by Allie Hayden
At that moment, my face lit up with frustration, passion filling my every pore. I was confused, and at the same time, I was visibly upset.
“You kissed? He kissed you?”
“I don’t remember who kissed who. All I know is—we did.” She gave me a moment to swallow it all in. To allow me to understand what it was that she was saying to me.
“Lillian. What does this mean then?”
“I don’t know. But I know I don’t have any feelings for him.”
“How can I know that? You kissed him. And after just meeting again.”
I was at a loss for words; every pore in my body became drained.
“I know. But I knew I couldn’t keep it from you, Sebastian. I needed to tell you. Before any of this—” she beckoned an invisible circle between us “happens.”
I wrinkled my brow, not knowing how to react to this news. Then I slumped back into the couch beneath me, not wanting to look at Lillian in the eyes anymore. After a few silent moments, Lillian reached out and touched me on the shoulder, “Seb—”
“No, Lillian. I need time.”
“I…I understand.”
23. (Bella)
It had been a long night at the office, and I was getting off later than what I had been used to. I was tired while closing up shop. It’d been a long day of fixing up costumes after the theatre performance, and after locking up the building, I turned the corner, and a familiar figure intercepted my path.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, feeling the rate of my heart increase as my mind ran through all the reasons, all the possibilities of what he might say, what he might do.
I wondered if I should run, attack him, pull out my phone, or ignore him. But I was frozen, and nothing seemed like the right answer. It was a dark alleyway that we were in, and I wasn’t sure if there were any people around. In the dead of night, it seemed like the silence echoed throughout the cement buildings.
“There’s been some interesting developments,” Lucas said with a smile. “I thought you might want to hear about them.”
“No, I don’t,” I said, making a move to try to pass him, but his arm shot out, catching me by the shoulder and pulling me towards him.
I thought my heart was going to stop beating.
“Oh, I think you do. That man you’re in love with, he’s seeing someone else now.”
“Lucas, I don’t care. I’m not in love with him. He can do whatever the hell he wants.” I yanked away from him, rubbing at my shoulder as I glared at him.
“No, Bella, I think you’re lying to yourself. You’re in love with him. It’s why you won’t let yourself be with anyone who’s good for you. Like me.”
He took a step closer to me, and I resisted the urge to cry out. I wondered if anyone would even care. He wasn’t technically doing anything after all.
“Do you want me to take care of her for you, Bella? The woman he’s in love with? Then you could go back to him, and I could have myself a pretty little photographer…”
“No, Lucas, I need you to stop. Stop talking to me.”
“I’m only trying to help you, Bella. I know you better than anyone, right? You know that.”
I felt like I was about to start crying as he took another step closer to me, almost backing me up into the wall of a nearby building. He took one of my wrists in his hand and spun me around, pinning one of my arms behind my back. He pushed me against the wall and dug his muzzle into the back of my neck. He inhaled the scent of my perfume as I whimpered.
“I’m only trying to help, Bella. You don’t seem to know what you want. You know that? I can help you figure that out. I can help you get over him. I bet without much searching, I can dig up dirt on this lawyer and expose him for the whole world to see. Then you’ll understand how much better off you are without him.”
He pushed himself onto me, but I made a move to retaliate. He was too strong.
“Don’t make another move, Bella.”
I knew it was futile to try to fight him. I closed my eyes and decided I would take whatever it was that was going to happen to me. Lucas slid his rough hands up the side of my thigh, pushing the fabric to the side, exposing my bare leg. I winced.
“Bella, you’re so sexy.” The tip of his finger found its way into my panties, pushing them to the side, and slipping into the outermost area of my sex.
He whispered in my ear, “Just like old times, hmm?”
I resisted the urge to cry out again. All I could do was bring myself to close my eyes and wait, fighting back the tears.
“You’re so fricking hot when you squirm.” He laid his finger onto the outermost part of my labia, stroking me as the wetness of my sex shamefully poured out. “You like that, don’t you, baby.”
He gripped the arm that behind my back harder and shoved me closed to the wall. “This time…”
Lucas started undoing his belt. But in the distance—a voice.
“Hey!”
A dark figure made its way towards me, and I was more than relived. Lucas let go of his grasp on me and turned to face the silhouette advancing towards us.
“What’re you doing?”
“Nothing that concerns you,” Lucas yelled back.
The man looked at me. I was clearly distraught, and he knew that he needed to do something. There was something serious happening, and I didn’t make it a mystery for him to know.
“Leave!” The man’s voice was strong, confident, and authoritative.
Lucas raised his hands in surrender and slowly backed away, knowing his battle was lost. He made a few steps backward and then turned away to quicken his pace to disappear into the darkness.
Then it was just the man and me. I settled myself together, allowing myself to cry a bit into my hands. But then, I quickly composed myself as the stranger made his way towards me.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine. Thank you for saving me.”
All I wanted to do was get home, back to my apartment building, and back to safety as I tried to figure out how I was going to handle all of this.
“What were you doing there, anyway? Not that I’m not glad you were there. You saved my life.”
“What’s important is that you’re safe. But I was there looking for a friend—hoping to be able to talk to her.”
I grabbed my arm, still a little shaken from what had happened.
“Can I walk you home, miss?” he asked.
“I would like nothing more than that.”
We started the walk back to my apartment and made some small talk along the way. It was more to get my mind off of what just happened, and I shuddered at the thought of what could’ve happened if no one stopped by to help me. There was something good about my new companion; I was always one to trust my intuition. After all, I’d made it this far in New York by myself. By now, I knew what kind of vibes I should stay or run away from. Lucas was one of those people that I knew was trouble—but didn’t realize until it was too late.
When we got in front of my place and sat on the pavement. I was still a little shaken from the events beforehand. My new companion was rubbing my back in soothing motions, making sure that I was in better shape than before.
“Thank you for helping me back there,” I said, turning to him.
“Hey, don’t mention it. I just hope you’re doing okay.”
I was curious now but knew better than to pry. If anything, I was more worried about myself at the moment. And some stranger—no matter how cute—was the least of my worries. I knew I needed to call someone.
I considered a list of everyone I might be able to drop a line to. My parents were far away, and I didn’t want to bother them. None of my relatives lived anywhere close, and I doubted the police could do anything without evidence.
I didn’t know if any of my friends would believe me—especially if they were from the company. Lucas had a way with people—and even if they did, what power did they have?
There was, then, only one person that I
could think to call.
I just hoped he would pick up.
24. (Sebastian)
It was late at night after a long day of trial after trial, and I just needed some alone time to myself. I’d just finished putting my feet up when my phone started vibrating on the coffee table. With the first round, I just grumbled and ignored it. Who could be calling me at this hour? It’s way too late for anything right now. I should’ve turned my phone off earlier.
But when my phone rang a second time, I knew it was urgent. With a growl, I reluctantly picked it up and flipped it over to see who it was. The name on the screen was quite a surprise.
Bella.
Did she change her mind? Either way, I knew that there was something seriously wrong. My inner protector told me so. I knew I had to deal with this.
I picked up the call. “Hello?”
“Sebastian. I need you.”
Bella was too proud to be calling a man she used to hook up with at a an hour such as this, at least, not without a suitable reason. And the last we met, she was acting a bit strange too…
Without another moment’s hesitation, I got up and put on a coat, grabbing my keys and slipping on shoes. She wouldn’t call unless it was something urgent; I knew her better than that. I got into the elevator, thinking of all the possible scenarios. Of all the possible things that could’ve been so important that she needed to reach out to me after so long.
When I got into my vehicle, I sped off and didn’t stop.
My car rolled up to Bella’s front door. When I stepped out of the car, I was faced with the most unexpected surprise of my life.
“Ash?”
“You two know each other?” Bella looked between the stranger and I in surprise.
My face must’ve been red with anger; I was livid. My fists clenched up, and I was about ready to hit the next thing that moved. I lunged towards Ash, and Bella had to physically put herself in between us, using her arms to separate us. There was a lot of tension, and all I could think about was anger.
“Whoa! What’s going on here?” Bella yelled.
Ash held up his arms in defense while I kept making my approaches, wanting to knock the living hell out of him.
Ash responded, “I don’t even know you!”
I tried to make another move past Bella. “This doesn’t concern you, Bella.”
And I lunged again towards Ash, who made another swift movement to dodge me.
“Stop! You two!” Bella screamed out. “This is not what I called you here for, Sebastian!”
We were now in opposing corners of the sidewalk, at a measurable distance from one another. I didn’t know how we ended up in this predicament, and I knew things were becoming a bit hostile. There was too much boiled rage.
“Look, Sebastian. That’s your name, right?” Ash said, still guarding his face with his forearms.
His attempts to calm things down were working. He inched his way closer to me as I calmed down, taking a deep breath, realizing that we might make a scene.
“I found Bella in the alleyway. There was a strange man with her. He ran off. But I walked her home to her apartment.”
I turned to Bella then, and she nodded. We’d have to settle this another time.
“I’ll take things from here,” I said, turning to Bella.
I propped her up and led her up to the apartment steps, turning away from Ash.
“Thank you, Ash,” Bella said quietly, trying her to avoid any unnecessary confrontation.
We made it into her apartment. I just wanted to make sure Bella was safe and that she out of harm’s way. After reaching Bella’s one-bedroom apartment, we plopped ourselves onto the couch. After a brief moment, I composed myself and decided to finally ask, “Bella, what happened?”
“It’s…a long story,” she said, taking a shaky breath. “But you’re in danger, and I think I’m in danger, and I’m worried that Lillian might be in danger too.”
“How do you know Lillian?”
“She’s photographing where I work. But that doesn’t matter. There’s…a dancer there. A man. We used to date in the past, but he’s very controlling. It took me a while to realize that, but now he’s back from London, and he wants me back, and he knows where I live, and I was so scared—”
“Bella, take a few deep breaths; slow down,” I said, and it was only then that Bella realized her words had been getting progressively faster, blurring together as panic entered her system. She started rubbing her temples. All the while, my thoughts were running wild. Why was Ash at Bella’s workplace? Of all people. And especially at a time like this, where things with Lillian were taking a turn for the worst.
“Listen, Bella. We need to get you out of here. I know a place you can stay.”
“Please. I don’t know if I can stay here.”
Her voice sounded small. I knew she was genuinely scared. But I also commended her for calling me, the man she had just walked away from. I knew it was somewhat out of character for her to call me so soon after everything happened between us. But I might’ve been the only person she could turn to. I was her only hope, especially knowing what power I had.
Then I found myself swallowing my pride as I reluctantly picked up the phone to send a text message. I let out a huge sigh and decided to call the only person I could think of to call for help right now.
Lillian. Are you busy? I need you right now.
I turned to look at Bella, who was still in distress. After patting her on the back, she retracted herself, and I knew she was going some sort of trauma. This wasn’t something normal, I thought; Bella usually leaned into my touch, not away. My phone buzzed, and I looked at it right away.
Sebastian. What’s wrong?
I need a favor.
I proceeded to call Lillian instead. Having to explain such important matters through text just wasn’t my style. It was quicker and more concise over a phone call. After a few rings, Lillian’s familiar voice came through the line.
“Sebastian?”
“Hey.” My voice struggled to find the words. “I’m here with a friend. She thinks she’s in danger, and from the little bit I got, she’s probably right. She claims you know her—her name is Bella.”
From the other line, Lillian gave me a little sound of confirmation.
“There was a situation when I was photographing the workshop,” she said. “One of the male ballet dancers seemed to be bothering her.”
“That would probably be him. Listen. She needs a place to stay tonight. And I know this may seem sudden, but is it alright if she stays with you?”
There was a long pause from the other end of the phone, and I held my breath waiting for her answer.
“I suppose. Yeah.”
“Thanks, Lil’. I owe you. I’m on my way.” I clicked the phone off and turned my gaze back over to Bella. “Pack your bags. Let’s go.”
It was a short drive to the building where Lillian lived, and the area was fairly nice.
As I pulled up to the front, I turned to Bella. “Everything upstairs is ready for you. Come with me, Bella.”
We made our way up to the twelfth floor, and then down a couple of pristine hallways before I knocked on a white door. Even though Lillian knew we were coming, it was still several moments before anyone opened up the door. It ended up being Rebecca who greeted us, and I would’ve lied if I didn’t say I wasn’t relieved.
“Come in, please,” she said, gesturing us inside her apartment.
Any tension that was still in the air seemed to dissipate as the two of us walked into the room. Coby came over to greet his new guest, rubbing his cheek against Bella’s leg. And around the corner, Lillian emerged from her bedroom. Her hair was up in a bun, and she waved sheepishly to Bella and me.
The four of us all took a spot on the couch and Rebecca offered everyone some tea.
“Tea?” Rebecca lifted her china pot, presenting it to their new friend.
Bella shyly grabbed her teacup and held it out for Rebecca
to pour the liquid into. The ambiance in the room became more relaxed as the chamomile was now coursing through everyone’s veins. It was Lillian who finally broke the silence. I could tell she was becoming more anxious, bouncing up and down in her seat.
“So, what happened?” Lillian asked.
The room became silent, and all eyes fell on Bella, awaiting her answer. Bella started explaining her past with Lucas. She had gotten into a relationship with Lucas, one of the male dancers at her company, earlier on in her career. Everything had seemed normal at first, and she thought that she was in love with him.
But gradually, he became controlling and manipulative, putting her down and then turning right around to give her love like she had never experienced before. Confused, she told herself that she was just misinterpreting things, and everything was fine. Eventually, Lucas decided to go on an exchange to London. With the distance, she began to realize how wrong things really were, and she broke up with him, saying that they needed to take a break, still too scared to tell him how she truly felt.
He had seemed to take it surprisingly well and was in London for a few more seasons. It had been enough time that Bella was moving past him, but he had begun to act like they should be getting back together and talking things out as soon as he came back. She went on to elaborate on the current situation, and her fear for her safety, as well as the safety of anyone else involved. This included both Lillian and me.
My expression became increasingly concerned as I continued listening, looking to Lillian to make sure she was okay. When Bella finished, she took a few deep breaths, then looked to her audience as if asking what they thought she should do now.
“That’s a lot,” I said with compassion. “I had no idea this was happening.”
“It’s not exactly something you bring up upon meeting someone,” Bella said, looking to the ground at her feet.