Just a number

Chapter 7: Nikolas

"Relax, I won't hurt you. I was just trying to introduce myself. I'm Nikolas." he said calmly.

She looked up at me having to tilt her head back since she barely reached my shoulders.

"I-I'm Claudine. Not umm Penny. I'm s-sorry I didn't mean to. Please don't punish me." she stuttered as her eyes started watering.

"Why would I punish you? It was an honest mistake. Besides, I would never hit a woman, it's against my morals."

"D-don't lie to me! Just get it over with! If you want something to hit me with you can use this stick it looks effective." she folded her back silencing a cry and picked up a skinny but robust-looking stick on the ground and offered it to me whilst her hands trembled almost causing her to drop the stick.

"No, I'm not going to hit you with a stick!" I took it from her and threw it away as she shielded her face with her frail and skinny arms once more.

"I-I'm sorry for upsetting you. Maybe you'd prefer to use a r-rock?"

"A rock? You want me to hit you with a rock?! When are you going to understand that I'm not going to hit you? I've already said this TWICE and I do NOT like repeating myself." I shouted at her immediately regretting it the second I stopped.

"I-I'm s-sorry. I didn't mean to. I'm sorry I won't question you again. Never again I'm sorry." she started weeping and fresh tears mixed with the old ones that had previously stained her cheeks.

"Hey, hey I'm sorry I shouldn't have shouted at you stop apologising it's my fault. Just...just know I would never hit you, okay?" She nodded looking up but not meeting my eyes.

"Okay?" I said curling my index finger as I lifted her chin so she would look me in the eyes. She winced and I felt a warm liquid on my index finger. Blood.

"You're bleeding."

"I-I know I'll just clean it up at home. Oh my god. I-I have to go home. Father will kill me."

She tried to walk away but as soon as she took a step her legs gave out and she let out a cry and clamped her eyes shut waiting for a fall that would never happen as long as I was around. Her small body feels perfect in my arms. She fits with me like an enzyme and a substrate, a lock and a key, two halves of the same whole. My skin heats in the places where I make contact with her bare back despite the cold around us. 

What am I thinking? Since when was I a romantic? Since when did I start caring for someone below me? Although, at this moment she doesn't feel beneath or above me. She feels like she's on the same level as me. 

My thoughts trailed off as she slowly opened her sky-blue eyes and I observed each small splotch of white in them and the small, imperfectly perfect ring of light brown curled around her pupil.

Actually, it doesn't look like a circle. It looks like heartbeats as a monitor records them. Heartbeats. One of the only reasons we're alive, the constant in our lives we forget we need but still need in the end. 

Wait why am I getting so caught up in a lower? She's just a girl. Not just any girl...the one who makes you feel something.

I realise we've been staring at each other for far too long to be considered friendly.

"I think I can umm manage on my own you can...put me down now," she whispered while shivering. I notice a dark purple blotch beginning from beneath her bra it contrasted with her skin. Dark versus light, menacing vs pure. Although, I didn't mention it because she would most likely shut me out if I did.