Wedcuffed

Chapter 57

Sarah's POV

The room felt like it was closing in around me, every corner shadowed by the lingering presence of Adrian's touch. I could still feel the pressure of his grip on my wrist, the suffocating weight of his body against mine. The memory of his lips on my skin sent a wave of nausea through me, and I hugged the blanket tighter around my shoulders as if it could somehow shield me from the horror of what had just happened.

I could barely process Alessandro's voice as he spoke to me, his words muffled by the roar of my own thoughts. It was like I was trapped in a fog, my mind desperately trying to protect itself from the trauma of what I had just experienced. I knew he was there, his presence a solid anchor in the storm of my emotions, but I couldn't focus on him. All I could see was Adrian's face, twisted with desperation and something far darker.

"Sarah, are you okay?" Alessandro's voice broke through the haze, his tone soft yet laced with an urgency that pulled me back to the present. He was crouched in front of me, his hands hovering near my face, unsure of whether it was safe to touch me. I could see the fear and anger warring in his eyes, and it broke my heart to see him like that.

I wanted to answer him, to reassure him that I was okay, but the words wouldn't come. My throat felt like it was closing up, and my body was trembling uncontrollably. All I could manage was a slight nod, though I knew it was a lie. I wasn't okay. I wasn't sure I ever would be again.

Marisol was at my side, her hand gently rubbing my shoulder, her other arm cradling the baby. Her touch was comforting, but it only made the tears welling up in my eyes harder to hold back. 

I could feel the floodgates about to burst, the weight of what had happened pressing down on me with an unbearable intensity. I didn't want to cry in front of Alessandro, I didn't want him to see just how shattered I was, but I couldn't hold it in any longer.

The sound of sirens approaching outside was a distant blur as the first sob escaped my lips. It was as if all the fear, all the terror I had been holding inside, suddenly broke free. My chest heaved with the force of it, my body curling in on itself as I clung to the blanket for dear life.

"Sarah..." Alessandro's voice was barely above a whisper now, his hand reaching out to gently touch my arm. The contact was enough to ground me, to pull me back from the edge of the abyss I was teetering on. "I'm here. You're safe now. I won't let him hurt you again."

His words were a lifeline, but they also shattered the fragile barrier I had built around my emotions. The sobs came harder now, uncontrollable, as the full impact of what Adrian had done hit me. I could barely breathe through the tears, my body shaking with the force of my grief and fear.

Alessandro moved closer, his arms wrapping around me carefully as if I might break at any moment. I let myself fall into his embrace, my head resting against his chest as I cried. His heartbeat was strong and steady beneath my ear, a reminder that I was not alone, that I had someone who loved me and would protect me no matter what.

"I'm so sorry," I choked out between sobs, though I wasn't even sure who I was apologizing to. For letting Adrian get this close again? For being so helpless? For putting Alessandro through this nightmare?

"Shh, you don't have to apologize for anything," Alessandro murmured, his hand gently stroking my hair. "This is not your fault, Sarah. None of this is your fault."

But it didn't feel that way. It felt like I had failed to see the danger, failed to protect myself, failed to protect the life I had tried so hard to rebuild.

I wasn't sure how much time passed before the police arrived. It could have been minutes or hours; everything was a blur. When the officers entered the room, their presence brought a new wave of anxiety crashing over me. Alessandro tightened his hold on me as if sensing my fear.