«How many times should I tell you, Gabi? A beast entered the class and attacked everyone.» I whisper as loud as I can, my eyes watching around, moving fast.
«I hit my head. That made me lose memory, not intelligence. Maybe there were more wolves.»
«Yea, maybe. Now can you tell me if you saw my sister this morning?»
She yawns while every part of my body moves frantically, waiting for the worst. «So?»
«No. Probably she spent the night at the disco or in a new room with an asshole. Why are you so worried.»
I hung up, biting my tongue to not say the truth out loud. I turn to take the tray with the coffees and I almost crash into my boss, Mr. Brown.
«Oh, Mr. Brown, you scar...»
«You have no discipline, Katrina. You were late this morning, you must do Larry's work, instead you hide to talk with your friend of some gossips.» He scolds me with his raspy voice, his hands behind his back as he puffs his big belly. I hold a laugh, remembering Gabi comparing him with Doc of the seven dwarfs. I cover my smile with a hand: the similarity between the two is evident.
«I'm sorry sir. I always do Larry's work in my shifts, anyway.»
«Well, do more shifts! Punish yourself, and keep helping my son, I see him running all day. He deserved the contract, if you keep working hard you'll have one too.»
«Thanks, sir.» I take the tray, feeling his eyes on me.
When I gave all the coffees to the clients, I come back to the counter to see the new orders.
«Kitty.» I hear Larry's voice behind me.
«Larry. Where are the new orders?»
«Don't worry, I'll take them all.»
«No, please. Let me help you.» I do my best to smile, returning his grin.
«My father scolded you again, didn't he? What an asshole...»
«No, he's right.» I say, but a chuckle gives me away.
«You need a break. A holiday in the bathroom, with me, now.»
I stay still with my mouth open for a long moment, feeling the heat growing in my cheeks, then I shake my head, trying to say something.
«I'm sorry, Larry. I have to work.»
«Kit...»
«Bye.» I take an order, just two glasses of vodka at 9:00 a.m. - who the hell ordered them?! A suicidal teen or a constantly drunk old man? - , and I walk fast away from Larry.
I finally find the table of this crazy order. «There you go.»
«I would have broken the glass and shove it in his throat.» I shiver as I recognize the deep, determined voice of the fragile and delicate body that can bear a vodka in the morning while talking as the high-class person she is.
«Hush, Diana. Revenge is illegal in this world.» Mikael says, drinking all the vodka in one shot.
I turn to run away and he immediately grabs my arm, his hot hand gives me goosebumps and an emotion I refuse to recognize. Hesitant, I face him.
«What's this sad face? It's all ok.» He teases, his tone clearly ironic.
«I know what you did.»
«Ohw, stop living in the past, Katrina.»
«Leave me alone.» It sounds more like a plea than the angry threat it should seem, but I don't care, I just wanna walk away and forget him forever.
I try to free from his grip moving all my weight to my side, but his arm doesn't move of an inch and his hand tightens the grip as I pull myself.
«Is there any problem here?» Larry narrows his eyes, moving dangerously close to Mikael's face.
My heart skips a beat and I paralyze.
«No, sir. I was just talking with my girlfriend.»
«I don't see any ring on her hand.» As Larry notices it, Mikael glares at me and for some reasons I feel guilty.
«She's my woman.» He repeats slowly and firmly, his jaw clenched.
«Are you, Katrina?» Larry leaves me shocked.
«I-I... No.» I manage to mutter, winning another glare from Mikael. Diana observes us, holding an amused smile.
«Sure, she doesn't, 'cause she loves me.» Immediately after saying it, Larry flies on the ground. Mikael punched him, there's blood on his left hand. I hear Mr. Brown yelling to take the attention of the bodyguard smoking out as Mikael pushes his flirty son down with an Oxford on his chest.
Mikael freezes me with an eye. «Stay with me and I won't hurt him.»
Here it is, the monster. Threatening me instead of asking for a second chance.
I get close to him, pouring in his hypnotic grey eyes, feeling his warm breath flying out from his soft lips and caressing mines. «This is what I expected, what stops me from loving you.»
I glance at the confused and scared Larry on the ground, silently challenging Mikael to choose carefully his next move. I'm tired of his aggressive behavior.
He frees Larry, that takes a fast, whistling breath. His arm wraps around my waist, our bodies touch. His dirty hand caresses my face, some blood wet my cheek. All eyes are on us and against every moral principle I feel great, and wet. Maybe love a monster is good, it brings the hope that they have a heart.
«Forget me.» I whisper.
I see Diana rolling her eyes before turning and walking fast out of this hell. I don't stop when I hear Larry screaming and his bones breaking.
The street is silent, it forces me to think about what impressed my heart and my mind the most in these last few days: Mikael. I love him, I can't deny it. That man gave me emotions I could never even imagine before staying in his big arms, sniffing his wild scent and listening to his deep voice saying words that make me wet. I blush at the thought of him and what he can do to me just staring in my eyes like he can see my soul.
Did he really ever hurt me? I know he likes my pain, but he also proved he wants to protect me from the world 'cause he doesn't want to see me scared. What does he want from him? What do I want from him? As my heart slowly convince me to go back and kiss him, I force myself to remind all the poor people he injured.
«I don't want you to be afraid of me. I'm trying to protect you.» I don't even turn to see who it is, I recognize his british accent and his angry tone in an instant. I want to be angry, but my heart slows down and my fingers move frantically, waiting to mess his curls and touch his soft, warm face.
«You're trying to possess me.» I protest, walking fast to take some distance from him, totally conscious it's useless.
«I want you to be mine.» His whispered words light a flame in me.
«I don't want to be yours.» I lie against my heart.
He grabs my elbows, turning me to him. I don't resist, pouring in his eyes.
«You love me.» He articulates every word, getting close enough to break my crumbling walls.
«I do. I love a heartless monster.»
«A mad King.» He defines. «I could open your chest and make you bleed in pain, but I would never break your heart. Please, Katrina, give me a second chance. Come with me in Las Vegas, I will never let you see me being evil again. I can't change my nature, but I can hide it for you.»
He's offering me more lies. Maybe this is the key to our happiness.
«I forget you, Mikael. But I can't come with you to Las Vegas, I'm sorry. It's the end of us.»
He stares at me blankly, all his muscles tensed. After an infinite silence, he talks. «Your sister is in Italy, I gifted her a long holiday, I thought your life could be better without her.»
My jaw drops. «The finger...»
«It wasn't real. Anyway, I realized you'll never be happy here. Your overprotective parents will always stop you from having fun and share their fears with you, the bullies live in your shadow and you just lost your job. Find another one without accepting to be harassed by your boss will be hard since you don't have a lot of experience.»
I resist crying. «This is my home.»
«You can tell me you want to stay here for whatever reason, but not this bullshit.» He bursts out. «This is your house, not your home.»
I stay silent. He's right, he's my home.
His hands caress my arms before breaking the contact. «I leave at 3:00 a.m., a jet will come to take me in the airport. I hope I'll find you there on time.» He walks away. He turned fast, but I'm almost sure I've seen a bit of sadness in his eyes.
Mom screams at me ignoring my apologies while dad stays still behind her with his arms crossed.
«That was a perfect job, Mr. Brown made us a big favor hiring you and you ruined everything!»
«Mom, I couldn't stop the fight...»
«You lost your job, for what? That idiot of your friend, Mickey.»
His accuse to Mikael makes me angry. «His name's Mikael and he has no faults. Larry kept harassing me since the first time I stepped in his dirty bar, Mikael defended me!»
«Harassing you? Larry is a good guy. That Mikael fucked you up. Oh, I said a bad word, sorry.»
I look at her, observing her covering her mouth, worrying about a bad word after scolding me for being fired for causing a fight in a bar, ignoring my words like you do with kids that can't accept to admit their faults. My parents, the bullies, Larry, Mr. Brown... they are all sick. They are the worst kind of people: not the ones that fake to be nice, not the bad ones, the ones that believe to be good but they are evil and too close-minded to understand they are shattering you day by day. Maybe the best people are the bad ones, 'cause in this world the good ones are all dead.
I stare at the moon rising fast in the deep blue sky. I'm sitting on the bench where Mikael sat after facing my parents, in a little park. I remember him ignoring my sister and I smile a little, but the memory of me laughing at his beliefs when he tried to explain me what I should have accepted makes me feel guilty. Now I know I can bear his nature, my love for him is stronger than my fear of him, but it's too late. I remember his words: If you discover the truth on my nature, I'll become your worst nightmare. I don't want the truth anymore. I guess I'm ready to be his woman, but my favorite villain is gone forever. I sigh, closing my eyes, hoping to see him appear in front of me when I'll open them again.
«Where's Nora?» I open my eyes and I see him. Shawn. «Have you heard me? Where is she?» He growls in my face.
«She's in Italy. Mikael gifted her a holiday there and I think...»
He punches the bench near my face and I move my shaking fists up to cover my face, bending my knees to my chest.
«I saw you making your boyfriend fight for you. You didn't like Nora, I wonder what you ordered him to do her.»
«I would never hurt Nora.» I murmur, holding the tears.
He takes me by the shirt, near my neck, pushing me on the bench more times. I hit my head, a loud whistle echoes in my ears and I can't hear anything else for some seconds. I grin my teeth in pain, looking at Shawn's mouth moving.
«...don't lie to me! Where is she?» This is the only thing I hear before he punches me and I fall on the ground.
I do my best to speak, but I just make death noises like someone is strangling me as my eyes try to stay open.
«Mikael won't save you this time.» He says with a bad smile on his face, then he kicks my chin and my head flies up, moving all my body on the line. I cough, trying to breathe slowly and stay awake, but he kicks me again in the stomach. When I think I can't do it and I hit the rock bottom, he kicks me again, confirming my thoughts. Everything fades in black.
The wet grass tickles my face. I look around trying to see something in the dark and as I see the bench I remember what happened. It's raining, I fainted in the park after Shawn beat me and I'm still here. I raise up as fast as I can, trying to ignore my blood on the flowers, and I start walking bent forward, a hand on my stomach that is begging me to go to the hospital. Panting and trembling, letting me cry to help me bear the pain, I arrive at Gabi's house in half an hour.
«You need some makeup.» It's the first Gabi's sentence when she sees me wet, injured and scared. Her calm reactions to every type of situations make me feel better. I smile, feeling a sharp twinge of pain in my cheek.
«No, I need to run. Mikael will take a jet to Las Vegas at 3:00 a.m., What time is it?»
«It's 2:54 a.m.»
I stay silent, all my hopes fly away.
«Don't dare to cry. We still have some minutes, you must try to go, Mikael is too sexy to be lost like this.»
«You're telling me that a girl full of bruises and one with a broken leg can run to the airport on time to...»
«Move!» She takes her crutches and grabs me by the arm, jumping out under the rain.
It's 3:35 a.m. when we pass all the checks. We run to the track of Mikael's jet and I call his name with Gabi. A thousand eyes are on us, but I've no time to care about them, I have to find my love.
I scream his name the third time and no one answer. I'm losing the hope fast, I'm in late, but two hands land on my shoulders.
«Mikael?» I hold my breath, waiting to hear his voice.
«Katrina.»
I turn and I hug him. His muscular arms warm my little body in a few seconds.
«You were right, I can't be happy in Flint.» I can't be happy without you. «My parents, Larry, the bullies... they're worse than you! Uhm, I mean...»
«Hush, little princess. I want to hear just one thing from you. Are you ready to start your new life with me?»
«I love you» I whisper, pouring in his damned eyes.
He smiles. «If you wouldn't have come, I would have waited all night and more for you.»
I get lost in a deep kiss, his tongue exploring my mouth slowly as I rub my thighs together to hold my hand running in my slip.
«I think I'll leave. Remember to call me sometimes.» Gabi shakes her hand and walks away, her eyes bright.
I know she doesn't like goodbyes, but I can't let her go like this. I run to her and I hug her. I hear her sobbing on my shoulder and I hug her tighter.
«I'll miss you.»
«If you don't call me everyday I'll kill you.» She says, rubbing her wet eyes on my so wet shirt. Leaning on my body to stay up without her crutches, she hands me the dress Diana bought me with a sad smile.
«We have to go.» Mikael takes my hand and I separate from Gabi, that now looks at Mikael with diffidence.
«You don't seem so worried about your injured girlfriend. She got beaten, where were you?»
Mikael looks at my face, caressing the bruise on my cheek. A little tear escapes my eye and wets his hand.
«I'll take care of you.»
«Maybe you can start killing whoever did this to her.» He says indicating my cheek, unaware Mikael can take it literally.
«Don't worry about it.» I say.
«Your friend is right, Shawn needs to pay.» He tells me.
«Wait, how do you know who assaulted her?» Gabi asks, confused like me. I was getting so used to his rule "don't ask what you don't wanna know" that I didn't notice he said his name.
«Were you there?» I ask, too many different thoughts running in my mind.
«I have eyes everywhere.» He says.
«You knew he was beating me? Someone was there and nobody helped me?»
Before I can understand anything, he pulls me by my arm to the jet and I forget what we were talking about as I see his luxury conveyance.364Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡokI1BUaO86
