2 a.m. – New York
Robin and his friends had been having a great night so far. Beer, music, laughter, he could not be more thankful for his little gang. That was until he saw her left the bar with that muscular dumb guy. Ruby, Will, John and Tink had been friends since High School, she had appeared in his life later.
Robin had met her in College, they were both English major and had several classes together. The first time Robin had laid eyes on her, he knew she was special. They were already in their senior year and Robin couldn't believe that he had never noticed her before. She was giving a presentation on the female characters in Jane Austen. She seemed confident, smart and passionate. One of the first things Robin noticed about her was her voice. She had a deep, dark and incredibly sexy voice. She was wearing glasses, looking at her notes from time to time.
And that was when he saw it – the ring. She was wearing a huge diamond ring that looked three times too large for her finger. So she was engaged… Not many students of his age were already thinking marriage. Robin certainly wasn't. He still wanted to experiment, learn more about himself before considering taking such an important decision.
She was almost finished now, starting the conclusion of her presentation. People were clapping and the Professor seemed very satisfied with her work.
"Robin! Robin?! Are you even listening?"
Robin turned on his left and looked at Ruby. He had been drifting away completely.
"Robin, are you there?"
"Yes, of course!"
"Well then, answer me. Do you know where Regina is?" She asked, a drink in her hand.
"She left." He said in an annoyed tone.
"Alone?" Completely oblivious to his anger.
"No…"
"With who then?" She said, almost screaming to be heard in the loud bar.
"Some random guy she doesn't even care about, Ruby! Like always!" he shouted, his temper getting the best of him.
"Oookay, no need to get mad. I was just asking. Regina is a free woman, she can do whatever the hell she wants Robin." She said, with a roll of her eyes.
"Not if it destroys her." He said, too low for Ruby to hear.
Ruby left him to go dance with Will and Tink who seemed very drunk by now, screaming their lungs out on some Kesha song.
The evening had been going so well. She was here with him, sitting close, laughing with the others. He was so happy to see her, to be able to touch her. She had let him hold her hand under the table, tuck her hair behind her hear. She looked happy, almost carefree.
He saw him first, that guy eyeing her from the bar. Robin hated the way he looked at her, as if she was some kind of prize. If that guy came over he knew what would happen. She would let him take her home, use her and then throw her out just so she could punish herself one more time and let her self-hatred take over. He had tried to stop her before, to put an end to that destructive vicious circle but she wouldn't let him help her. She would try to fool him into believing she liked these one-night stands, but he knew better.
So when that man moved to approach her, Robin immediately pulled her closer to him on the booth they were sharing. It was just the two of them at the table by now, the others were dancing and John was ordering them more drinks.
If looks could kill, that guy would probably be dead by now. Robin was on full "protector-mode" like Regina would say.
When the man finally made it to their table, he looked at Regina and spoke.
"Excuse me, do you dance?"
Regina, who had been completely oblivious to what was happening, lifted her gaze and saw the man for the first time. He was giving a hand to invite her to dance. When she finally realized what that man had said, she let go of Robin's hand under the table and took his which made Robin even more nervous.
"Of course" She said, with her most beautiful and teasing smile.
She got up from the booth and joined him where the other dancers were. He had his hand on the small of her back which made Robin boil inside.
They started dancing and after a couple of minutes, he pulled her by the hand so that she was flushed against his body.
That was the moment Robin looked away. It was happening again, and he couldn't stand to watch it, watch her.
Robin stood up and joined John at the bar, grabbing a beer and drinking half of it in a second.
"Wow, slow down buddy, everything alright?" John asked, looking at Robin surprised.
"Fine" Robin said under his breath. He glanced at Regina and that guy and saw him leaning down to kiss her. He looked away and stared down at his beer. John followed his friend's line of sight and saw them.
"I see", He said. "So she isn't as well as I thought she was. She looked almost happy tonight with us."
"She did… But you know Regina, she's an expert at wearing masks."
"I don't understand why she does it. She doesn't even seem to enjoy it. She could find herself a nice guy. She is free now…"
"No she isn't." Robin replied.
"What do you mean?" John said, looking back at his friend.
"She might not be married anymore, but she still isn't free from him." Robin said, taking a sip of his beer.
"You think this is what it is?"
"I know it is. And it kills me…"
John patted him on the back and went back to their table. Robin finished his beer slowly and missed the couple leaving the bar. When he noticed her absence it was already too late, she was gone. After yelling at Ruby for daring to ask him where she was, he left twenty dollars on the counter and got out of the bar. The cold air immediately froze him. It was almost April but winter was still very much present in New York.
Robin only lived about ten minutes from the bar, so he decided to walk home to clear his thoughts.
He had been walking for literally three minutes when he heard her.
"No, not here. Someone might see us" She said in a playful but slightly scared tone.
"Come one, I want you so bad. I can't wait any longer."
Robin looked on his left, searching for her in the dark of the narrow alley before him.
"No, please. I don't feel like it." She said, her voice so vulnerable.
Robin started to panic, he knew that voice, that child-like voice. She only had that voice when she was terrified. And there was only one thing that terrified Regina: losing control.
"Shhh, I know you want this. I promise I'll be quick."
Robin still couldn't see her. Suddenly the light of a car that was driving by lighted the whole alley. What he saw both terrified him and drove him mad to the point of madness. The man had her pinned against the wall, one hand holding her wrists above her head, the other quickly lifting her dress. He heard her silent cry muffled by his kiss.
Robin approached the man from behind silently. He was taller and stronger than him but motivation was everything and Robin had the strongest of all struggling right in front of him.
"You know what?" the man whispered, "the moment I saw you I knew you were the kind of girl I needed. The kind who likes it rough and quick. Don't you darling?"
Robin knew how much Regina hated that nickname, it reminded her of a past she would rather forget. He never used it with her.
When Robin was sure he was close enough, he grabbed the man by his shoulders and threw him on the floor. He kicked him in the stomach three, four times, unable to stop himself. The man cried out and spat blood on the hard concrete.
"Touch her again and I'll kill you." Robin said in a deep, angry voice that even he didn't recognize.
The man got up, holding his stomach with one hand and wiping blood from his mouth with the other. He looked like he was about to run and Robin wasn't sure if he wanted to let him.
That was when she called for him, in the most broken and vulnerable voice he had ever heard from her. He turned around and looked at her. She was a mess, her bottom lip was bleeding, her hair was all over the place, and her dress was still half up on one side. Her stockings were torn, probably because of the brick wall behind her, and her purse was on the floor. He made a move to approach her but the man, who had been silent for the last second, took the opportunity to punch Robin in the face.
Regina cried out in surprise and looked back at the man who seemed very proud of himself.
"How about that? How does it feel to be taken by surprise?"
Robin was blinded by pain and could barely stand. He had hit him right in the jaw and Robin could feel blood invading his mouth already. After a few seconds, he managed to recover and stood tall in front of the man. He knew he didn't stand a chance against that guy so he bluffed.
"I'd leave while I still can if I were you." Robin threatened.
The man laughed darkly and looked back at Regina. He put his shirt back in his pant and fixed his belt which was still half opened. Regina looked down, unable to hold his gaze. The signs of arousal were still very visible on the man which made Regina all the more uncomfortable.
"You know what… You're right. It's not worth it. Actually, she's not worth much. Just a whore I wanted to fuck. You should be glad that I wanted you" He spat at her in disgust, a cold grin on his face.
"One more word and I swear to God, your own mother won't recognize you."
The man chuckled and stared at Robin unimpressed.
"Yeah, right."
He looked one last time at Regina and left, disappearing in the crowd of New York.
"Regina", Robin whispered in the softest tone he could manage.
When she didn't respond, Robin walked towards her and put his hand on her shoulder. She immediately jerked away.
"Don't touch me", she screamed.
Robin tensed, even though he didn't except this reaction, he was not unfamiliar with it and he knew what he was about to face. A very distressed, confused and lost Regina.
"Regina, it's me. It's Robin." Robin tried but without touching her this time.
She remained silent for a moment.
"I would prefer if you stayed where you are… Don't… Don't get any closer please." She muttered.
"If that's what you want, that's what I'll do. I'll stay right here."
He tried to get her to look at him, without much success. She was trying to fix her dress and her hands were shaking terribly. And it made Robin sad, just sad for her.
It was starting to rain and Robin was starting to shiver from the cold. They should go now. He didn't want them to stay here for too long, it wasn't good for her. He needed to end her torment now and force her to come back to him.
"Regina, sweetheart, can I come closer?"
She was holding herself around the stomach, her back against the wall, her eyes far, far away.
"Regina can-"
"Robin" She interrupted.
Robin starred at her with wide eyes, prepared for the worst.
"Robin, I'm cold."
This was good, her noticing things like that. It meant she was still in there, aware of her surroundings at least.
"I know. Here, take my coat."
When she didn't protest, he wrapped his coat around her shoulders.
"Do you think…Do you think you could hold me for a little while?" She asked in her child-like voice.
Robin felt his heart shatter in a thousand pieces. He had heard that voice before and it broke him every single time. He knew that it was an honest question, not a request. The wonder in her voice overwhelmed him with sorrow. How could she think he would deny her?
"Of course, I will."
He put his hands on her arms first to check her reaction. When she didn't flinch, he brought her body against his own, her face pressed against his chest. Her arms remained motionless along her body.
They remained like this for a few minutes, just holding each other. But Robin felt her shaking badly against him. He needed to take her home. He had to get her out of here.
"Sweetheart, can we go home now?"
"I'm tired" She whispered against his chest.
"I know. Do you think you can walk for a few minutes?" He asked against her hair.
No answer came. Alright then, change of plan.
"Regina, do you think you could let me carry you. At least until I find us a cab?"
When he felt her nod against his chest, Robin immediately reacted before she changed her mind. He put one arm behind her shoulders and another under her knees. Robin probably wouldn't be able to carry her all the way to the apartment, he needed to find a cab and quick.
Her face was pressed against his chest, her eyes hidden by her hair. One of her hand was in her lap, the other holding his shirt tightly.
Robin walked all the way down the alley with Regina in his arms. It took him a minute or two to get a cab to stop and take them.
Regina was sitting on his lap, her face in the crook of his neck. She hadn't said a thing since they had left the alley. He didn't even know if she was awake or not.
The taxi driver was glancing at them every now and then in the rearview mirror.
"Is she okay?" He asked.
Robin put on his best smile which he knew made people comfortable and convinced them that everything was okay.
"Oh yeah, too many drinks I'm afraid."
The taxi driver seemed satisfied with that explanation and nodded.
When they finally made it home, Robin lifted Regina once more and struggled to open the door of his apartment which thank god was only on the first floor.
He headed towards the bedroom and once there, carefully laid Regina on his bed. She looked small and vulnerable on the large bed. Her legs were curled up against her and she moved to lay on her side. Robin gently stroked her cheek and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. He sat on the bed besides her.
When she finally opened her eyes, he gave her a soft smile.
"Hey" She whispered in a raspy voice.
"Hey"
For the first time since she had left the bar, she looked into his eyes. Tears started to appear and fell down her cheeks which Robin quickly wiped away.
"I hate him"
"I know, that bastard will never come near you again. I promise."
When she shook his head, he frowned.
"No, Robin. I hate him. I hate Leopold."