Vulnerable

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~Chapter one~

Her eyes, although red still bored into mine, my heart tugged at the sight of this broken woman. She has no idea what she does to me. Every little thing she does makes my stomach do flips. She means the world to me, and someone hurt her.

"Rachel," With the most gentle touch imaginable, I feather my fingers over her black bruises. "Who?" Tears brim my eyes.

"I-I'm fine, Mark." Rachel smiles.

I know the smile was fake, it was forced, and harrowing. That's what made me even more devastated.

I brush her hair out of her face and wiped her tears away with a soft swipe of my thumb.

"Please tell me." I look down as I feel a tear escaping.

Rachel tells me about her ex-boyfriend, Hyunsik, and how he all the sudden became a major alcoholic, with the mix of alcohol, a mental illness, and being turned down by his ex-girlfriend, he became vicious. He did not take no as an answer.

The selfish pig had his way with my precious flower.

Once Hyunsik fell asleep she left.

"Rachel. I'm so sorry." I finally let my tears soak my cheeks.

"Mark..? W-what's wrong?" Her hand stroked my cheek, I felt numb, and weak.

"I never want to see you hurt, it's too much for me." I look into her golden eyes emotionally and tenderly.

Her expression goes from in pain to confused- and maybe kind of relieved.

Why did I say that? Now is not the right time to confess to your best friend since age 10 that you love her. She is so vulnerable.

"What... Are you trying to say? Mark... Do you.." She half-narrowed her eyes at me in confusion.

I think she just cracked the code......

"You have feelings for me?" Her eyebrows furrowed.

"I-" I take a deep breath. "I do." I breathe out awkwardly.

"But that doesn't matter... You're hurt." I try to change the subject.

"Do you need to go to the hospital?" I run my hands through my hair, flustered.

My eyes dart around, avoiding eye contact at all costs.

"Mark." She tilted my head up.

I feel my heart burst into flames, and my stomach cramp up from all the butterflies.

She doesn't say anything else. Her precious strawberry hued lips, are inches away from mine.

She looks into my soul, and I hear her voice in my head.

Kiss me.

Our lips finally meet. In my head I am hollering in victory, but at the same time I am shaming myself. All of these emotions burst in my body, but to describe the way I felt in one word; bliss.

Sadly, she pulls away.

"I.... I'm going home." She gets up as fast as a bolt of lightning and runs out of the door.

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