Chapter Twenty Six.
"Exposed."
"Are you seriously just telling us this now?"
I folded my arms as I looked at my friends, especially Keith and Natalie, who seemed to be very mad.
"Guys, I am being honest with you I promise. It all just happened so quickly and I was really busy and when I first got the chance, I told you. Why is it a big deal?"
"It is a fucking big deal, Anastasia. You didn't even give any of us a call to tell us that you started dating,"
I glared at Kieth. "Why is it even any of your business? You are my friend not my father. God, you sound so stupid right now,"
He rolled his eyes. "I sound stupid? What if he is not as good as he thinks? What if he hurts you? hits you? Will you start getting away aga-"
"Shut the fuck up!" I shouted at him as I jumped from my seat. "You're a fucking asshole Keith." I grabbed my purse and started walking out the restaurant, ignoring all those eyes looking at me.
Fuck you Keith for bring this up again.
I waited patiently as I waited for the door to be opened. I don't even know how I made it here alive, I can't see from the anger inside me. Why should he bring this up? Of all things.
I looked up as the door opened, revealing Paul wearing motorcycle pants and t-shirt.
"Ana?" He asked as he looked at me. "Something's wrong?"
I sighed and looked down, I can't even stop the tears that already started to run down my face. He didn't say another word, he just wrapped an arm around me as he pulled me closer and closed the door.
"What has happened?" He hugged me tightly and kissed the top of my head.
"It's a long story," I whispered trying to stop myself from crying. God, I hate crying in front of anyone.
"Come on stop crying, it's fine," He rubbed my back. "Sit down," He walked me to the couch and we both sat down. "Do you want to drink anything?"
"No," I sobbed. "Just hold me," I heard him sighing before he tightened his hold of me, holding me dearly. He started to rub my back smoothly and he didn't say anything, but I could feel the tension inside him. Maybe I should tell him, it might makes me feel better. I slowly pulled away from his warm, loving hold and looked at him. A small smile creeps on my face as he wiped my tears off and gave ma a sad smile.
"What's wrong?"
I sighed. Every time I think that I am over this story and the past, something happens and I am at it again. Remembering it hurts. And I have no choice. "A few years ago, I met a guy. He was a great guy, very handsome, charming, dreamy, funny, rich, he was everything. He had everything. I loved him and soon enough, we started dating. It was really good, it was like we were in love. We were both very happy. But suddenly things started to change. At first I didn't know what happened. I didn't know what went wrong,
"Until one night, I wanted to surprise him, so I came back home from the trip with work, just one day early. When I entered the house, I found him with another woman, and they were doing drugs. She made him a drug addict, she used him for money. After that night, my life had never been the same again. I didn't leave him because I wanted to help him. I hated seeing him like that. But things just started to get harder,
"He got worse. He started to be angry all the time. He got fired from his job and this made things even worse. He started to be slowly change into a monster. I couldn't take it anymore. I tried to tell him that we just break up. He couldn't take it, he got very angry and start throwing everything around and shouting so loudly. I got really scared as I tried to run away. B-but he grabbed me roughly and slammed against the wall. He started to tear the clothes of my body and when I tried to push him away,
"He slapped me really hard and he, he," I wiped the streaming tears off my cheeks only for the new ones to replace them. I looked at Paul. He understood but I was about to say. "I stayed in this abusive relationship for four long months. He kept on hurting me emotionally, sexually and physically. He hurt me in every way possible. I couldn't get away from him in anyway possible. Every time I tried to escape, he hits and rapes. I prayed every night that I could just die because then, I knew that there were no way I will live like that. Not long.
"But I finally got away. I finally got away from him, after four months of crying for help. I left him and I hadn't seen his face for years. It took a complete year to start actually living again. I was a wreck of a human. I don't even know how I am still alive to this minute, but I am. After year of rehab, I got back to work. That's when I needed something different. I needed to see new place, new people. My love for photographing started and I started travelling around the world, taking photos. Capturing memories. Making new memories to replace the sad, horrible ones.
"I promised myself that I will try everything I was once afraid to do. Everything. But the one thing I didn't do was dating. I didn't even thought about dating for these past four years. Not once. I just focused on my main goal, to face every fear I once had and do everything I ever wanted to. But it just hurts when someone brings this part of my past up. I am working very hard to completely delete it from my past like it never was." I took a deep breath and looked at him. His eyes are wide and his breathing is slow. He looked straight at my eyes and I felt exposed.
"Anastasia," He breathed, shocked obviously. Who wouldn't be? He held both my hands tightly while his eyes never left mine. "You're a very strong woman,"
"I try to be as strong as I could,"
"You are love, you are as strong as a anyone can be." He said. "I know that this was hard for you to say but we all have a part of our past that we hated. That changed us in one way or another. But it's just life, that's the way it goes. We wouldn't be where we are without that part of our past,"
I nodded and gave him a small smile. "You are right. If that didn't happen, I wouldn't have met you. That would have really sucked,"
"Really sucked, yes." He smiled before he planted a kiss on my hand. "I want to tell you one thing,"
I tilted my head to the side. "Say it,"
"I love you."
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