Be Our Rose

How Could You PART 2

Fernando's POV

I had to deal with something outside the house before I got in.

The house was surprisingly quiet. I thought that maybe Rose had fallen asleep.

I walked up to the room and peeked through the door to make sure that Rose was inside.

She was inside alright, but with Leonardo on top of her.

I saw a tear roll down her cheek.

She was crying. Leonardo was forcing himself on her.

I took action.

I slammed open the door, entered the room, and pulled Leonardo by his collar off Rose.

Rose gasped for air and crawled up to the top of the bed.

"WHAT THE HELL LEONARDO!!!"

Leonardo tried to walk around me to get back to Rose, but I pushed him away and blocked him from getting or even looking at Rose.

"Move Fernando."

He finally looked me in the eye.

His eyes were bulging red. He was high on drugs, the illegal ones we sold at the mafia.

"Leave."

I said, glaring at him.

"You can't tell me what to do,"

He said, also glaring back at me.

"I said, GET OUT!!"

I said and pushed him out the door. He knocked violently and shouted for me to let him back in for a while.

I turned back to look at Rose. She looked so horrified and traumatized, sitting on the bed, cuddling her knees very close to her chest, and with her head faced towards the bed.

I sat next to her on the bed with my back against the headboard.

I pulled her close to me, letting her lay her head on my shoulder.

She then started crying, letting everything out.

I remember the last time someone cried in front of me. It was my mother, and I felt so uncomfortable and disgusted. But with Rose, seeing and hearing her cry doesn't disgust me or make me feel uncomfortable. It makes me sad and want to comfort her.

I patted and rubbed her shoulder gently as she let it all out.

"Why, why does it always happen to me, Fernando?"

"What do you mean?"

She sniffed before answering me.

"It's not the first time I almost got raped."

She said, and I didn't know how to respond.

"It happened when I was in grade 6. My cousin had come to visit, and one day, when my parents left the house, he entered my room and forced himself on me just like Leonardo did, but he was much weak and I was able to escape and hide in the cupboard."

She said, damn, Leonardo had brought back some dark memories,
I wanted to kill him.

Turned to face her, and she took her head off my shoulder.

"Rose, I'm sorry I was not there for you then, but I am now, and I will make sure that this doesn't happen again."

I said while wiping away her tears.

"You promise?"

"I promise, I will be your knight in shining armor,"

I said, and she giggled.