brings his knee up into the man’s side over and over until he falls back. My attacker glances at me then runs off, disappearing into the trees. I rush over to Abel, helping him up onto his feet, “Oh my God, are you okay?”
I’m panicked and feel like my heart is about to burst from my chest. He reaches his hand to his forehead and when he brings it back down, blood trickles along his fingertips. Quickly he regains composure. “I’m fine, are you alright?” His voice creaks and sounds distressed, taking my face in his hands, he looks me over. “I heard you yelling and I got here as fast as I could. I’m sorry, Cate.”
I gasp for breath, trying to calm my heart rate. “I’m okay, I don’t know what happened. It was so fast.”
Abel looks over his shoulder scanning the tree line. “Did you see where he went?”
“I’m not sure,” I squint, hoping that I’ll be able to make out his path in the darkness. “No, he’s gone I think.”
“Let me take you home,” he says and grabs my hand.
The ride home is filled with anxious silence until my text message alert goes off. “Is that your parents?” Abel asks.
I unlock my phone and glance at the text, “No, Asher wondering where I went.”
“Oh.”
I don’t know why he’s being so quiet and distant now; the moments creep along, like we really are just strangers who’ve only known each other for a few days. He turns onto my street. “What are you going to tell your parents? Do you need me to go talk to them with you?” He pulls up to my house and puts the car in park.
I take his cue and match my tone to his, even and emotionless. “No, I’ll be fine, thanks for the ride.” I reach for the door handle and pull, but he jets his arm out and holds me back.
“I’m sorry for being so quiet, I just shouldn’t have left your side and I feel badly for what happened. It shouldn’t have.” He looks down at the steering wheel, I take his hand in mine. They’re defined and rough, masculine.
“Abel, I am so thankful you got there when you did, that you were there at all. You have nothing to feel badly about, I promise.”
His eyes meet mine. “As long as you allow me to be in your life Cate, I won’t let anyone hurt you, not again.” His voice is so serious it sends chills up my spine. I believe him. More than anything I have ever believed in my life, I believe him. And maybe because my heart is still pumping from the attack, maybe because I wanted him from the second he said hello in the library, maybe because of how genuine his words feel now and how much pain it seemed to cause him that he couldn’t prevent what happened, I lean over the center console and press my lips lightly to his. They’re sweet, soft. He sits there motionless, caught off guard in the driver seat for a moment until I feel his hand reach up to my face and his lips reciprocate. His strength is noticeably held back and all that remains is gentleness. When he pulls away, my eyes are still closed and my neck is still arched upwards, and even though I initiated that, I was not prepared for how I would feel when it ended.
“Go inside before your parents wonder what we’re doing out here.” Abel smiles and I am knocked out of my daze.
“Okay…” My words linger, I am not ready to leave. “Tonight was…awful and still really great somehow.” I swallow hard as if to contain myself from saying more than I should.
“Can I see you sometime this weekend?” His eyebrows pull up and he bites his lips, those lips, and I feel a sudden source of yearning.
“Yeah. Goodnight Abel, thanks again…for everything.”
He smiles and his eyes light up, “Goodnight Cate.”
I walk up to door, partially skipping, and prepare myself for the conversation that waits inside.
###
Abel walks through his front door and into the living room, Eliath and Shoshanna are sitting, reading in matching white
I’m panicked and feel like my heart is about to burst from my chest. He reaches his hand to his forehead and when he brings it back down, blood trickles along his fingertips. Quickly he regains composure. “I’m fine, are you alright?” His voice creaks and sounds distressed, taking my face in his hands, he looks me over. “I heard you yelling and I got here as fast as I could. I’m sorry, Cate.”
I gasp for breath, trying to calm my heart rate. “I’m okay, I don’t know what happened. It was so fast.”
Abel looks over his shoulder scanning the tree line. “Did you see where he went?”
“I’m not sure,” I squint, hoping that I’ll be able to make out his path in the darkness. “No, he’s gone I think.”
“Let me take you home,” he says and grabs my hand.
The ride home is filled with anxious silence until my text message alert goes off. “Is that your parents?” Abel asks.
I unlock my phone and glance at the text, “No, Asher wondering where I went.”
“Oh.”
I don’t know why he’s being so quiet and distant now; the moments creep along, like we really are just strangers who’ve only known each other for a few days. He turns onto my street. “What are you going to tell your parents? Do you need me to go talk to them with you?” He pulls up to my house and puts the car in park.
I take his cue and match my tone to his, even and emotionless. “No, I’ll be fine, thanks for the ride.” I reach for the door handle and pull, but he jets his arm out and holds me back.
“I’m sorry for being so quiet, I just shouldn’t have left your side and I feel badly for what happened. It shouldn’t have.” He looks down at the steering wheel, I take his hand in mine. They’re defined and rough, masculine.
“Abel, I am so thankful you got there when you did, that you were there at all. You have nothing to feel badly about, I promise.”
His eyes meet mine. “As long as you allow me to be in your life Cate, I won’t let anyone hurt you, not again.” His voice is so serious it sends chills up my spine. I believe him. More than anything I have ever believed in my life, I believe him. And maybe because my heart is still pumping from the attack, maybe because I wanted him from the second he said hello in the library, maybe because of how genuine his words feel now and how much pain it seemed to cause him that he couldn’t prevent what happened, I lean over the center console and press my lips lightly to his. They’re sweet, soft. He sits there motionless, caught off guard in the driver seat for a moment until I feel his hand reach up to my face and his lips reciprocate. His strength is noticeably held back and all that remains is gentleness. When he pulls away, my eyes are still closed and my neck is still arched upwards, and even though I initiated that, I was not prepared for how I would feel when it ended.
“Go inside before your parents wonder what we’re doing out here.” Abel smiles and I am knocked out of my daze.
“Okay…” My words linger, I am not ready to leave. “Tonight was…awful and still really great somehow.” I swallow hard as if to contain myself from saying more than I should.
“Can I see you sometime this weekend?” His eyebrows pull up and he bites his lips, those lips, and I feel a sudden source of yearning.
“Yeah. Goodnight Abel, thanks again…for everything.”
He smiles and his eyes light up, “Goodnight Cate.”
I walk up to door, partially skipping, and prepare myself for the conversation that waits inside.
###
Abel walks through his front door and into the living room, Eliath and Shoshanna are sitting, reading in matching white
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