Chapter 11

"What?! You never let me live here!" She protested.

"She's my patient so I'll take care of her." Grayson said cooly.

"Babe!"

"Leave." He said in a cold voice.

"Let's talk! Come on!"

I stood, they both turned to me.

"I'll go." I said and grabbed the Goya.

"Stay." His eyes were on me.

"Babe!"

"Leave, Rhiana."

"I'll visit grandma and tell—"

He stood and grabbed her hands and pulled her inside one of his rooms while I was left standing.

Wonder what will they do inside that room?

I shrugged and went to the second floor. There were lots of door so I opened the first one. I slid my hand on the wall to find the switch and when I found it, I turned it on and went inside.

"Wow..." I uttered as I saw lots of paintings.

There were a lot. There was a paint of his dog and then the other was a painting of a guitar. I went near the wall where there were two paintings that were glued on it.

The first one has a colorful abstract where there are two sides and the closed door was the one that separates both sides. In the left side there was a smoke on the air and a boy leaning against the door while on the right side there was fire and inside of that fire was a body being drowned in fire.

Beside the painting was a medium size canvas, another painting wherein there's this boy smiling in front of the people but behind it was his hand and feet with cuffs wherein someone's pulling them and it was like a human with fire: a monster who's pulling the chain to be exact.

But I noticed. . . the chain wasn't locked. It was open as if he was free and yet he stayed on that position close to that monster.

And. . . the boy was holding the chain on his right hand while he was holding the dove on the left hand.

"What are you doing here?" His voice that made me shriek out of shock.

I turned to his directions whose forehead was knotted.

"Oh... I was just looking around."

"Let's go." He then turned his back on me.

"Huh? Where?"

"Out."

I swallowed and nodded. I followed my way out of the room and opened the Goya chocolate to take a bite.

He locked the door and shifted his gaze back to me.

"Did you take the medication? Lia told me to monitor you."

"You talked to her?"

"Yeah... I'll help her with your case."

Wonder what kind of relationship do they have?

Girlfriend? Well, she's pretty. Possible.

"So... you'll live here in order for me to monitor you." He said.

I avoided his gaze.

"You don't have to. I'll just take medications regularly."

"It's not just medication, Alessia. It's about the willpower you have that can heal you and I'll help you get that courage."

I bit my lower lip.

"And. . . next time. Don't go upstairs." He added.

"Where's your dog by the way?" I changed the topic.

"In her room."

Wow. A dog has a room.

"Where's..." I looked on the first floor. "Your brother? Does he have a room? He sleeps on the rooftop."

He didn't answer me, instead, he silently walked out.

Rude.

I bit my Goya and went downstairs. He opened one room and coldly looked at me.

"That's your room. I won't harm you or anything, it was Lia who requested me to help her with this so I have no choice but if you really don't want a help from others or to at least overcome your trauma then leave this unit." He suddenly became cold for no reason.

"O—" he left me, didn't even let me finish my sentence.

My gaze followed him when he tiredly lied on the huge sofa. His eyes were closed and it looks like he was tired but I didn't mind it and just went inside the room.

I felt relieved after finding a cabinet. I went near it and settled myself beside it just like what I do every day to rest. Everything then went black as I drowned myself in another dream . . . nightmare.

"Please..." I was on the elevator again.

"Answer me, Alessia." It was Justine's voice.

The kiss that just happened left me panting and almost out of breath.

The kiss... the kiss... It's just a kiss but...

"Mother-fucker!" The voice then suddenly approached.

"Mom! No! Please!" I sobbed.

"William!"

"No... please. Don't." I weakly said, trying my best to stop everything with my voice even though I cannot control anything.

"Alessia... don't look." My mom says, sobbing.

"No... no... no..." I sobbed.

And then my eyes opened, half-panting, while my tears were flowing and my voice was trembling with sobs.

"Shh... everything's okay." It was Grayson, he was hugging me.

I sobbed and tightened my grip on his shirt while he was rubbing my back.

"It was just a dream. It was just a dream. Calm down." He said softly.

"It feels real." I sobbed.

"No, it's not, Alessia. I'm here, okay?"

"Dad... he'll harm me! He'll harm mom! Mom should leave! No! We should get out! We should live! He might harm you too!" I trembled in fear.

I closed my eyes, afraid that dad might hear me. I might trigger his patience! He was hot-tempered and I'm sure he's mad! He will be mad at me! He will be mad because of my shouts and sobs!

"I'll protect you. That won't happen."

"No!" I sobbed. "He has guns! He had a gun! We can't fight!" I panicked.

He hugged me tightly while my sobs continued.

"Get out! He will point his gun at you!" I pushed him away.

I hugged my trembling body and hid as best as I can beside the cabinet.

"No... he had no bullets left, okay? Calm down. He won't be able to shoot me because the gun he has had no bullets, understand?" He calmly said.

"He-he's good at pu-punching! He had strength!" I stuttered out of fear.

"I'm good at karate."

"Then you should protect mom!" I sobbed.

"I'll protect you and your mom so take my hand and I'll fight for both of you. I'll save you, okay? Take my hand, Alessia." He said calmly and lend me his hand.

"What about mom?" I asked, still sobbing.

"Hold my hand. I'll protect you."

So, I gave him my hand even though it was trembling. He pulled me closer to him ang hugged me tightly.

"Open your eyes and breathe in for 5 seconds." He said so I followed him. "Don't close your eyes and breath out calmly."

He rubbed my back.

"Touch my hair." He ordered.

Still sobbing, I touched his hair.

"What is the texture?"

"So-soft..." I said.

"What is the color?"

"Brown..." I uttered, slowly calming down.

"Okay, good. Now say the alphabet backwards."

I swallowed hard.

"Z... Y... X... W..." I stopped for a while, trying to remember the next letter. "U... T—"

"It's S before W."

I nodded.

"S... U... T— wait no! It's V before W!" I protested.

He chuckled.

"Are you now, okay?"

He loosened his hug and looked at me on the eyes. I bit my lower lip and avoided his gaze. He wiped all my tears away using both of his thumbs and smiled at me.

"Yes... I'm okay." I managed to be calm.

"Do you want me to call your sis—"

"No!" I instantly rejected.

He didn't answer me.

"I-I don't want her to be ashamed that... she has a... crazy sister like me." I dropped my eyes on the floor.

"You're not crazy, you're a victim... And you're a strong person for coping with it." He said in a serious tone

I smiled bitterly.

"Well, that's at least what society describes people who has mental illness like me. I don't want her getting bullied just because of my illness. I don't want her to see how much I suffer during my episode. I look crazy a while ago, don't I?"

"No. It makes me want to take care of you more."

I bit my lower lip and didn't say anything.

He stood but I remained seated. Still, looking on the floor, ashamed with what just happened.

"Let's go. I'll teach you how to fight back."

I shook my head.

"You don't have to. What I said earlier was just—"

"Then we'll work-out. We'll do things that can lessen your episode. I'll help you."

He grabbed my hand and stood me up then after that, he pulled me and I just let him until we were out of his unit.

"Where are we going?"

"Rooftop."

"Why—" he pulled me again with him in front of me and me, behind him, following his footsteps.

He was holding my hand the whole time and there's nothing wrong with it not until he interlocked it. My eyes dropped on our interlocked hands, shocked, because I was new to this. Justine never did this neither do anyone, it was just him who filled the gap on my fingers.

"We're here." He said that slapped me back to reality.

I was mesmerized when we reached the rooftop. The sunset was very distinct and the surrounding was peaceful, only the two of us.

But my eyes dropped on my hands when he let go of it.

"Now, let's practice defense." He started.

"You don't have—"

"So that you can defend yourself if ever someone tries to kiss you just like what that ex did."

I gulped and looked up to him. His eyes were reflecting the beauty of sunset and the rays was kissing his tanned skin thoroughly.

"I'm not always by your side so you should know how to defend yourself. You're a woman, not that I'm implying that you're weak but other men can be gross."

"Okay. Do it." I raised one of my brows.

He bit his lower lip and licked it.

"Okay, first, I'm going to choke you."

"Wait what?!" I stepped backward.

He laughed.

"This is defense, Miss. Just so you remember."

"Okay, do it." I challenged.

With both of his hands he held my neck but not too tightly.

"So, what are you going to do in a situation like this?"

"I'm going to destroy his precious eggs."

He stepped backward when I was about to kick it.

"Easy there, young lady. I still want to have a lot of kids!"

I stopped and tilted my head.

Sounds familiar. Where did I hear that?

"Okay. So, if you hit his cock then that would be good but if you fail then you'll lose so I'll teach you another technique." He said, distracting me from my thoughts.

"What is it?"

"Choke me," he commanded.

I coughed and unknowingly blushed. His sentence doesn't seem right.

"Why are you blushing?" He innocently asked.

"I'm not!"

"Yes you—" I choked him.

He tapped my hand lightly but I continued my choke so he coughed.

"Defend yourself." I challenged him.

He stepped back using his left feet and bowed down quickly and just by that he escaped.

"All you need to do is when someone's choking you, step backward with the feet that you think is stronger and then duck down and make sure you don't touch my wrist. Straight down and back up, go underneath the wrist."

I nodded and gave him my challenging hands so he bit his lower lip to stifle a smile.

He held both of my neck, not tightly so I followed what he just said and stepped back with my left feet and ducked down and I managed to escape!

"I'm a fast learner you know." I bragged.

He smirked.

"Oh yeah..." He uttered in a baritone voice.

My celebrate wasn't long because he held my waist, grabbed my left leg and pulled it up and uses his right leg to wrap around my right knee and then pushed me down. I closed my eyes and thought my head was gonna bang on the floor but he was fast because I felt his palm on the back of my head instead of the rough ground.

And just when I was about to open my eyes, he instantly removed his palms off my head and grabbed both of my hands to pin it on the ground.

"What the—"

"Self defence." He defended.

He's literally on top of me!

I gulped because of our intimate position.

"I can't move. How do I defend myself? Tell me what to do." I asked in slight panic.

He smirked.

Oh Shit.

"It's up to you to find a way. I'll wait."

Both his legs were at the side of my stomach so I cannot kick his cock and when I tried to move my hands, he was just too strong.

"Cute." He whispered but I heard him!

"You're definitely enjoying this, huh?" I uttered in disbelief.

He shrugged.

"Sort of." He shamelessly admitted.

"Just tell me what to do! I want to be free!" I irritably said because my heart wasn't normal anymore.

It's beating fast for no reason! Shit this.

"You want to be free right? So, you'll follow what I say?"

I nodded and gulped after seeing his intense stare as if he's planning something.

"Yes, I'll follow."

"I'll open the cuff for you so it's up to you to decide if you'll run and be free or you'll stay and be stuck. In the end, it's you who'll decide for your freedom."

My forehead knotted out of confusion.

"So, what is it that I need to do?" I asked, still confuse.

He stared at my face intently, observing it, so I gulped. He didn't even move; he's still pinning me with his calm facade while my insides were losing out of control for no reason. I bit my lower lip because of the unfamiliar feeling so he looked down on my lips.

Oh shit.

"Desensitization." He's still looking on my lips.

"I-I don't know... wha-what you mean." I stuttered for no reason.

Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.

His gaze turned back to my eyes but still, I felt that kind of unfamiliar feeling. This time, it didn't move, it stayed still, as if it was reading something and for no valid reason, I fought his intense stares.

It was quiet...

The serene ambiance is the diametric of my turbulent heart; the warbles of the birds were the opposite of the singing demons in my head; the gentle wind was antithetical to the callous waves of my sea; And the phenomenon beauty of the sunset contradicted the ugliness of my past.

As well as I cannot gainsaid the fact that he diametrically opposed every part and pieces of me.

"I'll perform desensitization."

And before I could utter any word...

He kissed me... on the lips.

I freeze. I didn't get to move even when he removed it at instant. It was just a mild kiss but it made my heart wild.

He stared at my shocked face and tightened his grip on my hand while I swallowed hard, still unable to fathom any emotions.

"Wha—" he kissed me again.

And this time, it wasn't just a peck. Slowly, he opened my mouth. He entered my mouth using his lips and I don't know what to feel because all I can say is that my heart was pounding loudly against my chest.

Eventually, unconsciously, my eyes shut down along with my fist that clenched. I was waiting for a memory to flash but nothing happened and all I just felt was the softness of his lips and sweetness of his kiss.

My beating was pounding at its peak and it's scares me with the fact that I know it wasn't because of anxiety but instead... it was because of anticipation.

And... for the first time. I felt and liked the feeling of it.

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