Chapter 81: Can I kiss you?
1067words
She coughed, her head jerking forward. 'Let me go, please," she cried, her voice barely audible.
'It's me," I said, scooping her from the chair, and putting her on the bed.
'Gabriel?" she muttered.
'What's all this? What happened to you? Who hit you up like this?" I asked, checking her bruises, and she winced.
'What are you doing here?" she asked faintly.
'The doctor said he hasn't seen you since yesterday, so I decided to check up on you at home. Were you robbed?"
She shook her head slightly.
'Then, who did this to you?"
'I will be fine. You need to leave, okay?"
'Look, Alex. I know it's not in my place to interfere in your personal life, but this is outrageous. The person would have killed you. Look at your face."
'It's hurting Gabriel, so don't touch me like that," she said, pushing my hand back.
'We need to get you to the hospital. Come on."
'I'm fine. I just need to wash up, and use the first aid."
'I insist you see a doctor."
'I said I'm fine. You shouldn't be here in the first place," she jerked up, clamping her head as her vison blurred.
'Be careful," I stood to hold her, and she flinched.
'I can handle this," she whispered, supporting herself against the wall as she headed to the bathroom.
'Why are you suddenly stubborn?"
'Just leave!" she groaned before shutting the door. Some minutes later, she returned, wiping her face carefully with a towel. 'I told you to leave," she said, sitting in front of the vanity table, and pulling up the first aid box.
I walked down to her, taking the box from her. 'Let me help," I said.
'I can handle it," she said, stretching her hand to take back the box.
'Let me handle it."
'I said I can do it!" she snapped, frustration laced in her tone.
'You still haven't told me why you were banged up like this," I said, damping the gauze pad with saline solution.
'It's personal," she said, holding back my hand as I tried to wipe her bruises with the gauze pad.
'This doesn't hurt," I assured her before she allowed me do it. 'Anything that puts your life at risk is no longer personal, so spill it."
'It's Damien."
'Who is Damien?"
'My boyfriend," she let out, and I tilted my head towards her. 'Don't give me that look. You didn't want me, so I was heartbroken, and I needed to drink my sorrows away. He was at the bar, and he offered to take the pain away."
'How does anyone take a heartbreak away?" I asked, amused.
'Don't know," she shrugged. 'I was drunk and he took advantage."
'Advantage of you, or your condition?"
'Ouch, be careful with that," she winced as I strapped the adhesive bandage on her forehead. 'He took advantage of both, okay?"
'He slept with you," I said, closing the box.
'Don't make it sound more awkward than it already is."
'Is that enough reason for him to do this to you?"
'Damien is a maniac," she stood, walking to the closet as I sat on the couch. 'He saw me with you, so he got furious."
'Wait, he beat you up because he saw the two of us together?"
'What do you think?" she glanced at me as she put down fresh clothes on the bed. 'I need to quickly take a shower, and go see my mom. Please be gone before I come out."
'If I don't?"
'I might not survive the next beating," she said, closing the bathroom door.
I grabbed her phone from the vanity table. 'What's your password?" I shouted as she started running the shower.
'What password."
'Your phone's."
'Don't go through my phone, Gabriel, just leave."
'I guess that should be your birthday."
'It's not my birthday, it's yours."
'Thanks."
'Don't touch my phone, Gabriel!"
'I already did. Sorry."
'Alex!" someone yelled from outside, his voice echoing through the walls.
'Shit! Gabriel, hide!" Alexandra called out from the bathroom.
'Who is that?" I asked her.
'Who do you think?" she rushed out of the bathroom, towel wrapped around her body, her hair dripping wet.
'Be careful on the tiles," before I could finish, she slipped, causing me to grab her before she falls. Her chest heaved, her breath came shallow as she stared at me.
'Alex!" the booming sound echoed again, boots marching upstairs.
Alex jerked up, balancing on her feet. 'Hide, Gabriel."
'There's nowhere to hide. Why should I hide in the first place? He will beat you up again," I said, and at that moment, the door burst open. At the door stood a mighty, burly man, glaring daggers at us.
I glanced back at Alex, wide-eyed. 'How can you take that all in?"
'Just shut up!" she yelled, stepping in front of me. 'Um, Damien, it's not what you think, okay? He was… he just came to check up on me," she tried to defend herself as Damien marched forward.
'Bloody cheat!" he groaned, delivering a hard punch which connected hard with my face as I stepped in Alexandra's front. The hit threw me against the wall, knocking Alex out of the way. 'Why does it have to be him?" Damien grabbed Alexandra's arm, tossing her on the bed.
'We didn't do anything, please," she cried.
I scrambled to my feet, twisting my neck to ease the pain. 'Let her be," I said, drawing Damien's attention back on me. 'The police are on their way, and I'm sure you'll serve a long jail term for this," I warned him. His cold eyes blazed with anger as he looked between me and Alexandra.
'This isn't over!" he groaned. 'Nobody shares what's mine." with that, he bolted away, and I sighed.
'How can you date such a beast, Alex?" I sat on the bed. 'You would be in coma by now if you received such a heavy blow."
She sat up, looking at me. 'Are you okay?" she asked, touching my face as tears filled her eyes. 'You shouldn't have stepped in the way. I could handle it."
'You could handle what?" I snapped. 'When did you suddenly start talking like a heroine?"
'Since the day you rejected me," she said, shifting closer. 'Can I kiss you for a minute, Gabriel? Just this once."
