Connecting

Chapter 27

Melissa never thought that she'll be sharing the story of her ex-boyfriend who abused her. Once they entered the house, they prepared for bed. Chris didn't want to bring up the topic because she might've changed her mind and doesn't want to tell him what happened.

Melissa sat on the couch, looking down to her feet. "I don't know how to start this..."

Chris smiled at her, assuring her that whatever she says, he will always be there to support her and comfort her. He didn't even say anything but for Melissa, him listening and understanding her is more than enough.

Melissa sighed. "He was my first serious relationship... you know, the relationship that you thought was real and will bring you to a wedding soon. That was what I thought our relationship was. Something serious and happy. Well, I think it was happy before and he really took me seriously, he showed me and made me felt loved. We were happy. Until one day, I told him that I need to work on a case then he just suddenly got mad, he apologized the next day because he said he was just stressed out and tired. I shrugged it off because he is just a human, he gets tired and has problems that does not concern me." Melissa sighed once more and looked at Chris.

"It's okay," Chris assured. "Just tell me what you want and can tell me right now. If that's just it, I understand. This is a very sensitive topic and you need someone you can fully trust."

"I can fully trust you," Melissa responded. "You have shown me that you trust me and believed in me more than I could myself."

Chris smiled, happy that he can show Melissa that he trusts her and will always be by her side.

Going back to the story, Melissa spoke, "So, I thought that that moment was just a normal boyfriend-girlfriend argument that we could talk out when it happens again. I thought that it was just verbal arguments and stuff that does not really affect our feelings and relationship. Again, those were just my thoughts. The following day, he decided to 'apologize' by having a simple vacation for some time. Just the two of us in one house, and he requested for me to take a leave, so I did. For the first day, it was nice, we were both having fun. But the day after that, he started getting mad at me because I brought my work. I was in a special case and the director requested that even if I take a leave, I will continue to monitor what the other agents are doing in order for me to be able to catch up easily once I come back. Well, I guess he really hated my work and beat me up for it. He started to become physical especially when I refused to take our relationship into the next level, because I want us to get married first before that. He hated me for it, got mad, and hurt me everyday. Even after that vacation, he would come over just to hurt me. Everyday, I would cover up my bruises, and everything else that results to what he does to me." She looked up at him. Tears have formed in her eyes and slowly started to fall down.

Chris approached her, not sure whether it will be comfortable for her if he touches her so he just sat next to her, smiling assuringly. Melissa just sat there, looking at the man whom she first felt comfortable in telling her story, the man who makes her comfortable and happy; however, she is still scared to love a man after what happened to her when she loved one with all her heart.

"The worst thing is," Melissa continued. "He keeps calling me worthless, he keeps bringing my confidence and self-esteem down. He keeps saying I'm ugly, worthless, dumb, and stupid. I believed him, and I can't still stop thinking up until now that what he says are true. I mean, he loved me, didn't he?"

"Hey, listen," Chris stared at her beautiful eyes. "You are not ugly, you're beautiful. You are not worthless, you have a worth of the whole world. Why? You literally save the world in secret without any acknowledgements from the people you are saving. You are not dumb nor stupid, you are literally the smartest person that I know and probably is. Plus, he did love you, maybe, I don't know 'cause I am not in the right place to judge him. But what he told you... none of those are true. If you think that those are true because he loved you, that moment he told you those exact words, he doesn't love or care for you."

Melissa, whose tears are still streaming down her face, looked at him. "How are you so sure? You just met me like days or weeks or maybe a month at most. You don't know a lot about me yet."

"I may not know about you, your whole life story but I know how to observe and learn the personalities of the people I care about." Chris responded with a small smile on his face. "I know you are an amazing woman with an amazing heart and a very huge brain. You are brave, smart, hopeful, and a person that I have lived with for several weeks, I wasn't able to count days we started this mission, I'm sorry. But Mel, I won't stop telling you this: you are beautiful, inside and outside. And I wanna know you more, I want to be able to comfort you when you feel helpless, when your confidence and self-esteem are low, I wanna be there with you, if you let me."

Melissa's tears have calmed down. She stared at Chris with a small smile on her face. She doesn't know what he meant by his words so he asked, "What do you mean by that?"

"Huh? Wasn't I clear enough? I'm sorry, I don't know what I just said." Chris said, nervously smiling.

"Huh. Want me to repeat what you just said?

Chris laughed heartily. "No," He smiled and slowly reached out her hand, but not holding it himself and waited for Melissa to accept it, which she did with a smile. "What I meant by that is will you let me know you better? I'll definitely let you know me."

Melissa, who is now smiling replied, "I would love to know you better, too, Chris. Slowly."

Chris smiled. "Let's do this the old-fashioned way should we?"

"So do you mean, 'will you let me know you better,' is you asking me on a date or something?" Melissa asked, trying not to laugh.