Love Or Rivalry

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Four

Roxy’s POV

It was warm, the silk sheets slid against my skin softly. I stretched, instantly relaxing at the soreness of my muscles. My throat felt raw, my eyes were swollen. What happened? I slowly opened my eyes, glancing around warily. The room was huge, and bare, save for the bed and the bedside table. Everything was white, except for the wooden bed, bedside table, and the four doors. A guest room? Glancing at the bruises on my arms, I frowned. What happened last night? I was at the club drinking, and then I went out for some fresh air, then I heard some voices, and...and…Horror and fear struck me as the frightening memories flashed in my head. His hands, his mouth…Tears fell down my cheeks as I slowly recalled every single thing that happened, every single detail. “No…” I whispered. “No…no…no…no…no…no…no…NO!” I sobbed and curled tightly in a ball, rocking back at forth and clutching painfully at my hair. No…what…why…how?!

The door nearest the bed opened and my head shot up. Who is it?! I clutched at the silk sheets frantically, searching for something that could protect me. There was nothing. He was tall and leanly muscular. His skin was white like freshly fallen snow, his hair a faded red that contrasted with his pale skin, the tips were dyed an icy white. He was wearing a white long sleeved v-neck sweater and tight leather pants. Barefooted, he walked slowly towards me on the white carpet. I scrambled backwards on the bed, pulling the sheets closer towards me. “It’s okay. It’s me.” He said softly, slowly stepping forward. His voice was familiar, it was smooth, gentle, and alluring, like velvet. Who…I scanned his face as he moved closer, searching for something I could recognise. He had sharp features, but yet at the same time they were soft, his jaw was defined and strong, his cheekbones were prominent, his lips were attractively full and his thick, long lashes framed beautiful amber eyes…his eyes…he’s… “Do you remember me?” He asked, moving to stand beside the bed. I slid backwards, wincing when I hit my back on the hard bed frame. “Hey, it’s okay…I won’t hurt you.” He sat down slowly on the edge of the bed, watching me closely. “I-I know.” My voice cracked and tears began to roll down my cheeks. “Don’t cry, please…” He slid close to me and I pulled at the sheets uneasily.

He lifted his hand and I flinched away, staring at the sheets covering me. “I’m sorry…please don’t cry…” I looked up as he placed his hand on my cheek, gently wiping away my tears. “Why…why are you apologising?” I whispered. His touch was comforting, and I felt myself slowly calming down. “I don’t know, but I don’t want to see you cry, so please don’t cry.” He raised his other hand and cupped my face softly, his hands were warm and gentle. I nodded quietly, blinking away my tears. He was like a lullaby, his touch, his voice, everything about him made me feel safe and protected, nothing could hurt me, and everything was going to be okay.

“Thank you…” I trailed off. He smiled at me and for a moment I was stunned, his smile was so beautiful. “Mirai…My name is Mirai.” He dropped his hands back onto his lap. (A/N: haha random Jap name here, Mirai means future, and it’s a really gentle name so we decided to use it, does it sound weird?) “Mirai…My name is Roxalie.” I relaxed and released the sheets. “Can I call you Allie?” He asked. Nobody’s ever called me that before…well I guess ‘Roxalie’ is kinda a mouthful. “Yeah...” Looking down, I noticed that I was wearing only a plain white t-shirt and black boxers. My eyes widened. My dress had a build-in bra so I wasn’t wearing one yesterday. And yesterday… the man also…my underwear. “Um…Did you…” I waved awkwardly at the clothes. “Oh…” He coughed uncomfortably. “Er…yeah, I did. Your clothes were pretty…torn…so…I’m sorry.” He blushed and looked at the other side of the room. I bit my lower lip and blushed, there was probably no other way around it. “It’s okay. Thank you, Mirai.” I smiled, then winced when my cheek ached. “Yeah…I’m sorry.” He apologised again. “Do you have someone you need to call? I’m sure they’re really worried about you.” He pulled his phone out from his pocket.

Someone I need to call…someone I need to call. Oh damn. Cain, Hunter, Nate, Rae and Kaera! They’re probably worried as hell. Cain probably called Leo too. I have to call them before they call in the big guns. “Yeah, yes I really need to call someone, he’s probably freaking out and giving himself hell…” I trailed off as Mirai handed me the phone. “Thanks.” I smiled at Mirai. He smiled back at me, but it seemed a little sad…right now I need to call Cain. He picked up the phone immediately. “Hello? Who is this?” Cain asked, sounding depressed and anxious. “…It’s me.” I answered. “ROXALIE? IS IT ROXALIE?!” Cain yelled hopefully. “What…Roxalie! Is she okay! What’s going on!” I could hear many voices coming from the other line…Nate…Hunter…even Rae and Kaera. They must be worried sick. “Yeah, it’s me.” I glanced at Mirai, who shot a tiny smile at me. “Where are you! Are you okay! What happened! Did you get kidnapped?! Who’s the bastard!” Cain shot off questions. “It’s okay, I’m fine. I’m somewhere safe. You don’t need to worry.” I reassured him. “What happened! Tell me where you are, I’m going to pick you up now!” He yelled. “No! Don’t. Don’t look for me. Nothing happened. I’ll go back when I’m ready, so please don’t look for me, and don’t worry, I’m safe.” I hung up the phone as soon as I finished talking.

“Is that okay?” Mirai asked. “Yeah. He can’t see me like this or he’ll find those…bastards…and beat them within an inch of death.” I sighed. “You have a really good boyfriend.” He smiled at me, though it looked forced. Boyfriend? “Ah, no…that was my brother…He’s really protective of me, I haven’t had a single boyfriend because of him.” I laughed, recalling all the guys being scared off by Cain or Leo. “Oh.” Mirai smiled brightly. “He won’t like you being here with me then, are you sure you shouldn’t tell him?” He asked worriedly. “Yeah, he’ll just overreact and assume you did something to me. Plus, I can take care of myself.” My smile faded and I clutched the silk sheets tightly. “Usually. I drank a lot yesterday.” I grit my teeth. “Were you upset because of something? I know I just met you, but you don’t really seem the type to drink…” Mirai asked. “Yeah, because of something really stupid. I won’t be drinking again.” I smiled bitterly. Mirai leaned forward and hugged me tightly and my eyes widened. “I’m sorry. From now on, I’ll be here for you.” Mirai whispered.

I stiffened, but then relaxed, resting my head against his shoulder easily. “Okay,” I whispered. It felt nice having someone, even though I barely knew him, caring for me so tenderly.

Authors' note: It's another short chapter, but we uploaded it pretty quickly this time round :))))

Do you guys like his name? We absolutely love the gentle feeling it gives off, and it suits the character very well. 

Roxalie may seem like she's getting over the trauma over rather quickly, but she actually hasn't. The damage cause from the attack remains to be seen...