Chapter 18
Gabriel
I only met Elena two months ago and only last night I realised how much of a broken girl she is.
I know panic attacks when I see them, Nicole has been struggling with them for years now but Elena did not just have a panic attack last night.
It was worse.
She seemed… gone when I looked into her eyes. She did not utter a single thing or do anything and only stared out into space. Only until a sudden moment when I kept telling her that she is going to be alright, she cracked.
She barely choked out the cries she had held in her.
She crashed onto the floor and at that moment all I could do was sit there with her on the floor as she let out the frustrating feelings she had kept within her for God knows how long.
I soothe her bare shoulder with the tip of my index finger, running it up and down from her shoulder to her elbow and draw little shapes on her tan skin as my back is leaned against her headboard. Her breath hitches and she slightly moves just as I was about to draw a small heart and she wakes up from her deep sleep.
I watch her as she rubs her left eye with her knuckles, trying to get herself to wake up. She opens one eye and her brows furrow when she finds herself with my unfamiliar frame on her bed as her head lays on my chest and I have an arm wrapped around her petite waist.
I look down to her, run my hand over her silk smooth hair that has the colour of dark chocolate and carries the smell of fresh lavender. Elena places a small hand on my chest where my beating heart is at and I feel it race harder. She pushes herself up, looking around her familiar room before she averts her gaze to me.
Her eyes are clamped shut as she runs her hands over er face. Her eyebrows furrow as she does not find smudged mascara under her eyes.
“Did you take off my makeup?” she asks me with a much surprised tone.
I chuckle as those are the first words she has said today although I was expecting different ones. “I saw your make up wipes on the table and just thought that you might resent me if I was not a gentleman enough to do it for you.” I speak the truth as my eyes find themselves lost in her deep dark brown ones.
She tilts her head slightly and I slightly smirk at her little pout that curls up on her lips. “Thank you, I appreciate that.” I nod. “All of it really and also for not taking advantage last night.” Her last words come out as a whisper that I would have overheard if I wasn't listening.
“You do not have to thank me. For none of it actually.”
“Maybe but mostly for the last part.”
“No you do not.”
“I do. I was out of my mind last night and I can barely remember the whole picture of what happened but I can remember kissing you and I know with every other man in that situation, they would have taken advantage of that.” her tone stays low as she says those words and I feel my blood boil as she speaks like that.
“I would have never,” I start but stop as her bottom lip slightly twitches and her eyes seem to be covered in a light gloss. “Has that ever happened, Elena?” Anger laces my voice as I ask her that. Her lips part but she does not say much yet the small tear that is threatening to break from her left eye answers my question enough to make my blood explode in my veins and all I want to do is kill that Benedict guy for hurting her.
Her nostrils flare as she swallows hard. Her chest vibrates as a shaky breath comes out when she breathes out. “Just- Thank you.”
“Elena, did he hurt you?”
She swallows hard.
My blood boils harder.
Her lips part again. “Just once.” she whispers.
I sit up on the bed from the leaning position. She sniffles as I reach for her hand, wrapping both of mine around it. I wait for her to start if she even wants to tell me.
“I think my drink got spiked once in college, sophomore year. I do not remember anything from that night except waking up, naked in his arms. He was my boyfriend back then so it never occurred to me that…” she chokes on her saliva; her voice shakes as she tries to tell her story and I listen and wipe the tears that fell down her eye. “He was my boyfriend.” Her voice shatters into a million pieces as well as my heart as she repeats the last words.
“It’s okay. You do not have to continue.” my voice breaks as I say those words.
“I never told anyone this before. Not even Renee. The whole reason I do not drink anymore and last night I lost control. I just wanted to have fun without being scared. I just wanted to let loose for one night.”
“And you are allowed to do that, Elena.” I argue with her, holding her small face in my hands and force her to look at me. “My love, you are allowed to have fun without being scared.”
“What if I can’t?”
“You can. I swear to God if he touches you again, Elena. I will murder him, and this time I mean it.”
Her eyes wrinkle in confusion. She sniffles and I let go of her face, wrapping my hands around her cold ones. She blinks the tears away, her eyes bloodshot red from the tears that have fled. “This time?”
Benedict Dalton used to be an old friend of mine but our friendship merely ended when I heard that he had done terrible stuff, became rude. There was even a terrible rumour he had hurt a girl.
Now I am furious to know it was Elena. I was already furious when I was told of those rumours because only an arsehole would do that. Only a predator would hurt a woman in her weakest moments.
Benedict is nothing but an arsehole who will receive a restraining order and assault charge on his record for hurting my woman.
“Do not worry yourself, my love,” a pulsing and warm feeling spreads in my lungs and chest as I call her my love. My love.
I thread my fingers through her silk smooth hair and she leans into the warmth of my touch when I caress her cheek, soothing it with my thumb.
“He will never come near you again.” I reassure her.
“I know.”