Not So Delicate ||18+

Brooklyn ~15~

Two more days. In two more days, I'll be free from University. It was Wednesday and I just finished my exams for the day. Instead of going home like I initially planned to do, I drove to one of the cafés close by. Sitting at the booth, I order my drink and a cookie.

I take out my laptop, going over my notes. After the little study session with Prof. Everest, he decided to give me the rest of the days off so I could study.

At first, I was hesitant, remembering how he told me the first day that if I didn't do well in his tutoring he'd fail my exam. But with a soft smile, and his fingers combing my hair behind my ear, he reassured me that I did fantastically and 'It was a pleasure to teach me'. Whatever that may mean.

I was both excited and nervous for the day when we go out for milkshakes. But I pushed the thoughts back and focused on studying. My coffee and cookie were placed on my table, thanking the waiter, I sipped at the warm liquid. After about 20 minutes of studying, I heard my name called out.

Turning around, I mentally kill myself at the sight of my Ex-boyfriend Joshua. He grinned and walked towards me, pulling me out of my seat to hug me. I gently push him away, sitting back down with an awkward smile.

"Hey, babe. How are you?" He grinned, sitting across from me. I formed my lips into a thin line, looking back at my computer.

"Joshua. I thought we agreed on the fact we're not together anymore. You can quit calling me babe." I mumble, staring at the words on my screen.

"I can call you whatever I want. You're still mine even though you deny it." He seethed. I felt a bubble of discomfort and anxiety in my stomach. I shut my laptop and gather my things before standing. I leave a 20-dollar note on the counter and quickly walk out, Joshua hot on my tail.

"Leave me alone, Joshua." I murmur, walking a little faster. The one day I forget my pepper spray, this happens. Thanks universe.

"Come on, babe! Don't run. You know I can treat you good." He chuckled, grabbing my wrist. I tried to pull it out of his grip but he was a million times stronger than me. He tugged me closer, nearly making me drop my laptop, my book bag almost falling off my shoulder.

"Joshua please just leave me alone. I don't want anything to do with you anymore.." I say quietly, avoiding eye contact. I tried to pull away from him but failed.

"You want a repeat of the last time you tried to run?" He said angrily, tightening his grip on my wrist. His nails dug into the flesh, leaving small indents. It was definitely going to bruise. I felt like sobbing, throwing up, pulling out my hair, and ripping off my skin. The memories rushed back to me, making me feel a weight on my chest. Everything was flashing in my mind. The blood, the pain, the nightmares.

"I'm sick of you. You've done nothing but make my life miserable." I whisper, tugging at my wrist again. I try to knee him in the privates but he blocks my attack. Now angrier than before, he tugged me closer, his grip so strong I was sure my wrist was about to break. I felt something move against the bone in my wrist, making me flinch.

It seemed like time stopped for a moment, the cars on the roads slowed down, and the bustling city fell silent.

In the corner of my eye, I saw him pull his arm back, his fist ready to punch. I shut my eyes and waited for the impact. I felt the pressure around my wrist leave, making me open my eyes in confusion. There in front of me, stood Mr. Archer. He had gotten the punch instead of me. Joshua's eyes widened and he backed up, walking away quickly.

I felt tears prickle my eyes, desperately trying to keep them from falling. No need to be dramatic.

Mr. Archer turned to me, his jaw red from where Joshua punched him. He looked at me with soft eyes, gently grabbing my hand and looking at my wrist. He glared at the red flesh, his thumb gently moving over the raw skin. How he was here? I have no idea. But I wasn't about to ask.

"Come on.. You're okay now." He whispered, pulling me closer to him. His arm wrapped around my shoulders, letting me bury my face in the jacket of his suit. I tried not to cry... I really did. But the way his hand caressed my shoulder made me feel like a little kid being comforted after a nightmare. "That's it, sweetheart, let it out. Come on, let me take care of you.." He said softly.

It was probably a bad idea to go with someone I barely know. But the way he made me feel so safe had me following him like a lost dog. My gut was rarely wrong when it came to the judgment of a person.

He opened his car door for me, closing it with a soft thud. I sniffled and wiped away my tears, feeling pathetic. My hand massaged the raw skin of my wrist, wincing at the burn. Mr. Archer got in and started up his car, driving down the bustling roads of LA.

His hand moved to my knee, squeezing it softly. I looked at him with watery eyes, my eyes caught onto the now forming bruise on his jaw. I reached over and gently touched it, feeling the warm skin against my fingertips, touching it to see if it hurt as much as it looked.

"I'm sorry.." I whisper guiltily. He squeezed my knee again and gave me a toothy grin. My eyes watered more, making me scold myself. He looked at me with soft eyes before looking back at the road.

"You weren't the one who hit me, sweetheart." He said softly, the bump on the road made his hand scoot up my thigh. I didn't move it and neither did he. He gave it a soft squeeze before speaking again. "Who was he?"

"An ex... I thought he moved to Cincinnati. Apparently not." I whisper, looking out the window in shame. I watched as we pulled into a parking lot. He stepped out and opened my door, grabbing my stuff, he helped me out of the sleek black car. His hand rested on my lower back, guiding me into the building. We walked through the lobby and into the elevator where he scanned a sleek grey card, the elevator moving up.

"Where are we..?" I mumble as we step out of the elevator and into a huge office. The walls were a light grey with mahogany furniture, the whole wall that faces the city was made out of nothing but glass.

"This is my office, basically HQ for CAS. Sit. Let me tend to your wrist." He said, walking into a small room to the left. I sat down on the couch, waiting for him to walk back out. I wiped away the slight tears from my cheeks, my eyes burning from the saltiness. He walks back out and sits on the table in front of me, gently pulling my wrist onto his lap.

He takes a cotton pad of alcohol and rubs it over the sore skin, applying some Icy-hot to it before putting a bandage around it. It was a little too much for just a simple bruise but I didn't dare say anything.

"You can stay here for a while until you calm down.. Study while you're here. I heard you're in finals week." He said, putting away the stuff. He stood and sat by his desk, pulling out his laptop and getting to work.

"Mr. Archer?" I call him softly, he looks up from his computer and stares at me for a moment before nodding for me to continue "Tomorrow will be my last day at CAS. I.. I just want to say thank you for giving me an opportunity to work there." I say softly.

He smiles and nods. "You can always volunteer there if you want. Or just come in to visit. I'm sure Scrug would love to see you." He smiles before going back to his work. I smiled softly, liking the fact that he remembered Scrug's name from the last time I mentioned it.

I pulled out my textbooks and started to study a little. After a few minutes, I laid down on the couch to get more comfortable. Another few minutes passed and my eyelids were getting heavier with each blink. Too tired to sit up, I let myself fall asleep.

The feeling of my books being moved from my grasp and something covering my chest made me stir awake.

"Shh, go back to sleep, sweetheart. I've got you." Mr. Archer whispered gently, gently combing his fingers through my hair, lulling me right back to sleep.