are you serious? You're really gonna walk away from that piece of shit?
paces back and forth, fists clenched Damn right, Jensen! I'm tired of being scared, tired of the lies, tired of his goddamn apologies!
Okay, okay. Then do it. Kick his ass to the curb and don't look back. But you gotta have a plan, Valentina. Do you have somewhere to stay?
throws her hands up in the air Somewhere to stay? Are you kidding me, Jensen? I can't even find a damn apartment without breaking the bank!
Okay, calm down. There are other options. Have you considered a shelter or support group?
scratches her head, frustrated Shelters? Support groups? Fuck, Jensen, I didn't realize leaving an abusive asshole would be this complicated.
I know, I know. It's a bitch, but you're stronger than you think, Valentina. You can get through this. puts a hand on her shoulder
pulls away, crossing her arms Stronger? I'm not sure if I'm strong or just plain numb to all this shit, Jensen.
smirks Well, if numbness is your superpower, Valentina, then you're fucking invincible. But seriously, I'll help you. We'll figure this out together.
rolls her eyes Figure it out together? Wow, Jensen, you sound like a fucking superhero.
Well, if being a superhero means helping you kick life's ass, then I guess I am one. What's the plan, Valentina?
throws a punch in the air The plan is simple, Jensen: we're gonna turn this shitstorm upside down! First things first, we need to pack up my stuff.
Alright, let's do this. Where's your place?
grinning mischievously My place? Hell no, Jensen! We're going commando. We'll load up my car and hit the road.
Commando, huh? This just got interesting. Alright, Valentina, let's raid your boyfriend's stash for cash and hit the road.
rummages through her closet, tossing clothes left and right Cash, jewelry, anything we can use to fund our new adventure!
snickers Looks like a tornado hit your closet, huh? Let's find something valuable and get the hell out of here.
pulls out a small safe from under her bed Ha! I knew there was something off about this son of a bitch.
grinning Well, what do you know? Looks like our boy had a secret stash. Let's blow this joint and get you somewhere safe.
smirks triumphantly, holding up the safe Boom! We've struck gold, Jensen! Now let's crack this bad boy open and see what kind of goodies await us.
chuckles Let's see what this motherlode has in store for us, Valentina. Pray it's not just a bunch of dirty undies.
grinning devilishly Oh, trust me, Jensen. This is no bundle of dirty undies. Prepare yourself for a fortune!
chuckles A fortune, huh? You always did have a knack for finding the good stuff, Valentina. Alright, let's crack it open.
They crack open the safe and find a large sum of money inside