Chapter 29
Alex
When Alex turned back to the sofa, Elena was gone. He couldn't see her anywhere.
“Where's Lena?”
“She went upstairs with someone,” Tiago replied.
Not wasting any time, Alex climbed the stairs two by two and searched each room, his senses on the alert.
Was Elena planning to spend the evening with someone else?
Just thinking about it made him sick. It couldn't be true.
After all they'd been through, he couldn't accept it. She’s not like that.
He ran to the second floor and heard her voice.
“No, don't.”
Alex entered the room, and his blood ran cold. Fear clawed its way up his spine. Vincent had Elena pinned against the wall. How had he managed to get in? Had no one noticed? Elena tried to free herself, to no avail. Vincent turned his head towards the door and smiled.
“Alexander, what a nice surprise.”
Red tinted Elena's cheeks. Was she drunk? Elena stared at him with round, wet eyes, her gaze full of regret.
“Alex, I'm sorry.”
“She's beautiful.”
When his former coach stroked her cheek, Alex felt something break inside him. Without thinking, he grabbed Vincent by his sweater and pulled him back, coming between him and Elena. Tears rolled down her cheeks when Alex touched her face.
“I'm so sorry.”
“Are you okay?”
She nodded. Alex fished his keys out of his pocket and handed them over.
“Get in the car. I'll be there in a minute.”
Elena staggered out of the room.
“We're alone at last. I wasn’t sure we'd ever see each other again.”
“What did you do to her?”
“Nothing. I just wanted to talk.”
Rage pulsed through his system, and Alex pushed him against the wall.
He'd never thought he'd come face to face with Vincent again, let alone in a position of strength.
For years, that face had haunted his nights, driving him to madness.
But Elena was right. Alex was stronger now.
His former coach could no longer hurt him.
Now that Alex looked into Vincent's eyes, he felt nothing but disgust and anger.
“You destroyed years of my life. I won't let you destroy someone else's.”
“I only wanted what was best for you.”
Alex saw red, all the bad memories blurring his vision. He threw a punch at his tormentor, then another, then another. Standing over the man who had destroyed his childhood, he let all his rage and pain escape.
“Alex, stop.” Elena tried to pull him back, but he was too far gone. “Please, stop!” she yelled. She knelt beside him, her hand on his shoulder. “Please, I'm begging you. You're better than him.”
Alex turned his head towards her, and his arms went limp.
Seeing Vincent's inert body on the ground and his bloodied face, sadness threatened to swallow him whole.
She was right. He didn't want to be like this anymore.
Acid tears burned his eyes. Feeling suddenly powerless, he dropped down beside Vincent.
“Come here.”
Elena wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he burst into tears.
“It’s over. You're okay.”
His whole body trembled. For long minutes, she continued to stroke his hair, reassuring him.
And for the very first time, Alex understood how much she loved him.
He clung to that thought. She was the light at the end of the tunnel that made him lift his head.
Elena watched him. All traces of alcohol in her system seemed gone.
“Let’s go?”
She stood up and held out her hand. As always, she was there to help him up.
***
As they drove to the police station, Alex couldn't help but wonder. He had to, because he couldn’t understand on his own.
“Why’d you follow him? You know he's dangerous.”
“I'm... I'm sorry.”
“Why did you do that?”
Elena rubbed her cheeks with the back of her hand.
“He said we'd talk about you. I needed to know.”
“Know what, damn it?” he exclaimed.
“I had to know why he hurt you.”
“Elena, he's a paedophile. He’s sick! No matter what he’d have told you, you could never understand him.”
She lowered her eyes. After what she'd just done for him, Alex tried to control his temper. He owed her.
“I know you meant well, but some things are better left unknown. Please don't ever do something like this again. I don't want you to go through what I went through.”
Alex could never forgive himself if anything happened to her. Elena had suffered enough. She didn't need any more trauma. Entering the police station, Alex motioned for her to take a seat as he made his way to the reception desk.
***
Elena
Alex followed one of the policemen into another room. I tried to stay calm, but my nerves were getting the better of me. The policewoman at reception smiled and offered me a coffee, which I accepted.
“Is that your boyfriend?”
Why did I still insist that Alex and I weren't together? After all we'd been through, we were more than friends. I had wanted to keep him out of my crazy life, and now I was involved in his. So what was the point in denying what had become inevitable?
“Kind of. Is he in trouble?”
“I don't think so. It all depends on the victim and whether he wants to press charges or not. The fact that he's come forward and that there's history will cushion the consequences.”
I wouldn't have used the word victim to describe Vincent, but I couldn't objectify in front of a representative of the law. Alex and I were in a delicate situation. It was best to keep a low profile.
“Do I also have to make a statement?”
“Do you want to?”
“If it helps Alex, sure.”
The look she gave me was kind.
“How did a young girl like you end up in a situation like this?”
“I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and decided to stay.”
Once we'd taken our statements, we left the police station. The dashboard indicated that it was past three in the morning.
“Can you drop me off at home, please?”
“It's late. Don't you want to stay at my place? I can drop you off in the morning.”
“I'd like to go home. I need to think.”
The restlessness I'd felt the last few hours continued to take its toll.
I needed to distance myself from Alex—I needed to put my thoughts in order.
This evening had been so exhausting, I didn't know where to start.
All traces of the alcohol clouding my mind had dissipated, giving way to a heart-breaking emptiness.
“I'm sorry you had to see that,” Alex sighed as he pulled up in front of my house. “You must have been scared.”
I'd been absolutely terrified when Alex had pounced on Vincent.
But my fear had soon been replaced by something else: envy.
Tonight, Alex had finally faced his ghost. Even though he'd been overwhelmed by anger and sadness, he'd managed to snap out of it.
He had stood up to the person who had destroyed him just a few years earlier.
Alex had won. It was time for me to face my own demon and stand up to him, too. But how?
“Elena, say something.”
My heart sank. What was I supposed to do?
Now that Alex had faced his past, I could no longer be the shackle that kept him from moving forward.
I had to make a choice. Either I chose to move forward and be with Alex or I could stay in a life where I would never feel safe.
Which meant giving up on Alex and our future together.
Either way, I had to face this internal war, even if I knew I wouldn't win. Unless luck was on my side.
“Why do you look so sad?”
“I love you, Alex.”
“This sounds like a goodbye.”
Instead of answering, I pressed my lips to his. As always, his mouth was soft and warm. If I could, I'd never stop kissing him.
“Don't go,” he pleaded.
I inhaled his scent one last time before getting out of the car.
“See you later.”
I entered the house. Without bothering to take off my shoes, I dropped onto my bed.
Overcome by the silence of the night, new tears burned my eyes.
I put on To My Youth by BOL4 and cried my eyes out.
What was I supposed to do? Despite having prepared myself mentally, I had arrived at one of the biggest turning points in my life, and I was scared.
My phone screen lit up, displaying Alex's number.
“I'm sorry, Alex,” I murmured.
Feeling that the restlessness inside me increased, I stood up. I knew what I had to do if I still wanted to be able to watch myself in the mirror later.
For the first time in three years, I entered my brother's room.
On his bedside table stood a picture of us as children.
My father was carrying me on his shoulders, while my mother and Mick were holding hands.
Those moments where my family had been happy seemed so distant, as if they were a dream instead of a reality. My tears welled up. I missed him.
“Wish me luck.”
I took a sweater from his wardrobe and slipped it on.
Closing my eyes for a moment, I took a deep breath.
This night had taught me one thing: fate was fickle, but some things were inevitable.
There was no way I was going to let my life depend on others.
It was time to get rid of my handcuffs, like Alex had.
I deserved better. My determination was ironclad.
I plugged in the stereo and turned up Metallica's Fade to Black.
Mick's favourite band, and right now, I needed all the support I could get. My thoughts turned to Alex. Please wait for me. I’m coming.
I waited, listening. There was noise on the stairs, footsteps coming closer.
This is it. Frank appeared in the doorway; my mother hot on his heels.
Mom stared at me. She knew as well as I did what was about to happen.
“What's this?” my father asked, a nasty sneer on his face. “What the hell are you doing here?”
The room, the music, the sweater... My father was unsettled when he saw all these links to his dead child. There was only one intruder amid all these memories: me. Mick was gone; I was still here. Frank came towards me. Mom rushed to stop him. It was too late, and I had no intention of stopping it.
“Frank, stop! This is a misunderstanding, right, Lena?”
Her eyes shot me a desperate look. I knew what I was doing, or at least I hoped I did. I knew the risks. It wouldn't be the first time.
“Take off that sweater immediately.”
His tone was chilling. I swallowed.
“No.”
“Take it off, or...”
“Or what? I'm not afraid of you anymore.”
I wasn’t afraid—I was terrified. But my determination was bigger.
Or was it recklessness? Frank seemed taken aback by my attitude.
For years, I'd kept my head down and taken the blows without flinching.
This time, I would hold my head high. Tonight would be the last time.
He headed for me, and Mom was stupid enough to try and stop him.
We all know what happens next: a man hits his wife to get what he wants.
Mom rolled to the floor, a trickle of blood running down her nose.
Even though I felt guilty, I had to go on.
I had to get us out. For her sake and for mine.
“Asshole!” I shouted. “This is between you and me.”
And Frank went on his way. There was no trace of fatherly love in his eyes, nor the slightest hint of regret.
We stood at a crossroads, and I hoped that from here on, our paths would finally part.
I took a deep breath. This is going to hurt.
He grabbed me by the throat, tightening his grip.
Mom was distraught, and I gave her a look that I wanted to reassure her.
Please do what you have to do. Mom quietly left the room.
Now all I could do was hope that I had enough time left.
I could hardly breathe. My lungs burned more and more.
I wanted to scream with all the air I had left, but my windpipe was being crushed.
No one would hear me, like the mute girl from my past. My head started spinning.
Hold on, Lena. New voices approached, but the sound was already fading, as was my father's angry face.
Black spots blurred my vision as my mother entered the room, followed by my neighbour and his son.
They came straight for my father, but I never saw them arrive.
Unconsciousness had already swallowed me.