Afraid to Love ✔

Part 10

Mia

"Hey what's going on?" Laurent asks as he sits beside me. Too close. I put a little distance between us.
"Why are you here?" I responds.
"You sister invite me." He smiles.
I return his smile, "No. Why are you here? Why did you follow me?" I place emphasis on here and you.
He places the back of his fingers on my face softly rubs my cheek. Again with the hands, first you rubbing all over my legs, then you're you pawing my body in the water and why were you hands traveling up my thighs doing our game? Just stop touching me all the time.
"Stop it!" I yell. Crap that was out loud. "Sorry, I feel very uneasy when you touch me." I look away feeling myself blush.
"Why?" Laurent pulls his hand away.
"You want me to put it in words?" I glance at him and he nods.
I take a deep breath. "Off the top of my head, I can't think when you are close to me. I feel like I can't breathe most of the time. I constantly have to fight just to keep myself from trying to hurt you or running away." And now I'm panicking. I take a slow calming breathe.
"You can relax with me, just be youself." He smiles reassuringly.
I laugh, "Be myself?" I look down at my hands, "You don't know what you are saying."
"Tell me something about yourself and I will listen no judgment." He says putting his arm around me. No judgment?
"I haven't had a boyfriend in almost a decade." I wait for a reaction that doesn't come.
"Okay, tell me something else." He says after I don't continue.
"I don't understand what are you trying to learn? You want secrets or something?" I raise an eyebrow.
"Tell me why you in therapy when we met you." He turns towards me giving me his full attention. Again I take a deep breath then let it out slowly. I move back a bit then turn towards him. Just tell him. I look into his eyes, "Four months after my parents were killed by a drunk driver, I was abducted by my last boyfriend, his name is William. I'm told he kept me for 18 months, it felt like years. He was, probably still is, obsessed with being my first. Before my parents died he was sweet, attentive, and affectionate. After they died, he was always on me kissing me, touching me, grabbing on me and it was too much. I was grieving and he was trying to get in my pants. I broke up with him. He didn't take it well and grabbed me outside of my grandparent's house. He tied me up at first, telling me he loved me. I reasoned that if he loves me tying me up wasn't necessary. After days of hearing him say it over and over but refusing to let me leave I knew it was a lie.
After a long time of me ignoring everything he said or did to tried to make me smile, he released my hands so I could eat. I took the opportunity to throw the food in his face. I cut and stabbed him with a carving knife but I couldn't free myself from the binding on my feet fast enough and he hit me knocking me and the table over. We continued to fight. With me grabbing whatever I could as a weapon and him trying to break as many bones as possible. In the end I couldn't get away.
From then on my hands were bound in front of me but he never released them again. After a long time of me flinching from his touch, he apologized but I still didn't let him touch me without a fight.
Apparently one day he had enough of trying to "be nice" and decided to force himself on me. He released my feet and I bit him with all my strength, taking a chunk out of his neck. He responded by punching my face and kicking me everywhere else. I managed to hit him and he crumpled." I look at his stunned face then close my eyes. Didn't Mai tell him why I was still a virgin? She knew this much. "I ran outside and found myself in the middle of the woods. Somehow he got in front of me and hit me in the face with a shovel. I woke up under a mountain of dirt, I dug myself out and was relieved he was nowhere to be found. Nearest I can figure, he thought he killed me so he buried me. Thankfully I was found by a nice lady who drove me to the hospital."
"I uh?" He starts.
"It's okay to be uncomfortable with this kind of information." I stare at the ocean. He rubs small circles on my back.
"It no hard for you?" He sounds surprised.
"It is easier than living through it." I move his arm from around me. "And yes I was still recovering from that when I met you. Six years of physical and psychiatric therapy." I glance at him seeing the pity in his eyes. "I don't need that from you." I stand up and run back into the water. Don't need pity from anyone.
A while later, I emerge from the water, out of breath. My plan is to collect my things while excusing myself and regroup in my room. Helen screams, "Hurry up, he's right behind you!" No, he couldn't be!
I turn to look back towards the water to see Laurent swimming full speed, heading straight for me. I stare blankly at Laurent's form running out of the water. He really is gorgeous and closing in fast. Hurry up! Run! He's going to catch you! I wanted to catch my breath but one look at the fire in his eyes and my body ran.
Laurent easily caught on me. That was pointless, I should have just caught my breath. He picks me up, carrying me past Chris and Helen. Calm down, just calm down. He's not going to hurt you. I watch Chris and Helen get further away from me. Calm down, he's... not...he's going to hurt you! I let out a yelp as he tosses me over his shoulder. Yes he is, you have to get away, now!

Laurent

Mia squirms trying to get down but I hold onto her, walking straight to the guest bathroom, locking the door behind me. Finally I set Mia down in front of me. "What was that?" I ask holding her face to meet my gaze. There it is again, that look that wars between fight and cry.
"You asked a question, I gave you an answer." She says jerking her face from my hand and stepping backwards.
"Yeah I got that. Why you run from me?!" My voice echoes off the walls. She blinks at me cocking her head to the side. I sigh and leaned against the wall in front of Mia. "Please can you give me your hand." I hold out my hand but didn't reach.
Mia steps around me. "Mia, please don't leave, talk to me."
She stops with her hand on the door. "After you ready for Carnivale, come find me, if you want to hear the rest." She walks out the door.
I heard Mai in the hall. "Mia? There you are! Come on we need to get ready."

Mai

I pull Mia to her room. She walks into the bathroom and starts the shower. After laying out her Carnival outfit and shoes, I walk into the bathroom. "Hustle! We have to do your ha ..." Mia was sitting in the shower with the water pouring over her body, her head on her knees. "Mia? What happened?" She doesn't say anything. "Okay, you don't have to talk about it." I steamed her cape and hung it beside her costume. I pop my head into the bathroom, she still hadn't moved.
I take off my cover up then step into the shower. Grabbing the shampoo I start washing her hair, "Helen told me that you were having a race with Laurent but you gave up at the shore." I angle the shower head to run water through her hair. "It sounded like you were having fun." Mia didn't respond. "She said he picked you up and carried you into the house. Did he try to hurt you?" I ask shampooing her hair. She closes her eyes.
"I told him..." Her voice was small almost child like. I squat in front of her pulling her face to look at me.
"Mia, look at me." I demand. Slowly she opens her eyes. "You told him..." I wait for her to finish her statement, but the look of horror and deep hurt in her eyes were the same as when she first told me. "Oh God, you told him?!" I don't believe it! How did that happen? I doubt she would bring it up. He couldn't know enough to ask her, directly, could he? "What did he say?"
"He said asked why I was in therapy when we met and asked me what happened." Her voice was monotone.
"I didn't mean before I meant after you told him." I lean her away from the shower head. "Mia are you okay?" Her eyes were soft. Well whatever his response, she's in shock.
"Laurent, he wouldn't treat you like that person." I apply conditioner to her hair, then twist her hair clipping the ends up. "I think he cares about you." I wash her off, rinse her hair then put her in a towel. I sat her on her bed and start towel blotting her hair. "I think you should be happy that he knows about your past and he isn't run from it." I smile at her searching her eyes. And there's the vacant stare. I sigh. "Mia, maybe letting him know now is good?" I look back into her eyes but she was still far away. I borrowed shorts and a tee to change out of my wet suit.
I barely got her hair dry when there was a knock on the door.
"Who is it?" I ask turning off the hair dryer.
"Laurent." The voice responds. I glance at Mia, she nods.
Oh. "Hold on."
Mia goes to get dressed while I step out the door, closing it behind me. He looks disappointed that I wasn't Mia.
"I came for talk with Mia." He steps back.
"She's not available yet." I try keeping my tone soft, but my frustrations at him are clearly heard. "What did you do to her?" I hiss poking his chest.

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Well um, alrighty then, a lot of anger and drama from the sisters. What will the guys do? Till next time.