Without Her ✓

Let Me

Tessa

I don't know what made me say it, but at that moment I felt like I could tell him anything. Not necessarily because I trusted him a lot, but because I wanted to tell someone and I needed to know that someone cared. I didn't think about the consequences.

He stayed quiet, but I could see how shocked he was. I appreciated the fact that he didn't say anything. What was there to say? I wouldn't know what to say either if someone told me that.

"This is why I can't stay away from trouble as many times as you warn me. I am already in trouble. I saw something I wasn't supposed to see and now I can't escape it" I said covering my face with my palms.

"Hey" He said softly taking my hands away from my face, "Whatever it is, I'm here with you and we'll get through it together"

"You have nothing to do with it. You don't have to do anything"

"Well, now I have something to do with it and I will help you escape it"

He was so sure of what he was saying. He even had a smirk on his face, but I couldn't believe him as much as I wanted to.

"Leo, you don't understand-"

"I do" He said taking my hands in his, "I understand better than you think. Trust me"

Why does he seem so happy to help and why is he so sure that he understands? Does he know something?

"Okay" I mumbled.

"Thank you for telling me, Tess. You don't know how much this means to me" He said, his face leaning closer as he looked into my eyes.

As much as I wanted to be suspicious of him and stay cautious, the bright smile on his face was distracting and I couldn't help but trust him. So I smiled at him.

"Thank you for being here for me" I said, "No one knows about this. Only my father and it kills him that could have gotten hurt too"

"Do you mind if I ask how come you didn't get hurt?" He asked.

I tried to recall the day it happened. I had buried all the memories in order to cope with it so I'd almost forgotten.

"There was this boy" I said squinting my eyes and trying to remember, "I don't remember a lot but he helped me and I ran off. I don't remember what happened after, but I somehow ended up in the police station with my dad. I guess I called him after I ran off. Yes, I called him. The police never caught the  people who did it"

When I looked at his face I couldn't tell the emotion in his eyes. His lips were slightly parted and he was frowning.

I let out a deep breath. It was hard for me to talk about this and I'd already said much more than I thought I was able to.

"I'm sorry. I am a little overwhelmed. Normally I don't even think about it because it hurts too much" I said.

"It's okay, sweetheart. You were able to talk about it and handled it so well. I'm proud of you and glad to be the one you shared it with" He said softly stroking my back.

This was a side of him I rarely got to see. The sweet side of him which I'd grown to like a lot.

I leaned into him and wrapped my arms around his torso and we sat there for a while, in silence. I felt comfortable like that and I never wanted to leave, but I would have to at some point.

"We should probably get going. Your dad will worry about you" He said.

"He's not home. He's working" I mumbled, my voice muffled by his chest.