Teach Me Love

By Your Side

Lena's POV

We walk out of Stef's apartment, and I can tell Sir Gerald is very satisfied with his deal. I trust him, because I trusted my father, however I know how the art industry work, and I know that money can make people do the worst thing sometimes.

We got in the car, and I can't help but feel this insane need to protect Stef and I know she would kill me if she knew what I was about to do.

"Sir Gerald, you know I respect you dearly, but I'm warning you... You be very careful with how you manage Stefanie, the decisions you take for her career, who you introduce her to, everything. You be very, very careful, because I don't know what I will do if I find out that you used her or played her or whatever. Are we clear?" I flat out threaten.

"She's not the only one in love, I see." He says, softly smiling as I don't crack a smile, because I'm not playing at all.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were involve with her?" he asks.

"Like she said, her connection with me has nothing to do with her work." I reply, dryly.

"Now, I didn't hear you. Are we clear Sir Gerald?" I ask again, glaring hard at him.

"We are extremely clear, I wouldn't risk getting Stewart's daughter pissed off, I know what I risk." He says as I nod at him.

"Good." I say.

After that, I returned at my soft manners with him and discuss about the old time like nothing happened. After dropping him off at his loft, I told Marcus to drive me back to Stef's apartment.

I know she said she wanted to be alone, but something wasn't right. She seemed troubled and angry with everything Sir Gerald had said. And who the hell does she loves other than me since she said that she has no family at all, and that she never mentions anyone else to me. I honestly don't even know if she had loved before, if she ever loved someone, like is it possible to get through life without loving anyone and not becoming a monster in the process? I have no idea. And Stef is far from being a monster, she can hide however she wants, she's the most sensitive soul that I've ever met, and today it shown more than usual. She expresses her emotions by aggressivity, rudeness and anger, but that's the façade, I could clearly see it, but why getting emotional with what Sir Gerald had say? Why did those words get to her so much?

I'm not ever sure that I should ask her if I'm honest, for it seemed very personal to me, and I can't pry on this because I'm sure she will completely shut me out. I need to let her come to me, no matter how frustrating this is, for I want to know, I want to know everything about her, every single thing that she has been through because I want to help her, I want to heal her... but I know it's not something that I can do, I know that I can help, but I can't be the one healing her for that's a process she has to go through herself, she has to want it... but does she?

She has been pretty sane so far, but I know that she's broken inside. You can't go through a childhood without no one who loved you enough to take care of you and just be okay. That's not possible, no matter how much she tries to make me think that she's fine, she's not. She can smile, and laugh, and joke all she wants, at the end of the day, that thing that I often see in her eyes, that expression on her face when she thinks that I'm not looking at her... that are the clues that betrayed her and show in how much pain she really is...

I arrive at Stef's studio and knock on the door. After at least a minute, Stef opens the door, looking at me with a disapproving look before she sighs, and let me in.

I don't say anything and just walk in, closing the door behind me as Stef walk to her mattress on the floor and plop herself on it.

I follow her and just plop myself on the mattress just next to her before I look into her soft eyes that seem particularly sad today, even though she just got a show in a great gallery.