Mia
I woke up feeling warm and felt the warmth all over me. This was so good, I could stay here forever. I felt a muscular arm around my waist which was pulling me closer to a snuggly warm chest. It was surreal. It was like someone was embracing all of me, quite literally, and all I could feel was myself getting lost in this warm feeling. Is this my safety net as they all claim in the books I read? If it is indeed a safety net I feel like staying here forever. I never experienced this in my entire life. It is a new and calming feeling for sure.
Wait a minute... Muscular arm... Snuggly warm chest????
My eyes snapped open and I found myself in James's room and in HIS ARMS!!!????
Then like a bullet train, yesterday night's events hit me.
Why did I cry? I promised that I won't cry. But the nightmare seemed too real, I saw Melissa getting killed all over again, in my room, all around that fire circle. It was too much to take. I was going to harm myself and James saved me. I don't need any saving. On the contrary, I deserved to get hurt. James comforted me and I asked him to stay with me because I was scared? I scoffed at myself. I should never be weak. I should never let my guard down. People use your feelings against you.
Even though somewhere in the back of my mind I knew that James would never use my feelings against me. I do not know him for a long period of time and I am not that good at judging someone's character this quickly. I just know that he is not that kind of person. He is a good man with morals and high principles even though he acts like a goofball half of the time, correction most of the time, let us assume he is a wild child 90% of the time.
I can't stay here.
I got up and wore my now clean clothes back which James yesterday put in the Washing machine. They were clean and I can manage a night outside. Tomorrow the professional will be here and I won't have to face James ever again.
Not that I'm ungrateful to him or anything, I just can't stay here with him where there's a risk that I'll be vulnerable. You don't get to be vulnerable in this world. That's a privilege only a few can afford. And I am certainly not one of them. Times were different when there was not a mobster running behind my back with a knife or possibly a burning apartment.
I really need to stop making jokes out of my trauma, it is just a bad coping mechanism good gosh. And it is also not going to get me anywhere. Except for jail I guess, Mia I swear to God you irritating fool dumb wit.
He was still sleeping so I decided to sneak out of his apartment.
I could see him moving in his self, was he not comfortable in his own bed? Maybe he was feeling cold. Even his blanket was touching the floor on one side and he was totally sleeping over my side. Technically he was sprawled all over the bed with only his feet dangling down and his head over the side of the pillow. His neck was placed at an odd angle and it will definitely hurt like a bitch when he wakes up. How does this man even live all alone?
I moved closer to his bed to see how could I fix his position without waking him up. He was snoring a little and it sounded like an angry Chihuahua who is going to go off on a random stranger. I am freaking scared of that dog!
After a lot of internal cursing and nearing fall all over him and his area, I managed to push him completely to my side because he would not leave my side for some unknown reason uffff. I covered him with his blanket too. And for the bonus, he is now cuddling with my pillow, technically it is his pillow but I was sleeping on it last night. At least he would not hurt his neck anymore.
After sleeping for almost a week in the back of my car I know how much your neck and back hurt the next day.
When I was done I tip-toed towards his door and closed it quickly behind me. He will wake up after at least half an hour I guess. So, I took a random walk around the city. I needed to see whether there were any changes here in the past year. I need to keep track of everything.
After a quick walk around the block, I noticed nothing had changed much except for a few new shops on the West End of the block.
I needed a run, vent off some steam. I started to run around the block on my way towards the park.
Just as I was reaching the park I heard a scream. It was still early and I couldn't see many people there.
I turned towards the sound of the screaming. I couldn't see anything unusual. It was a grim silence. That didn't sit well with me. Someone was in danger.
Then I heard some other sounds like someone grunting and struggling. I turned to look into the alley. I saw a young man who had pinned a girl to the wall. The girl was clearly struggling, but that did not faze the guy.
"Don't do this to me. Don't ruin my life, I beg you." I heard the girl cry, I could sense the fear in her voice.
"You should have thought about this before turning me down." He grumbled. " Now stay still, it wouldn't hurt that much." He said while making a cut on her cheek with his knife.
"No... No please."
"Shh."
Okay, that's it. He's getting his ass whipped today.
"Hey, dickhead! Leave her alone, this is your only warning."
They both looked at me, the girl was looking at me with hope and the guy.... well he and I felt the same about each other.
"Who the hell are you? Get out of here." He shouted.
"You had the chance."
I pounced upon him and made him fall back on his ass. Then I kicked him where the sun doesn't shine and he groaned in pain.
I turned around to see whether the girl was okay or not.
"You good?"
"Yes, thank you so much." She clutched my hands and began to shake them.
"Never let any dickhead ruin your life, don't ever beg. It only boosts their ego, don't give them that satisfaction. Do you understand?"
"Yes." She nodded with new confidence.
The cut on her cheek reminder me of Melissa's various injuries and cuts. I was furious.
"Watch it!" The girl screamed, she screams a lot.
Then I felt a slight pain in my back. Oh, that's a knife cut. It will hurt when I disinfect it. That's good, I'll get a bed to sleep in tonight. A hospital bed is still a bed, right?
I turned to look at the guy, it seemed like he had gained his energy back.
I gave him a look, "That's the best you can do? Hurt someone when they have their back at you? Try again."
He grunted and jumped to attack me. Okay so she screams and he grunts, good to know.
I dogged his attack easily and gave him a good punch on his ribs, that should hurt.
He groaned in pain but attacked me nonetheless. I punched his nose and probably broke it, I could tell that by the blood.
"You bitch." He lashed his knife again and it barely missed me.
"You were saying, dickhead?" I smirked.
He was red in anger and I was totally loving it. It's been a while since I made someone so mad. Old Mia's back folks.
He began to lash his knife randomly. His move was only fueled by his anger. Big mistake.
"Females like you deserve to be treated like that, you are a bitch nothing else." He said females with such poison in his voice.
I hold his arm and twisted it, he screamed painfully. Oh see an upgrade, he screams now!
"Wanna try that again, bastard?" I smiled.
His grip on the knife seemed to loosen up.
"Mia! What are you doing? Leave him." A familiar voice echoed in the alley.
My grip on his arm loosen and it gave him enough opening to use his final move. He turned around and lashed at my stomach but he couldn't do anything else when a hand pushed him away from me into the garbage bins near the end of the alley. The man was knocked out as he hit his head somewhere.
I felt weak... I slumped to the ground when a familiar pair of hands slid around my waist and hold me against him.
Déjà vu.
This happened yesterday too!
Will he make it a habit or something?
"Why do I always find you fighting with someone in this alley all bloody and bruised? This is your boxing ring or something?"
Did he speak with tears in his eyes? Was he worried for me? That is so weird.
That's why you never let your guard down.
Then I slumped into darkness again.
Two times within two days.
Boy, I need to get a life.