189 The third reason (1/2)

I'm so happy that this book finally reached top 6!! Yey! Thank you so much to all my dear readers who are voting relentlessly! You guys are everything to me. If this book stay top 6 until Friday, I will give mass release this Saturday. Fighting! Keep voting!

.

.

.

Panic started to etch on Abi's face.

Tears pooled in her eyes again, glistening on her long dark lashes before they flowed endlessly. She shook her head at him like she was in denial.

She tried to open her lips but they just trembled. It was so hard to speak. She felt like she was choking for air.

”No, Alex. Y-you said you don't do love. You said you would never... fall in love… with anyone…” she stammered, her voice raw with both pain and disbelief. This was it, her greatest happiness and greatest fear.

No… he can't fall for her. He can't love her!

Alex smiled half a smile but his eyes became unbelievably tender.

”Well, I did say that and I meant it back then... I have never felt anything like this before. I was certain that I was not capable of feeling anything like this but…” He looked at her thoughtfully for a few seconds, before he picked up one of her hands and pressed it lightly to his face. And then he smiled and half bit his lower lip. She'd never seen him struggle so hard for words. ”I… I don't know what happened, Abigail. I just know that I won't be able to bear it if you leave me.”

He held her hands tightly and then he held her face with both his hands, his thumbs wiping her tears away as he gently bumped his forehead on hers.

”That's why I came here… to get you to come back, to be with me again. That's the third reason why I'm here. Don't worry, you won't have any reason to be scared anymore because everyone who harmed you, or are trying to harm you, are all gone. I've dealt with all of them tonight. No one will harm you again because I will protect you,” he promised, his eyes burning with certainty, almost like a knight or a king pledging to protect his queen.

It was then that Abi finally noticed the drops of red, that looked to be blood, splashed all over his neck and on the sleeves of his shirt. His hair was damp and his clothes seemed to be as well.

”So come back home with me, Abigail,” he asked, his voice almost pleading as he pulled her into his embrace.

But Abi just sobbed even harder after hearing all the words he uttered. And she couldn't stop.

”Please…” she uttered between her sobs when suddenly, someone knocked on the door.

”Abi? Are you alright? Please open the door.”

Andrew's voice startled the two of them and they stared at the door.

”D-dad? I'm fine.” Abi forced herself to speak even though her voice cracked. She couldn't let her father see Alex here. No, she couldn't let him see Alex with all this blood on him.

Panicking, Abi looked at Alex, still sniffling as she forced herself to stop crying.

”Alex, please –”

Before Abi could tell him to leave, Alex suddenly bent down and kissed her. It was quick but was gentle and emotional.

”I'll go and get changed,” he said, and then he gave her another quick kiss before he ran to the window and disappeared.