Obsession's Embrace

Confession

After spending the last hour explaining who I am and what just happened to Damian, I can't tell if he wants to hit me, kill me, or both. All I know is the look of hatred in his eyes. I've seen that look before. Hell, I've given that look before.

"I'm-"

"Don't!" His voice booms and I close my mouth. "Don't you dare say you're sorry. What are you sorry for? Lying to her? To us?"

"She knows who I am," I say.

"Yeah? How long has she known?" He asks.

I stay silent. He nods.

"I thought so. What else? For not telling her you have a torturous, murderous, vindictive uncle on the loose that could - and did - kidnap her and torture her? Almost fucking rape her? Did she know about that, Electra?" He shouts.

I flinch then shake my head. He doesn't need to remind me she didn't know about Tobias. It's eating at me that I couldn't protect her like I promised I could. We hadn't even left the country yet and she's in the hospital.

"I fucked up. I recognize that. Tobias isn't a threat anymore he's dead," I say.

Damian scoffs and runs his hands through his hair before looking back at me and throwing his arms out.

"That's beside the point! She's hurt! She got shot, beaten, sprayed down with cold fucking water and left to hang there in the cold! They had to warm her body back up to a normal temperature! They had to pull a bullet from her shoulder!" He shouts.

"You don't think I know that? I was here when they told us, Damian! You don't think I wish I could take her place? That she had never been taken? You don't think I feel like I deserve everything she got and more in her place? Well I do," I say, my voice bordering on a whine as tears prick my eyes.

"Yeah. Well. It should have been you. Not her," he says and his words cut through me like a knife, "stay away from her, Electra. I mean it."

Damian turns to leave the room. Just as he grabs the doorknob, I speak up, my voice shaking, the fear of losing Rhea seeping into my core.

"I was."

He stops and drops his head.

"Was what?" He asks.

"I was in her place," I whisper.

Damian turns and leans against the door. Watching me. Staring at me with curiosity.

"When I was fourteen. Tobias watched me for a summer while my parents went on one of their adventures. He fed me breakfast after they left. I fell asleep at the table. When I woke up. I was hanging in that warehouse by my wrists. He woke me up by spraying cold water on me," I pause looking away and swiping a tear from my cheek.

I haven't thought about this since it happened. I pushed it out of my brain. Not wanting to relive it.

"He tortured me for a week straight. Beating me. Whipping me. Ra-" my voice cracks and I can't finish the sentence.

Seeing the look on Damian's face, I don't have to.

"How did you get out?" He asks.

"My parents had me in self defense classes since I was old enough to talk. They made me continue until I turned 17. I waited. Every fucking day I waited. Being patient and waiting until he was vulnerable and alone. I attacked him and ran. I ran until my feet bled and I found a diner to call my parents. We filed a report but Tobias had pull. He was never punished for it," I whisper.

Damian sighs and rubs his neck.

"Electra-"

"So yes, Damian, I've been exactly where she was. I knew as soon as I saw him that I had one job. To protect Rhea. And when I failed I didn't stop fighting until I found her. I went back to that place for the first time since I ran when I was a kid. I killed my uncle. Something I never had the guts to do before. To protect Rhea. To bring her back. Do I deserve her? No. Will I die for her? Yes."

Damian sighs again and stares at me. I hold his gaze, though it's hard as fuck. He's the first man to ever intimidate me. Though it's probably because he's like a brother to Rhea. And the brother is always the one you want to impress the most. The one you truly need the blessing of.

The one who currently hates me and probably wants me dead. I sniff. Only just realizing that I'm crying. I put her in danger. I put her life at risk because I was selfish. Because I wanted her. Because I lo-

"You saved her," Damian says softly.

"What?" I look up.

"Yes. You're the reason she's hurt. But you're also the reason she's safe. Still alive. You saved her before it could go as far as it went with you," he says.

"I'm sorry," I whisper.

"I know you are. But you need to realize lying to her isn't healthy. You need to tell her everything about you if you want her, Electra."

"You...you're okay with this?" I ask in shock.

"Fuck no. But I saw the way she looks at you. This is her decision. Not mine. I'll support her either way. But I won't sway her decision. Because anyone willing to die for my twin is worthy of her time."

"I'll do better. I promise. I'll do right by her," I reply.

"You better."

With that, Damian leaves the room and I take a deep breath before following him out into the waiting room. We wait for an hour before the doctor comes out to tell us she made it through surgery.

"She's recovering well. Right now she's resting. But you can go in there. We'll lower her sedation in the morning for her to wake up. Right now she needs the sleep," the doctor says before looking at me, "you did good. Any longer out there and she wouldn't have made it."

The doctor pats my arm before leading us to Rhea's room. When we walk in, Damian shuts the door behind us and we stare at Rhea.

Bandaged up. Bruised up. Sleeping soundly. I walk over and gently smooth her hair down. Tucking strands behind her ear and sighing.

"You love her. Don't you?" He asks quietly.

I sigh, taking a breath before answering.

"Yes."