Wanting My Assistant

Chapter 44

"What do you mean she is the reason you're the way you are?" Dawson presses, stepping closer to me. We've been talking about this for about a half an hour. He won't let up on the situation. I've been trying to explain everything but he refuses to listen to my excuses of what I think I did.

"She made me like this, she told me—"

"You shouldn't believe a single fucking thing she says!" He snarls at me, the fire in his eyes flaring brighter. He's tense. He's been tense. Ever since we left the house and returned to the hotel room, he hasn't calmed down. "You told me to go along with everything they said! Do you even understand what they're doing to you!?" He throws his hands up, but for the first time in my life, I don't flinch.

I know he won't hurt me. He wouldn't touch me like that.

"I-I..." However, this conversation has made me feel so fucking self-conscious I can't even seem to get a full sentence out. Dawson hasn't stopped telling me all the things my parents have been doing wrong their whole lives to me. It hurts. Knowing that he's right.

"God, they've manipulated you into thinking you're unwanted! How do you not understand that!? You're perfect!" His voice keeps growing louder the closer he gets to me. It sounds like he's upset, but it isn't at me. The anger is directed at my parents.

   "Bu-But I-I've always been a—"

   "Don't say it. It's not true. Fuck, baby, you're perfect! Everything you do is selfless and you try to do everything for everyone else! How can you not see how much you give for everyone!?"

   "I don't know..."

   "They've blinded you!"

   "What?" It comes out in a weak whisper.

   "You think you don't deserve what you do! Don't you? Do you think you deserve me?" He asks, stepping closer, his nostrils flared.

"I—" his eyes are hard, the softness that I normally see in his eyes gone. Now replaced by pure rage from what he had experienced within my childhood home. "No...No, I don't think I deserve you." He clenches his hands into fists before spinning around and punching the mirror hanging in the hallway of the hotel room.

I flinch, my eyes wide as worry floods my body. The mirror shatters under his knuckles, his anger overtaking his rational thoughts. My hands start shaking and tears sting behind my eyes as he grits his jaw, panting heavily as his knuckles start dripping with blood.

"Please, Dawson, stop—"

"Why didn't you tell me!?" He almost shouts, completely ignoring the cuts on his knuckles. My heart is racing and a tear falls from my eye, slowly trailing down my cheek. "I could've done something Isadora!" He grits at me, his hands shaking, his eyes wild. My heart stops at the use of my full name, worry gripping my body. I've never seen him like this. He's livid. I don't think he even knows what he's doing. "I could've hired a lawyer to get you out of the contract! I could've put a restraining order on them! I could've bought you more things! I—"

"Because I love you!" I shout, cutting him off and my heart stops in my chest. My throat clogs with emotion and everything I've been trying to keep in come crashing down onto my shoulders and a sob leaves me, "Because I love you, Dawson!" Tears trail down my cheeks and Dawson is now frozen in front of me. His eyes widened with shock and worry, all the evidence of his anger now vanished.

"I—What?" He stutters, his hands falling limp at his sides. His back straightening as his gaze softens.

Another sob leaves me, my lungs heaving for air, "I l-love you, Dawson." Another sob passes through my chest, "I didn't t-tell you because I-I didn't want you t-to think le-less of m-me," his shoulders dropped and his eyes gloss over, the way he's looking at me now making a soft cry leave my lips.