by Jude Ouvrard
I’ve had enough of thinking and enough of the bath. I stand up in the water and step out of the tub, reaching for the towel.
Wow, my head is spinning. My vision is suddenly blurry and I feel off-balance and nauseous. I slip on the wet tiles and hit my head on the corner of the vanity.
''God, dammit!'' I shout. I’m gonna be sick. I crawl to the toilet bowl and only just make it in time. The towel has slipped down to my waist; I'm trying to hold my own hair out of the way and I can’t stop retching. This is bad. Every part of my body is hurting.
And just when I think the night can’t get any worse, it proves me wrong.
Chapter FIVE
Presley
I TRY TO relax while Abbie takes a bath. I don’t know how long she’ll stay in there. I know she’s embarrassed and ashamed about the scene with Dean, so I imagine she’ll hide out for a while. She'll need my support when she comes back out of the bathroom. I just can’t leave her on her own. I’m determined to stay the night, and make sure she's doing fine before I’ll leave her tomorrow morning. Even the thought of leaving Abbie is painful. I don’t know what to think of my emotional reaction. I don’t even know this woman. All I know is that she’s unforgettable and passionate. I definitely want to get to know her better; I just hope she’ll let me. We’ve gotten off to a very rough start, and she’s just broken up with an abusive boyfriend. Maybe she’ll want to be left alone.
''God, dammit!'' I hear Abbie shout and instantly I’m on my feet and running to the bathroom door. What the hell's going on in there? Is she sick or something? I knock on the door twice and when there’s no response, I wrench it open.
Oh, fuck! Her breasts are naked, a towel draped around her waist. ''Oh, shit, sorry, Abbie, I didn’t mean to… umm... shit, sorry.'' I try to avoid looking at her breasts again, but God help me, I just can’t stop myself. Come on, Presley, pull yourself together! Stop staring at her tits and help her!
I snatched a towel off the towel rail and wrapped it around her shoulders, then wrapped my fist around her hair, to keep it back from her face. I rub circles on her back with the other hand. She keeps vomiting, and it’s causing her pain by the sound of it. Her body has been put under a lot of stress tonight. Poor Abbie, I feel so bad for her.
Eventually, she stops retching and I grab a face washer for her to rinse her face with. She’s got to be exhausted. I know I am.
''Do you want to get into bed now?'' I cringe, thinking it sounds like a sleazy line, but she looks so tired, I don’t think she even notices.
''Yeah, I think I will.'' I slip an arm around her waist, and support her as she walks into the bedroom. I don't want her to fall again.
She's gripping the towel to her chest as she sits on the bed. ''Presley, would you mind grabbing a t-shirt from the third drawer, and underwear from the top one?''
''Of course.'' I open the third drawer and grab a t-shirt with ‘Hello Kitty’ on the front. In the top drawer, I find a range of sexy underthings; thongs, lace, cotton, sheer. I pick a pair of pink boy cut underwear and hand her the clothes. I discretely turn away while she gets dressed and then help her get into bed. She is so fucking sexy; I can’t believe how lucky I am to be standing here in her bedroom.
''I’ll be on the couch if you need me for anything.'' I don’t know what else to do or say. Should I kiss her cheek? I’m not used to this situation. I decide to keep to myself and let her be. The woman is sick and tired; she doesn’t need me pawing her tonight. I walk over to the door and turn off the light.
''Presley?'' Every time she says my name, my body reacts wildly. She’s driving me crazy. Or maybe I am crazy.
''Yeah?'' I answer quietly, standing in the doorway to her darkened room.
''Come here... closer.'' I do as I’m told, coming to stand beside the bed. ''Stay with me,'' she whispers. Her voice is so sweet and soft. How can I possibly say no? She wriggles across on the bed to make room. ''I feel safe with you. I just want you to be close by.''
''Uh... okay... sure.'' I feel like a horny teenager, about to lose his virginity. I pull back the covers and sit gingerly on the edge of the bed. '' Is it okay if I take off my jeans?'' I immediately regret asking the question, not wanting to make this anymore awkward than it already is.
''Of course you can.'' She's chuckling and it sounds so sweet. ''You’ve held me. You’ve kissed me. You’ve met my boyfriend, I mean ex-boyfriend, and seen him losing his shit on me and smacking me around. You’ve seen me vomit out my entire stomach contents, and you’ve definitely seen my boobs. I think you’ve seen far more in one night than you were ever supposed to.'' She smiled shyly. ''If you want it to be fair between us, you would have to take your shirt off and show me your chest.''
''I might scare you.'' I think about my tattoos and piercings – she doesn't seem like the type of woman who would be into them.
''Why would you scare me?'' She raises one eyebrow curiously.
''I’ve been told sometimes that I intimidate people.'' Well, maybe not Abbie, if her calm appraisal of me is any indication. I take off my shirt and let it fall to the floor. She’s watching me with those gorgeous green eyes and I know she sees right through me. And she’s not fazed in the slightest. Tattoos cover not only my arms, but my entire torso and back.
''You don’t scare me, Presley. But that,” she nods toward my nipples. “I mean come on, the tattoos I get, but piercing your nipples? That must have hurt like hell.''
''Yeah, it did.'' I repress a shudder when I remember the pain I went through, having it done. ''I thought I was going to pass out. Joshua, my brother, almost did.''
''Mmm hmm...'' she mumbles sleepily.
I start to slip off my jeans. ''Go to sleep, Abbie, we’ll talk more in the morning.'' I stare down at her and feel so guilty that my actions have caused this. I can't stop looking at her, she is so damn perfect.
After an hour of thinking and staring at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to come, Abbie rolls closer to me. She settles her head on my chest and intertwines her legs with mine. I didn’t expect it, and I’m certain she doesn’t realize what she’s doing. Despite how turned on it’s making me, I don't care; I’m loving every second of it. I place an arm around her shoulders and kiss her forehead tenderly, careful not to touch her swollen cheek.
I can’t fall asleep; I can’t stop myself from staring at her. She is so beautiful but filled with so much hurt. I hope she makes a full recovery from the abuse that bastard has inflicted on her, not only physically but mentally. My sister, Joy-Anna is always talking about love at first sight. When she first met Derek, she said she fell in love with him instantly. She felt her whole life being connected to his, told me that she had absolutely no control over it. That's how I feel about Abbie. I’ve only known her for a few hours but my heart and soul both seem to need her. On the other hand, there's an inner voice warning me to relax and take it easy, that I’ll come back to my senses in the morning.
I'm still watching her, studying her lips, her long eyelashes, and her perfect skin when I feel my eyelids getting heavier. I love the idea of falling asleep looking at an angel. I'm only praying she's not a broken one. Regardless of what happens, I want to help her regain her footing.
I really, really need to take a piss, but I don't want to risk waking her up. I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to hold it though. I’ve been awake for a while now, watching her. The photographer in me notices every curve of her body. I could make her look divine in a photo shoot, and I have an image in my head of the tattoo I wish I could see on her skin. I’m only daydreaming. I wouldn’t ask her to change a thing about herself.
I could so easily fall in love with her. It’s too soon, Presley.
She's starting to move, stretching her limbs. I watch her slowly opening her eyes. She seems uncertain, a little anxious. Actually, she looks a little pale – I hope she’s not going to be sick again. She’s peeking at me with those amazing green eyes, and definitely blushing. I’m sure she didn’t plan to wake up and
find herself wrapped around my body. I think it’s hilarious, but I try not to laugh.
''Are you alright, Abbie?''
She rubs her eyes sleepily, and then frowns as if she’s in pain. Her cheek is swollen and bruised this morning.
''If I were you, I’d put the frozen peas on it again.'' I wait for her to respond, to say something but she remains silent. I turn on my side and lean my head on my fist, staring down at her. ''Are you okay, Abbie? Do you want me to leave? Say something, anything – please?''
At last, she speaks. ''I’m fine, honestly. I’m just surprised by how hot you look when you wake up.'' She grins, seemingly pleased with her joke.
''Wow... okay...” Now it was my turn to be embarrassed. “I didn’t expect that, but thanks... you look good, too.''
She slaps my shoulder. ''Shut up Presley. I look like shit. Half my face is swollen, and I don't even think I can smile. ''
''Ice. I'm going to get you some ice.'' I pull the sheets back and get out of bed. I can feel her watching me. I’m only wearing boxers and I know I’m a reasonably toned guy, but her avid attention is making me nervous.
''Presley?'' She sounds as if she’s going to ask me something, and for some reason, that makes me even more fucking nervous. ''Thank you... for everything,'' she says. She’s sitting in the middle of the bed with the worst case of bed head I’ve ever seen, and even looking like she does – no makeup, black and blue cheek, hair all crazy – she’s seducing me as no other woman ever has.
''No problem, love.'' Love? Really, Presley? You are such a loser.
I walk out of the bedroom, and all I can think about is how badly I need to use the bathroom and how turned on I am. I could have gone to her bathroom, but it would have felt weird. There has to be another one. I take a quick tour of the apartment and find it. I’m astonished to see the quantity of books Abbie owns. It’s incredible. I’m having a hard time believing that she could have possibly read all of them… there must be hundreds. I find everything from Shakespeare to Nora Roberts, Nicholas Sparks, Frances Day, and Nathan Patterson. She has quite the collection, and doesn’t seem to have a particular genre. I get the impression she reads anything that can be read. I grab some ice before I return to the bedroom.
''There you go. Hold this against your cheek.'' I hand her a bag of ice, wrapped in a dishtowel. ''I know it’s none of my business, but I think you should probably call the police and file a report.'' For a moment I think she’s stopped breathing. She's watching me with tears trickling down her cheeks.
''I think I should too,” she agrees quietly. “That’s what my dad would’ve suggested I do.''
I get the impression her dad isn’t around anymore. I recall the words Dean said last night “You're nothing without me! You have no friends, no family. You only have your job and this fucking place. You never go out; you're a hermit, a loner. I'm all you have, Abbie!” Fear is visible in her expression, she’s scared. Her ex is obviously a total ass: possessive and jealous.
''Maybe you should apply for a restraining order, Abbie. It would be safer for you.''
I‘ve only just met her, I don’t even know if we have a future together. I want to believe we do, but I have no clue what the future holds. One thing I do know – I want her to be safe, and as long as Dean’s around, I fear she won't be.
''I’m not exactly what you were hoping for, huh? Go on, admit it'' she says, without meeting my gaze. “Bet you never thought I would be this complicated, huh?” I can hear the shame in her voice and the concern. She’s obviously under the impression that I’ll ditch her – decide she’s not worth the hassle. She’s dead wrong.
''You are exactly what I thought you would be, Abbie. You’re smart; I can tell just by seeing all the books you own.'' I touch her hand, trying to get her attention. I want her to look at me and be proud of who she is. ''You’re sweet, and you’re sensitive, and you’re beautiful. Probably the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen.'' I take a few seconds to watch her reaction, pleased when she attempts a tiny smile. ''You have a one of a kind smile and when I saw you again last night, when I touched you at the concert, I felt something. You're an incredible person, never doubt yourself.''
She's blushing again, and I love it so damn much. Her cheeks turn the perfect shade of red and it only adds to her cuteness.
There she goes, biting her lip again. I have to turn away before I’m tempted to kiss her, because if I do, it won’t be pretty this time, and it certainly won’t be gentle. The next time I kiss her, I may not be able to control myself.
Alicia
I haven’t heard from Presley since I saw him at Lucky 13 last night. I didn’t hear him come home either. I have to admit that I’m worried. Since the Kelly situation, he's been acting differently. That bitch totally used him. She needed a career boost and she only had to get him to take a few shots of her to get it. As soon as she got her photographs, she was gone, never to be heard from again. With Presley’s connections, he could have easily destroyed her career if he’d been vindictive. He isn’t that type of person though, he isn't nearly mean enough. I would have done it, that’s for sure.
Josh is watching a football game on the flat screen. I'd prefer not to distract him during the game, but I need to know if he’s heard any news from Presley. I scratch my fingers through the hair at the back of his head. He loves that. ''Josh, have you heard from Presley since last night?''
''Hmmm? Nah, I haven’t. I didn’t even hear him come in last night. I was up until 4am, and he wasn’t home by then. Do you want me to call him?''
''No, it's okay.'' I can’t hide my concern. It’s just the three of us, for now. Derek and Joy-Anna are away on vacation. Maybe I should text him; he's normally pretty good at responding. It seems to be my only option for now.
Alicia: Presley, where are you? Are you OK?
I wait impatiently... Ding!
Presley: I'm OK. I’m with Abbie. She had a rough night. Her ex is a total ass.
Thank God, he's fine. Presley's like a brother to me and I worry about him.
Alicia: Just be careful, OK? I don't want you getting hurt or anything.
Abbie seems like a sweet girl, but her boyfriend looked like a psycho. The way he pulled her away from me was creepy and I didn’t like the possessive way he acted with her.
Presley: Yeah, don’t worry too much, Ali. I’m at Abbie’s place now trying to sort out some stuff.
That doesn’t sound very promising, but I’ll trust him. Presley’s old enough to deal with his own problems. I have to stop trying to protect him. Josh doesn't understand why I’m so protective of his brother. I’ve known Presley since we were five, and he's always been too nice to people. I think everyone tries to take advantage of him. I know he looks tough, but that’s just an exterior image.
The relationship Presley had with his father was never easy. Josh was always the ‘good son’; he did well in school and after finishing college, he bought a number of businesses, which have been very successful. Joy-Anna was the little sister; she got everything she wanted because she was Daddy’s little princess. But Presley was the artistic type; he didn’t fit their father’s mold of success. From tattoo artist, to painter, to photographer, no matter what Presley did, it was never up to his dad’s standards. Presley would never admit it, but I know it's been tough on him. I know he felt like he was a disappointment to his father for a very long time. He hid behind his art and has always excelled at everything he tried. He’s a true artist and he seems to be at peace now with his past.
From what Josh has told me, their mother was exactly like Presley. I don’t know the circumstances, but one day, she apparently decided she’d had enough of their dad. She just left the family home and never came back. They never heard from her again.
A few years later, their dad received a letter from an Italian law firm, saying their mother had been killed in a car accident in Italy. She had remarried to an Italian man after leaving them. Joshua was upset, but Presley, he didn’t say anything at all
. He just went out and got a huge portrait of her tattooed on his chest.
Consequently, I’ve always looked out for Presley and been a little overprotective of the guy who seemed to miss out on his father’s love. Plus, I owe him my life. He saved me... and for that, I will be forever grateful.
Abbie
I know I have to file a report. Dean hit me and he had no right to do that. It’s what my Dad would want me to do. He would have never accepted any man behaving like that towards me, or any other woman, for that matter. Never. Besides, I have a witness. It'll be alright, Presley will be at my side. I keep repeating that in my head.
I called the police twenty minutes ago; they should arrive any minute now. Presley's holding my hand. He hasn’t kissed me since the night of the concert. I wish he would, but I think he’s trying to be good for now. I’m sure he will try before the end of the day; I can be very persuasive.
''Don’t worry about it, Abbie; you're doing the right thing. You need to be safe. I need you to be safe. I can’t help but think of what might have happened last night if I hadn't stopped him.'' He rubs his hands over his face in frustration. “He's such an asshole, hitting someone who’s so defenseless. He’s... I don't know, Abbie... but I'm so fucking happy that I threw him out.''
''I’m sorry you had to deal with that.'' I keep checking my watch. ''You probably have time to take a shower if you want. I’ll have to explain to them what happened last night first, so I should be fine if they arrive before you’re done.''
