🎶 Keep Holding On — Avril Lavigne 🎶
Pedri POV
After closing my bedroom door behind me, I walked down the stairs to find my brother and my best friend waiting for me with their arms crossed and worried looks on their faces.
"What happened?" my brother hissed agitatedly.
"Marcos, he... he didn't want to rape her... He... wanted to kill her" I whispered and that was when I finally was able to cry too. I had tried staying strong for her but now that she wasn't here, my walls crumbled.
"Oh God" Ferran mumbled and both the boys hugged me while I just cried.
"I... I don't know the details... we haven't talked yet and I have to get her something from the store now... Fer, can you please wait by my room if she needs anything or... you hear anything, call me immediately. I... I can't decipher in which state she's currently in. And Ferran, I'll... call you tomorrow" I sniffled as I loosened the embrace. Both nodded and my friend and I walked outside to our cars.
"Fuck... Marcos... He's our physio... You always hear about this stuff on the news but you would never actually think it could be a person you think you know..." he muttered and I shook my head.
"It's unbelievable... I... I still can't wrap my head around all of this" I whined and pushed my hair back.
"Stay strong, bro... She's here with you now" Ferran said as he hugged me.
"Yeah, but... Why was she with him in the first place? Why didn't she call or text for two weeks? She told me she loved me... she told me again tonight... I don't know what's going on" I sighed defeatedly as we arrived at my car.
"You guys need to talk for good once and for all" Ferran told me and I nodded before we said goodbye and parted ways with our cars.
Thankfully they had these pads thingy things that Isa had made a screenshot of at the tiny 24h supermarket and I blushed when I paid for them at the cashier. I had never done something like this, I had never cared so much for a girl to do this kind of stuff, it felt so new and... I liked it. I was really in love for the first time in my life. Sure, I had fancied some girls here and there before, had a few dates, but this... This thing with Isa was intense, not only because of my feelings for her, but also those for her daughters. Everything in me was telling me to step up and take responsibilities - they needed someone to protect and take care of them, especially after what happened tonight.
When I returned back home, Fer was just coming down the stairs, looking at Isa's dirty clothes, which included her underwear.
"Give me this" I hissed at him and took the pile of clothes, which, oh wow, that was some nice lacy underwear.
"After seeing this, I bet she went to break up with him to visit you afterwards" my brother tried to crack a joke, but it was too soon. Too soon after hearing that gunshot with which I could have lost Isa forever. And Sofi and Blanca their mother.
"Shut up" I growled at him and his expression turned serious again.
"Sorry" he mumbled and I quickly went to our laundry room to throw everything into the washing machine. I selected a quick programme, because that lacy underwear didn't look like it would withstand hot temperatures or high revolutions.
Then, I went back upstairs to my room, the door to the bathroom was still closed, so I knocked and it was opened, Isa standing there with a towel draped around her body and wet hair.
"Thanks" she whispered as I handed over her girly stuff and she closed the door again to get dressed. I sat down on the bed and waited for her, not knowing how much she was ready to share with me right now. When the door opened again, I had to crack a small smile despite all the pain and hurt going on right now - she looked so cute in my oversized clothes and it was quite a contrast to the professional businesswear she always had on.
She cracked a very small smile as she walked over to me and sat down on my lap. Instinctively, I immediately wrapped my arms around her and kissed her hair, swaying her back and forth a bit.
"Tell me when you're ready to talk" I whispered and she nodded.
"Can you bring me some tissues first?" she asked and I nodded, gently placing her on my bed and walking to my nightstand to get the tissue box. She had to laugh a bit when she saw it.
"I can only guess why you have it on your nightstand" she chuckled through her sadness.
"Damn right, and I think of you, just to get all the facts straight here" I replied, trying to lighten the mood a bit. Her smile gave me air to breathe.
She took a deep breath before starting to talk.
"After... your birthday, I... I knew it had to be you, but I wanted to get two things over with first. But then work got crazy and on top of that, Sofi was sick for a week, then Blanca caught it too, it was... exhausting. But... anyways, this morning, I finally went to Rodri's grave to tell him that I wanted to be with you. After that, I shot Marcos a message because I... wanted to end things with him, make everything clear, I wanted to be correct and not just... ghost him or be a shitty person. He told me I could come to his place and I agreed. I had dinner with my parents in the evening where I left Blanca and Sofi because... I wanted to come here when I was done and... just be with you" she sniffled and took a tissue to blow her nose.
"When I sat there on Marcos' couch... he offered me some wine to drink and I accepted. But when I wanted to drink it these weird images of me at Rodri's grave in the morning kept appearing and I was weirded out. So I just faked taking some sips because... I don't know. Maybe it was drugged maybe not. He went away for some minutes and when he came back, he started to make moves on me - I thought he... wanted to touch me. I tried to call someone, fumbling on my phone but he threw it away before I could manage. He... grabbed me and told me that he knew I wanted it too and... I really thought he was just going to rape me" she cried and dried her tears with another tissue. I took her hand and softly stroked it with my thumb to make her feel that I was with her.
"And then... he dragged me to his room. He was... so strong and maybe... I had already accepted what was coming, I knew I was weaker than him and there was no way to escape. He threw me on his bed and locked his bedroom door and I just thought... Here we go, do it, let's get this over with, I've moved on from worse, I can get over this too. But when I saw the gun he took out from his closet... I... He said that we were going to see Tana and Rodri soon... I..." she said and started crying uncontrollably. Fuck, this was even worse than I had imagined and I pulled her closer, laying my arm around her shoulders and kissing her head.
"He went on to tell me about how everything was going to be alright, stories about his wife, that it was better for me to be reunited with Rodri and... weird, weird stuff, I was so afraid. I even felt guilty for not wanting to die to be with Rodri. I mean... I have Sofi and Blanca and you and Fer and Ferran and Gavi and my parents and my sister and my nieces and my nephews..." she sobbed, talking frantically and I couldn't help but smile at her mentioning me and my family and friends. She was very agitated and upset and that made it even sweeter, this girl had endured so much pain but she still saw it as her mission to give love to so many people that were still walking on this earth.
"And then we saw the blue lights of the police cars through the window, he started to become more nervous and grabbed me, almost choking me as he pointed the gun at my temple. But I didn't want to die, even if it meant not seeing Rodri again, I wanted to live and with all my strength, I tried to wiggle myself free. Either I pushed away the gun as he triggered it or he triggered it onto himself instead, I couldn't see. The shot was so loud, and I fell down with his body on top of mine. The police came at some point and helped me up and when I saw his body... Oh gosh... I will never get that image out of my head..." she sobbed and buried her eyes into my sweater as I just held her and caressed her head.
"You called me Isa, I received the call and heard... him. I immediately called 112 from Fer's phone, knowing that this was bad but I would have never imagined it to be this bad" I told her but she shook her head.
"No, no, I'm so sure I didn't manage to call anyone, that's why I had accepted what was coming at that point" she said, shaking her head.
"Maybe it was Marcos as he threw-" I started, but she shook her head more wildly now.
"No. I thought of it under the shower. The images of the graveyard and then the call... Rodri was looking out for me... in some way. I know it sounds crazy and ghosts don't exist but... he looked over me, he protected me, he knew it was you that had to be called" she sniffled and now my eyes were tearing up too.
"Sorry, I... sound crazy..." she muttered.
"No, no, you don't. I wasn't there and I can't see your mind. If this is the most plausible explanation for you, I will believe it" I told her, looking into her eyes. It hurt me to see how broken she was in this moment. If I could, I would take all her pain from her in a heartbeat. She was such a genuinely good person that didn't deserve any of this.
"Come on, you need to get some sleep. Are you sure you want me here?" I asked, not wanting to push her into any situation she wouldn't feel comfortable in.
"I'm pretty sure you're the only place I want to be in right now" she replied nodding and I laid down next to her, holding her in my embrace. It warmed my heart that she said that I was her place.
