Swift Encounters

Iliana

( the girl portraying Iliana)

I know it wasn't right of me to be so distant towards my sister, she is my everything. But she won't understand what's happening, she will overreact and make thing worse than it seems.  My heart cleanched in sadness at the thought of my sister worrying about me, she didn't have to, I'll be okay.

My sister is my rock, my light in dark times, she has been there for me ever since I can remember. Both our parents have important jobs and always traveling so Casey was the one who raised me, she got me through school, helped me with the bullies, made amazing memories with me, but most of all she always protected me, even when she didn't have to she did. She always tried to get me to go out with her and her friends, i appreciated the gesture but it wasn't for me, Case is a wild free and completely stubborn person but me on the other hand... well I'm what you call a complete introvert, i don't like loud music or a bunch of people around me, i love reading books and getting lost in my art. That's another thing Casey did, she helped me open my own little art gallery in Belgium so that i had a little something of my own, i don't do well with talking to people i don't know so she had to do all the talking and negotiating, it's not that i don't talk to people  is just that i don't have the patients to talk to uninformed and un-cultured people, i can be a little rude sometimes but it's not on purpose, i just get a bit awkward with people. Sometimes i wish i could be as strong and free as Case, but i don't think life would be very intresting if we were the same. Casey once dragged me along to one of her martial arts classes.. let's just say i couldn't walk straight for a week or two. I'm a artsy person, i can paint you something beautiful out of nothing i can't ninja chop you like Case can.

I miss my old self, i miss my sister. We don't live that far away from each other but we are both so busy with our own lifes that we only see each other 3/4 times a year when we go to F1 races, that's the one thing we have in common, we both share a love for the fast paced adrenaline pumping heart stopping life of F1 and of course the handsome men.

Letting a sigh escape i pulled my jacked over my bruised arms, i don't want anyone to see them.  It's wasn't always like this, Andrew wasn't always this mean to me it's just stress from work and he doesn't know how to handle it that's all. He used to be sweet and kind to me, we met at an art gallery in Paris he blew my breath away with his knowledge of the paintings and his passion for beautiful art, but it only lasted about 2 years, the only thing i get from him now a days is nasty words and bruises. I know that i need to tell someone, i need to tell Casey but i don't want to bother her with my stupid problems she had her fair share of heartbreak and pain, i admire her for how strong she is even with that douche of an ex-fiancé and work and even me in the picture she came out on top. I think that it's one of the reasons i don't want to tell her, she does so much for me and i can't even get rid of a stupid abusive boyfriend, i don't want her to be disappointed in me.

Shaking my head i tried to get rid of all these thoughts floating around in my brain. I needed to focus, get my act together.

Plastering a fake smile on my face i jogged down stairs grabbing everything i needed for my morning run.

"Babe I'll see you later, going for my run." I called out into the silent house as i made my way towards the front door.

"Good, you're getting fat, i don't need a fat girlfriend." His hard gruff voice came back.

And there it was again those awful words.

Looking down at myself i thought that i didn't look that bad, i had a flat tummy nice legs, my ribs aren't showing but i don't think I'm fat.

"Yes of course I'll work on it." I tried to keep my voice steady but i could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. "don't be so damn weak Iliana your 23 years old, act like it." I cursed myself for being so sensitive.

"Don't fucking cry about Iliana, it's not my fault you're fat." Andrew said as he glanzed at me with a disgusted expression on his face as he walked past towards the kitchen.

"I -- I know I-- I'm sorry." I stammered as i closed the door behind me, i don't need him to be mean to me again.

"Just breathe Lina breathe." But i could already feel the tears running down my cheeks. Streatching my arms and legs for a bit of a warm up i wanted to cry even more as i could feel my muscles protesting from all the bruising and tender flesh. I just need to run it all away.

After an hour i was still running i could feel my muscles burning pleading for some rest but i couldn't do that i needed to burn this damn fat i can't let my boyfriend be seen with a fat girl next to him.

My body was trembling from all the running and all these thoughts running through my mind that i didn't even see nor did i feel the solid body i ran into. It felt as if gravity pulled me towards the earth with a hard fast movement as if it wanted to bruise me a bit more, but i knew it wasn't that this was my own fault. Laying flat on my back on the cold pavement next to the road i just layed there contemplating if it was even worth anything to get up maybe i could lay there and everyone will just forget about me, i would forget about me.
My trail of morbid thoughts were interrupted by someone waving their hand in my face.

"Ma'am are you okay? Are you hurt?" His voice was sweet, soft had a slight accent but his voice sounded as light as a feather.

Sitting up i looked at the man standing in front of me. He was beautiful, almost like the most precious art work known to man kind.  "Yeah-- yes I I'm okay." I stammered a bit as i realized that i might have been staring at him, surly looking like a freak.

Good going Iliana, scare the poor man away with you're weirdness.

With a smile on his face this handsome man offered me his hand in assistance. "I'm sorry i ran into you like that, i wasn't exactly paying attention where i was going." He said with a small chuckle as if he had no worries in the world.

Managing to form a small smile without looking as if I'm busy having a seizure i excepted his hand with trembling fingers.
His hand was big and warm compared to my small ice cold one. I could see the veins running up his hand and arm flowing out into different directions, art he is art.

I was a bit startled when he suddenly cleared his throat a smile still on his lips. I could feel my cheeks turning bright red almost as red as the Ferrari's i like to watch when i saw that i still held on to his hand.

"I -- I'm sorry I-- I have to-- to go." I manage to stammer out as i droped his hand.

"Why do you have to be so stupid Iliana just try to be normal for once." I was having an internal battle with myself about being so weird that i didn't even realize that he was talking to me.

I-- I have to go." I said this time a little bit smoother than before.

I didn't give him time to react as i turned around speed walking back home.
God i was scared to go home, i didn't seem to notice the calls i got from Andrew when i had my little moment with this beautiful man.

"Hey what's your name?" He called after me.

Still in a hurry to get home i briefly stopped to look at him.

"Lina-- i i mean Iliana."

"I'm  Stoffel. It was nice to meet you Lina even if i did run you to the ground, i didn't mean it." He apologized again.

I could see the sparks in his eyes.. those beautiful blue eyes. Bright like the sky.

"I know." I said with a small smile, momentarily forgetting about the nightmare that awaits me at home.