A Season of Firsts

Chapter 33

"What the fuck are you doing to her?" Rory roars at the nameless man.

"Nothing, man, I was just going to get her some water because she didn't look too good," the man scrambles for an excuse, fearing the look in Rory's eyes and the threat in his posture.

"Yeah, no shit, because you were touching her when she didn't want to be touched," Rory fumes.

"How do you know that?" the man asks, becoming defensive at the thought of being accused of anything.

"Get the fuck out. Now." Rory deadpans.

"I didn't fucking do anything wrong! I was trying to help her!"

"Leave, or I'll have security make you leave."

"Fine, fine, I'm going. This is a fucking joke," he mumbles as he walks away, disappearing into the crowd that has become even thicker around us due to the scene Rory caused. He reaches me, wrapping his arm around my waist and leading me to the balcony doors and out into the fresh night air.

"Breathe, Dela, just breathe," he says, rubbing his hands up and down my arms as I try to get my anxiety attack under control.

"It's okay, you're okay. He can't touch you," he says, over and over. I don't know who he's referring to, which man, but it soothes me all the same. I move closer to him, and when he wraps his strong arms around me I can finally breathe. I inhale his familiar scent, and clutch his suit jacket with the minimal energy I have left.

"I'm sorry," he says, when he can feel that my body has relaxed in his.

"For what?" I ask quietly, because I truly have no idea.

"For overreacting about the date, and the kiss. I know you were just trying to be a good friend to him," he says, not uttering his name, and I'm grateful. I'm also shocked. I don't know what I was expecting him to apologise for, but it wasn't that.

I look up at him, meeting his eyes, but he carries on talking before I can utter a word.

"I know this is a bad time, but I've been completely inside my head these past few days, just thinking about us and how it all got so fucked up so quickly. It shouldn't have taken New Year's Eve for me to see that you never wanted to initiate anything sexually with him. That you didn't truly want him over me. I guess the situation brought back up a lot of bad memories and insecurities for me, because I've been cheated on in the past. I wasn't willing to go through that pain again. But I know differently now. I want to try again, if you'll let me. I want to spend my free time with you again. I want to go boarding with you, and laugh when you try to do moves and fail miserably. I want to be there for you when you need me. I want to take all your pain away. I want to protect you, because I will always regret the time I couldn't," he says, his voice breaking on the last sentence, and the tears swimming in his eyes mirror my own. He wipes away a tear that falls down my cheek with the pad of his thumb.

"I don't know if I can, Rory. I'm not in a good place right now," I say, my argument sounding weak to even my own ears.

"I'll help you get through this," he carries on, "I want to be there for it all, the good and the shitty. I love you, Dela," he admits, and I gasp almost inaudibly. I let the silence linger as I process his words. He loves me. He loves me, and I know he would never hurt me like other men in my life have.

"Please say something," he whispers, holding my face in his palm.

"I've changed," I say, meeting his eyes, giving him one last chance to back out of his decision, to make him realize that I am not going through the heartbreak of him leaving me again. Once was more than enough.