Section 1: A Night Out Gone Wrong
The bar was alive with music and laughter, but Lilly felt out of place. She had planned to have just one drink to relax, but somehow, it turned into three or four. Her head felt heavy, and her vision blurred as the alcohol took over. Ryle sat beside her, a little too close, his tone pretending to be concerned.
"You've had enough, Lilly. Let me take you home," he said, sliding his hand onto hers under the table.
"No... I can... I'm fine," Lilly slurred, trying to move away.
"You're not fine," Ryle insisted, his grip firm as he helped her to her feet. "Come on, let's get out of here."
Lilly's instincts told her something was wrong, but she was too dizzy to resist. Ryle led her toward the back exit, his smirk betraying his true intentions.
At another bar across town, Eliss was sitting with Rebecca, barely listening to her endless chatter. He didn't want to be there, but Rebecca had insisted, dragging him into a conversation he couldn't care less about. His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he glanced at it, grateful for the distraction.
"Lilly's drunk, and Ryle's taking her somewhere. You might want to check."
Eliss froze, his chest tightening. Without a word to Rebecca, he stood up abruptly, throwing some cash on the table.
"Eliss, where are you going?" Rebecca demanded, but he ignored her, rushing out.
The drive to the bar felt like an eternity. His mind raced with worry, a knot forming in his stomach. When he arrived, his heart sank. He spotted Ryle dragging a barely conscious Lilly toward the alley.
"Ryle!" Eliss's voice thundered through the night, making both of them stop.
Ryle turned, his smirk fading. "Relax, man. I'm just taking her home."
"Let her go," Eliss said, his fists clenched.
"She's fine," Ryle replied dismissively.
Eliss stepped closer, his voice growing sharper. "She doesn't look fine to me. Step away from her. Now."
Ryle scoffed. "Why do you even care? She came with me. Back off."
Eliss didn't think; he acted. His fist connected with Ryle's jaw, sending him stumbling back. "You don't touch her again," Eliss said through gritted teeth, his eyes blazing with anger.
Ryle muttered curses under his breath but didn't dare fight back. He walked off, leaving Eliss to scoop Lilly into his arms. Her head rested weakly against his chest, and her soft murmur of his name made his heart ache.
When they reached his apartment, Eliss carefully laid her on the couch, covering her with a blanket. He sat across from her, watching her sleep. His anger had faded, replaced by a strange mix of protectiveness and fear.
He didn't understand his emotions, but one thing was clear: he couldn't let anything happen to Lilly.
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Section 2: The Night at Eliss's Apartment
The door crashed open with a force that reverberated through the stillness of the apartment, matching the turmoil raging in Eliss's chest. He clutched Lilly tightly, her small, fragile body feeling impossibly light in his arms. Her head lolled against him, strands of her hair brushing his jaw, and for a moment, he paused, breathing hard as if the night's events had sucked the air from his lungs.
She had nearly slipped away.
His legs moved on their own, carrying her to the sofa as his thoughts spiraled. He set her down gently, the softness of the cushions contrasting with the weight of his emotions. Her flushed cheeks and slightly parted lips painted a picture of innocence, but he couldn't erase the image of her earlier—so close to danger, so unaware.
His hands lingered for a beat too long, the warmth of her skin against his fingertips anchoring him. Then he stepped back, raking a hand through his hair as anger and worry crashed over him like a tidal wave.
His phone buzzed on the coffee table, shattering the moment. Rebecca.
The sight of her name on the screen made his jaw clench. He snatched the phone and silenced it with a force that sent it sliding across the table. Rebecca didn't matter tonight. Nothing did—except Lilly.
Eliss turned, his gaze locking onto the girl curled up on the sofa. The blanket he had draped over her had slipped slightly, revealing her delicate shoulders. Her breathing was uneven, her lips twitching as if caught in a dream—or a nightmare.
She stirred, her lashes fluttering as her eyes opened, hazy and unfocused.
"Eliss..."
His name on her lips sent a jolt through him. He froze, his breath catching in his throat. She sounded so small, so lost, and it hit him like a punch to the gut. Slowly, as though drawn by some invisible force, he knelt beside her.
"You're awake," he said softly, his voice barely audible.
Her eyes found his, glassy and uncertain, and for a fleeting moment, something unspoken passed between them. Her vulnerability laid bare, and it tore at the walls he had built around himself.
"What were you thinking, Lilly?" His voice was hoarse, a mix of anger and something much deeper—something he refused to name. He reached out, his hand trembling as he brushed a strand of hair from her damp forehead. "Do you even know what could've happened to you?"
She blinked slowly, her lips parting as if to respond, but no words came. Her gaze was heavy with unshed tears, and the sight unraveled him further.
"You don't get to do this," he continued, his voice rising, though not in anger but in pain. "You don't get to scare me like that." His fists clenched, the memory of Ryle's hands on her flashing in his mind.
Her hand, small and uncertain, reached out and lightly touched his arm. That tiny, trembling gesture made his breath hitch.
"I didn't mean to..." Her voice cracked, and a single tear slid down her cheek.
Eliss's heart twisted painfully, his chest feeling like it was caving in. "You're safe now," he whispered, the words more for himself than for her. He sank to the floor beside the sofa, his head dropping into his hands as he tried to steady the storm inside him.
But he couldn't.
He had never felt this way before—this raw, primal need to protect someone, to keep them safe at any cost. And it terrified him.
As Lilly drifted back into a restless sleep, Eliss stayed where he was, his gaze never leaving her face. His anger had faded, replaced by something deeper, something that scared him even more than the thought of losing her.
Because the truth was undeniable now.
He couldn't lose her. Not to Ryle. Not to anyone. Not even to herself.
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Section 3: Breaking Down the Walls
The room was unbearably quiet, save for the faint hum of the city outside. Eliss sat slumped on the floor, his head in his hands, the weight of the night pressing down on him like a vice. He didn't dare look at her, didn't dare let himself feel the full gravity of the situation. But even in the silence, he was acutely aware of her—Lilly, lying there on his sofa, fragile and breakable in a way that tore at something deep inside him.
Then, she stirred.
"Eliss..." Her voice, hoarse and barely audible, cut through the stillness like a sharp knife.
His head shot up, his dark eyes locking onto her. For a moment, he froze, unsure if she was fully awake or caught in some feverish dream. But when her gaze, clouded and unsure, met his, it felt like the air had been sucked out of the room.
"You're awake," he said, his voice low and rough. He stood abruptly, pacing the room, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. "Do you have any idea what could've happened tonight? Do you even understand how dangerous it was?"
She blinked, her brow furrowing as she tried to sit up. Her body protested, but she forced herself upright, leaning against the armrest. "I didn't..." Her voice cracked, and she swallowed hard. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen."
"That's your excuse?" Eliss snapped, spinning to face her. "You didn't mean to? Do you think that makes it any better? That it makes what Ryle could've done to you okay?"
His words hit her like a slap, and tears sprang to her eyes. She looked down, her hands trembling in her lap. "I just wanted to forget," she whispered.
"Forget what?" His voice softened, but the edge of frustration still lingered. He took a step closer, his chest heaving with barely contained emotion. "What are you trying so hard to run from, Lilly? Why do you keep doing this to yourself?"
Her head snapped up, her tear-filled eyes blazing with a mix of anger and vulnerability. "Why do you care, Eliss?" she shot back, her voice shaking. "You push me away every chance you get. You act like I'm invisible, like I don't matter. And now, suddenly, you're this... protector? Tell me why!"
The words hit him like a punch to the gut, and for a moment, he couldn't speak. He looked away, his jaw tightening, his hands clenching at his sides.
"I don't know," he said finally, his voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know what this is. All I know is that when I saw Ryle with you tonight..." He trailed off, his voice cracking. "It felt like someone had ripped my heart out of my chest."
Lilly stared at him, stunned into silence. Her mind raced, trying to process the raw emotion in his voice, the vulnerability he never let anyone see.
Eliss ran a hand through his hair, turning away from her as if he couldn't bear to face her reaction. "You scare me, Lilly," he admitted, his voice trembling. "You make me feel things I don't want to feel. You make me weak. And I hate it."
Her breath hitched, tears streaming down her face. "You think you're the only one scared?" she whispered. "You're the one who makes me feel like I'm not enough. Like I'm too much and not enough all at once. You... you confuse me, Eliss. I don't know where I stand with you."
He turned back to her then, his eyes dark and intense, filled with an emotion she couldn't name. "You stand right here," he said, stepping closer. His voice softened, but the intensity didn't waver. "Right here with me."
Before she could process his words, he reached out, his hand brushing her hair back from her face. The touch was gentle, almost reverent, and it sent a shiver down her spine.
"You don't have to be scared anymore," he murmured, his voice barely audible. "Not when you're with me."
Her heart thundered in her chest, and she felt like she couldn't breathe. But she didn't pull away. Instead, she leaned into his touch, her tears spilling freely now.
"Eliss..." she whispered, her voice breaking.
He closed his eyes, leaning his forehead against hers. For a moment, the world fell away, leaving just the two of them, raw and exposed in a way neither of them had ever been before.
"I'm not good at this," he admitted, his voice shaking. "But I'll try. For you, Lilly... I'll try."
The words hung in the air, heavy and fragile, but they were enough. Because for the first time, the walls between them began to crumble. And in that moment, amidst the chaos of their emotions, they found a flicker of something neither of them could ignore.
Something real. Something undeniable.