Bailamos? | Mark Owen [Take That]

Chapter 38

Mark's POV

Once I got to her bedroom door, I quietly pushed it open and found Aimee curled up on her bed, crying I guessed because of the way her body was shaking as she faced away from me.

"Leave me alone..." she told me in between sobs as I walked over to her bed, before I could even say anything.

"No, I won't leave you alone---"

"You have a whole perfect life out there--- go and live happily ever after---" she snapped "I was okay without you, I'll be okay if you---"

"Stop that, okay?" I blurted out "You're not going to turn back time or change anything with that attitude..."

"I want to turn back time? Who says I want to change---" she trailed off but I interrupted.

"I know everything already... Just please stop pretending..." I told her and those words were the turning point in which the defensive attitude she was keeping up changed dramatically. 

As I told her that, I instantly realized she felt disturbed by the words I had spoken. She quickly moved her eyes away from me and the movements she made with her hands were short and quick, almost robotic.

Her breath became agitated, her eyes were desperate - she was going to have another panic attack, I could feel it, but I wouldn't let her go on with that. It was obvious that every time she had to deal with a difficult situation or when she felt that her world was vanishing, she had a panic attack as a form of escape...

"You--- you don't... you don't know..." she told me worriedly as I sat beside her.

"I do," I sighed and reached out to hold her hand but she took it away from me "Liz told me---"

"NO...!" she cried "You don't--- Go Mark! You don't!"

She was hurting herself more and more as she kept denying how she really felt, I knew that for sure, and I was determined to make her see things clearly since I had realized how much I cared for her... no matter whyI felt that way.

"Ask her if you don't believe me..." I told her calmly "Aimee--- let me help you..."

She remained silent for some moments during which she looked at me confused, probably thinking over what I had told her, probably making the final decision.

"You need to talk about this... you need to let it all out, love"

"I--- I didn't---" she sobbed "I never did..."

"Don't you think this is the right time to do it then?"

"Mark," she looked straight into my eyes and asked "Why do you want to help me? Why are you even here? Your--- Helen is waiting for you..."

"I care for you, Aimee" I sighed "More than I care for Helen, I'm afraid..."

"Oh..." she exclaimed and I turned to look at her before I would go on speaking.

"And because I like you, Aimee..." she lowered her eyes and I took her chin between my fingers, making her face me "Let me help you---"

"Mark---" Aimee sighed as her eyes started to mist over once more "I don't want to hurt you---"

"You will not hurt me, luv--- I know that you will not okay?" I told her honestly, trying to reassure her, adding shortly afterward "Now give me a bewitching smile... Alright..."

I reached out with my hand to wipe out the only tear that was left on her face. She looked so fragile and all I wanted to do was to protect her, to be with her so no-one would ever hurt her again, to let her know that she could rely on me.