by Leah Holt
My insides were a torrent of anger and confusion, sadness and pain. Today had been shit. I wanted to wake up from this nightmare and start the day over.
But I wasn't sleeping. None of this was a dream, and no matter how much I wished it was, I couldn't un-live it.
Today was the catalyst of something bigger, it was a turning point that was forcing me into the rabbit hole. And I didn't know if I'd ever be able to climb back out.
Dragging a finger down my arm, the stranger drew small circles around my elbow. A devilish smile curled on his face, making me sick.
My chest began to constrict, muscles twining and contorting in ways I had never felt before. A purple haze clouded my view, as the world around me began to swirl and morph. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think or move or speak. I was mute, sinking deeper and deeper as water filled my lungs.
Get away from me! Don't fucking touch me!
“Hey! Hey you!” A husky voice yelled from over the man's shoulder.
Instantly, the guy jumped back, allowing cool air from the open door to spill over my face.
Throwing a hand to my chest, I fell forward, taking in long pulls of oxygen. But no matter how much I tried to breathe, it felt like nothing was reaching my lungs. Pushing my lips into a tight circle, I breathed in through my nose and out through my mouth.
Closing my eyes, I focused on slowing down my lungs, doing my best to stop the panic attack before it took hold.
Heavy grunts filled my head, as shuffling feet rumbled the floor. But it was all over before I even had time to process what the hell had happened.
“Damn.” A man's voice broke the silence, his breathing heavy and labored as he continued to speak. “He ran, took off before I could get a good hold on him.”
I couldn't look up. I heard him talking, but a high pitched ringing filled my ears. Falling back, I sat on my ass, letting my head settle into my hands as tears I couldn't hold in fell freely over my cheeks.
Who the fuck was that?
What the hell just happened?
Sitting in years of art, hours and hours of pained hands and sleepless nights, all I could do was cry. I felt violated even though I had only experienced a dark threat.
But something about the whole thing didn't feel right, it wasn't making sense. If he wanted to rape me, he could have. Instead he went on and on about me knowing what he wanted, asking me if I liked what he had done.
Why would he do this?
Why would he need to destroy everything if he was here for something else?
Plucking at my lips, my eyes gaped at the ground, staring into everything and nothing at all. A small bird chirped in my ear, reminding me of the recent conversations I had and how I blew them off without a second thought.
Was he with. . . No, they wouldn't do this.
Would they?
No, that's ridiculous.
“Are you okay?” the stranger asked, his voice soft as his feet crunched against the floor, grinding bits of glass under his shoes.
Wiping my eyes with the back of my hand, I lifted my face to the man's with a sniffle. My breath hitched as he lunged forward, dropping to one knee and gripping my shoulders tight.
Crooking his hard jaw, his brows arched with concern as thick lines drew up across his forehead. Bright cobalt blue eyes scanned my face and body, looking for injuries.
I couldn't speak. His eyes were sucking me in, making me forget why I was on the floor to begin with. They were so big, so blue, I wanted to dive inside and never climb out.
The chaos around me turned into heavy silence as our eyes connected. A ripple coursed through my body, riding my spine from head to toe. The electricity in my veins was numbing, causing the tiny hairs on the back of my neck to shoot up.
Who is this man? Where did he come from?
Firm fingers explored my shoulders, slipping down my arms and gripping my hands to lift them and look them over. “Did he hurt you?”
As quickly as the silence and warmth swept over me, it was gone, resonating as faded tingles deep in my muscles. With the snap of a finger, his voice pulled me out of my daze. I was back on that floor, living the nightmare I walked in on.
“No, he didn't get the chance. Is he really gone?”
“Yeah, he took off running. I tried to stop him, but he got through me. And it was either chase him down or make sure you were alright. So, here I am.”
“Thank you,” I said, doing my best to force a slight smile.
“You're sure you're okay?”
My eyes opened wide with a nod as I tucked my legs into my chest and hugged myself. I was shaking all over, unable to control the trembles that held me hostage.
“Come on,” he said, curling his hands around my shoulders. “Lets get you out of here.”
Pulling me to my feet, he nuzzled me under his strong arms, walking me out onto the sidewalk. The sun hit my face as it hung on the horizon, ready to disappear behind the treeline.
I stood quiet, trying to grasp everything that had just happened. But I couldn't.
It's all gone. . . How did this happen?
Why was that guy even here to begin with?
Tears trickled down over my cheeks, dropping like rain onto the pavement. “It's destroyed, it's all destroyed.”
“Don't worry about that right now, just relax.” Rubbing a flat palm up and down my back, he kept me pinned to his ribs. “It can all be fixed. I'm just glad you weren't hurt.”
Tipping my head up, I stared into his eyes. “You don't understand, I can't fix this.”
Smiling through thin lips, his brows knitted. “Lets go grab a drink, I think you could use one. Let's take a little time to settle your nerves.”
Tearing myself from his embrace, I bared my teeth. “I'm not going anywhere, you saw what he did!” Throwing my arms up through my hair, I pinned it to my head. “I can't fucking believe this.” Dragging open palms down my cheeks, I leaned forward, cupping my hands between my knees. “What the hell am I going to do?”
Resting his hand on my shoulder, the stranger forced our eyes together. “Right now, you're not going to do anything.” Pointing a finger towards the door, he spoke sternly. “That isn't going anywhere. And you can't do anything about it like this, you're too worked up.”
Tugging his phone from his pocket, he stepped to the side and made a phone call, talking so quietly I couldn't hear him. I watched him, doing my best to try and calm myself down.
I was a mess. I couldn't think straight, my brain kept darting between thoughts and concerns, fear and the future of my gallery.
Why did that man do this?
Who was he?
Everything I had was in there, all of it a small piece of who I was. It hurt too much to think about it all on the floor, torn and tattered into bits.
Fuck! Why me? Why the hell did this have to happen?!
Snapping my back straight, I rubbed my forehead and paced in a small circle. I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream and punch and kick anything I could. My insides were a giant ball of angry nerves, ready to explode at any second.
“Alright,” he said, holding his hand out to me and flapping his fingers. “Come on, there's a little place up the street I've seen before. We can go there, grab a drink, maybe something to eat if you're up to it. Then we can figure out what to do about this.”
Cocking my head, my hair fell into my face, tickling across my cheek. “I'm not going anywhere. There's too much to do, I have to call the police, I need to clean it all up. I can't just walk away and pretend like nothing happened.”
“I'm not asking you to pretend like this didn't happen. I'm asking you to join me for a drink so you can relax, and then come back to it with a fresh set of eyes. We'll figure this out, but sometimes, walking away can be a blessing.”
My jaw hung open as I glared at him through pained eyes. His words found their way in, settling over my swelling brain.
He's right. I'm too emotional right now to really do anything productive.
&nbs
p; But that doesn't mean I can wash my hands of it.
Folding my arms over my chest, I kicked my hip out to the side. “I need to call the cops, I have to report what happened.”
“That's all set, I took care of it.”
“You took care of it?”
Nodding, a small smile teased the edge of his lips. “I have a good friend who works for the Vienna police , he's going to get on it for you.”
“Really?” I asked, giving him a look of disbelief.
“Yes, really.” Taking a step towards me, he snatched my hand, braiding our fingers together. “You can thank me later, right now, just let me get you away from here.”
Hesitantly, I let my hand blend into his. His touch was warm and calming, putting me at ease. Blinking, I flicked my eyes between his. He looked honest, his expression stark and deep.
My heart pitter pattered, drumming like a hammer in my chest. This man did something to me, the feel of our hands together, the way he held me firmly in his grasp; I felt it everywhere; over my skin, in my muscles, my veins, my bones, he was covering me like a blanket.
I couldn't explain it, there were no words to express what it felt like. It was just a feeling, a surge of tingles and soft pinpricks that caused the hair on my arms to bristle.
And in all honesty, that was exactly what I needed right then.
“Alright.” Our eyes connected, his flickering in bright pops of color. I could see every shade of blue the world had to offer, sparkling and bursting under his relentless stare.
A cool breeze blew between us, ruffling the hair on his head and sending his scent into my lungs. Inhaling his musk, my body went up in flames, igniting in forbidden feelings.
It felt wrong. All of this felt displaced, too real and too raw to be true.
Stop it Glory! You're just emotional from everything that happened.
Pushing the feelings away, I forced myself to see it as my brain doing its best to get rid of the bad and replace it with good.
I needed something good right then. And if this could be that, if this was what was sent my way to block out the pain for a blip in time. . . I would accept it with open arms.
The destruction would still be there. The hurt and the sadness were still hovering under the surface, ready to burst through at any moment.
Nothing would erase what happened.
Not even this man.
But maybe he could temper the pain for just a little while.
Chapter Two
Glory
Walking through Barry's, the man stretched his hand back, softly gripping the very tips of my fingers. His touch was sensitive, light and protective in the same breath.
I watched his back twist and curve with hard lines and firm muscles. Dips and deep trenches pushed and pulled against the fabric. The urge to reach out and stroke the mass of perfection tingled in my fingers.
I couldn't look away, I couldn't stop staring at the wall of muscle in front of me. His presence was fierce and empowering, commanding the room with each step.
My heart skipped in my chest as a warm, fuzzy feeling rumbled in my belly, and my head fell into a delirious haze. He had me mesmerized.
Stop, just stop. Now is not the time for this. There's bigger shit to think about.
Forcing my eyes to the floor, I tucked my free hand into my back pocket to ease the festering urge to touch him.
There was no doubt in my mind that my brain was trying to replace all the pain I felt with something else. And this man had saved me, he was an easy target to grasp. What better focus was there than your hero?
I need a clear head. I can't get lost in false lust.
Leading us to a booth against the back wall, he guided me into the seat. Slipping over the cushion, I grabbed the drink menu from behind the napkin holder and started flipping through.
I was afraid to look up, afraid to let my eyes settle on his and rekindle these ridiculous emotions of desire.
The booth wiggled as the man sat down in front of me, and he quietly cleared his throat. But I didn't acknowledge it, I wasn't going to give my body the chance to start that shit again.
“What are you going to have?” I asked, moving the menu higher up to cover my face.
Keeping my eyes on the bright pictures, I sensed him shifting his stare around my face, flicking those ocean blue orbs over every detail and thin line. His stare bore a hole into the top of my head, making me more than aware that he wanted me to look at him.
But I stayed strong, I didn't look.
“I'm not sure, I haven't looked at the drink menu yet. And I'm guessing you don't know what you want either.” His tone was highlighted with amusement, hinting that I had been staring at the same page this entire time.
Closing the menu, I slid it across the table, and stuffed the tips of my fingers into my temples. Pinching my lids tight, I groaned. “I don't have a damn clue.”
This is too much, all of this is too much.
My brain started running like a high speed train, doing circles around the million things I had to do.
I was going to need new materials; new paints, new brushes, new canvases. But first I had to drop this unholy bomb on all the customers who were waiting on their purchases.
Ugh. . . Those are calls I don't want to make.
I was hoping that they'd understand what had happened and be sympathetic. The last thing I needed was for all of them to request a refund. . . That would be a nightmare.
It's already a fucking nightmare.
The evil man's eyes flashed in my mind, forcing a shiver to ride my spin and turn my stomach. He spoke so intensely, as if I should have known what he was talking about.
But I didn't. The cryptic statement he left me with was puzzling and disturbing. 'You know what you need to do.'
What the hell did that even mean?
Does that really matter?
I shouldn't care about the perplexing words he spat in my face. He was going to hurt me, he was insane and crazed. Everything I needed to worry about was in his actions, it didn't need to go any deeper than that.
What he said was irrelevant. Even he probably didn't know what the hell he was talking about.
I'm thinking too much about this.
I'm alright, he didn't get to do anything to me, that's all that matters.
I need to focus on how the hell I'm going to fix this mess.
Tears prickled my eyes, threatening to consume me. Water seeped over the surface, making my vision blurry. Sucking in a giant gulp of air, I sighed, wiping my wrists across the sockets to keep them dry.
“I haven't introduce myself, I'm Liam.” His head dipped low, trying to grab my attention. “And you're Glory I take it?”
Flicking my head up, I glared through tight lids. “How do you know my name?”
Smiling playfully, he shifted in his seat, laying clasped hands onto the table. “Well, the sign outside said Glory's Gallery. So, I'm assuming that's you.”
Ruffling my brows, I arched them high. “Yeah, that's right.” My cheeks flushed with embarrassment, making me feel ridiculous. Tipping my chin, I grabbed the straw on my place mat and tore small pieces off the ends. “I forgot about the sign.”
“Yeah, I don't blame you. You went through some shit today.” Pursing my lips, I gave him a stern glare. Shaking his head, he frowned. “I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said it like that. I'm trying to help you relax, not get you more worked up.”
“It's alright, I'll be okay.” I lied. It wasn't going to be okay—I wasn't going to be okay.
My world had been torn open, my life shredded and discarded as if it was worthless. Because it wasn't just about losing out on money, it went far deeper than that.
Art was all I had, it was the one thing that helped me through all the rough times growing up. All my feelings were molded into strokes on the canvas, that was where I shed my grief.
And that asshole had stolen it all.
But it wasn't this man's fault. He had saved me from that dick, a
nd I was grateful for that. I wanted to thank him for what he had done, for putting himself in harms way to protect me.
Flashing him a feigned smile, I said, “Thank you, I really mean it, thank you for what you did.”
“No.” His voice grew rough and heavy. “It was the right think to do. And none of this is alright. You just went through something horrible, you don't have to pretend. I don't expect you to sit there and act like nothing happened. If you need to cry, you cry. If you want to scream, do it. I won't stop you.”
Angling my head, I spun the straw on its tip, dragging it back and forth over the deep purple place-mat. “You won't stop me from screaming?”
“Nope.”
“Even in here, with all these people? You wouldn't be upset if I started screaming?”
“Hell no. And if anyone said anything about it, I'd knock them out.”
A tender smirk itched my lips. “What if it was a woman? Would you knock her out too?”
His eyes grew still, gawking at me like I should know better than to ask a question like that. “No, of course not. Do I look like an asshole? I'd ask her politely to mind her own business. And then I'd knock her boyfriend out.” A thin smile slithered up his face, creating a small dimple in his cheek.
Fuck, that dimple. . . My heart sped up again, crashing against my ribs like a caged prisoner.
“Seems reasonable. But don't worry, I won't scream.” Laughing lightly, I let my eyes settle on his. Relaxing into the seat, I started to feel a little more at ease.
What he was doing, it helped.
Smirking, he cracked his knuckles, stretching a single hand over the table to touch my wrist. We stared at each other for a long second, sitting silently as the room around us filled the empty space with inaudible chatter. Something sparked between us in that moment, something that I felt and saw, without knowing exactly what it was.
Clearing my throat, I darted my eyes away, jerking my hands into my lap. That feeling scared me, it was too strong, too real, too raw. I had never experienced an instant attraction to someone that was so deep I could feel it in my bones.