A hand slapped over my mouth, immediately sparking panic as I tried to struggle. I couldn't go far in this chair, and it only served to double my previous fear.
However, once the figure came out from behind me it was all I could do not to be sick. Lance stood before me with a twisted smile on his face, the possessive glint in his eyes as they tracked down my body made chills sweep through me. The feeling of phantom hands came back with force, but now I couldn't reassure myself that it was all in my head. Because unless I had finally snapped, my rapist stood in front me now and by the look in his eyes he was already planning his next assault.
His breath was minty when he spoke, making an irrational irritation flare in me. Doesn't he know that when you intimidate the woman you abused your breath should smell like a troll? The thought was hysterical at best, but I focused back on him when his voice grated against my ears.
"Hello there my dear, I was starting to think you had moved away despite what I had been reliably informed. It really has been too long since I've seen you and imagine my surprise when I was released early only to find that my dear girl friend had been spreading the worst lies about me. Although it seems like most of our friends believed me, not that I expected any difference. But enough of that, I have chosen to forgive you for your schemes so you don't have to worry about that anymore. After all, I'm in a good mood. They let me out early for good behavior and that deserves a celebration. And I know just how you can thank me for my forgiveness."
The words sent ice through my very soul while tears gathered in my eyes. This sick fuck thought I should feel sorry for telling the truth about him? And that I would willingly allow him to have me after everything he put me through? It only further backed up my suspicion that he was insane, the glint in his eyes more than enough to make me believe it.
His hands gripped me as he tried to lift me over his shoulder. Suddenly remembering who exactly I was here with, I started to fight. All I had to do was get his hand off my mouth or make enough noise to get Maximus's attention and I would be safe. Lance wasn't anywhere near a match for Maximus, even if he had been human still.
Lance's hand stayed firmly planted over my mouth, but my elbow lashed out and caught his eye making him throw me to the ground in rage and pain. I slid when I hit the cold tile, but I didn't waste a minute to bemoan my new aches. Hauling in a breath, I screamed as loud as I could. "Maximus!" Just like before in the gym, I felt as the air turned sharp and the familiar form blurred into the room with my chair tucked under his arm. Grey eyes took in the situation with a single scan, before locking onto Lance.
Lance for his part, whirled around to glare at Maximus. "Back off, she's my girl friend and we're just having a spat right now. Go back to your apartment and leave us alone."
Maximus's eyes sparked green as he realised who Lance was, the sudden color change not going unnoticed by my abuser.
Lance backed away as he stared in shock and fear, "What the hell man!? What are you doing with your eyes?" Before he could get far, Maximus dropped my chair and dragged him into a headlock. He whispered into his ear in a tone that would have terrified me to my core if it had been aimed at me,
"So you are the miserable sack of meat who hurt her. I've been wanting to meet you, thank you ever so much for arranging that." His eyes were pure green by the time he finished speaking, never leaving the Lance's struggling form.
I felt as my breathing sped up and my dread rose, now was not the time for an attack. But despite my wishes it escalated as I fought to drag air into my lungs. Maximus snapped his gaze over to me and cursed, swinging his eyes back to Lance he gave a single order. "Sit down, shut up and don't move."
As if by magic, Lance immediately stopped making a fuss and flopped down onto the ground. The sight would have been amusing, if I weren't having other pressing issues at the moment. Maximus was at my side in the next instant, his hands stroking down my arms as he lowered his voice into the soothing timber I was used to.
It wasn't immediate, but I felt as his reassurance crawled through the bog like panic that had overtaken my mind. He pulled me into his chest as he made himself breath deeply, a request for me to copy him since he didn't need oxygen.
It took me longer than I'd prefer but after a few minutes I no longer felt like I was suffocating and could think a clear sentence again. That almost calm disappeared when a familiar feminine voice broke through the air, the words sending soul rending betrayal through me.
"What do you think you're doing young lady? I raised you better than to cheat on your boyfriend. First all of your lies about him to our friends and now this? It took me considerable convincing to make everyone believe the lies you were spreading were just that, Lies. When the courts offered an early release for Lance I couldn't in good conscience leave him in there to pay for your falsehoods. Now that he's out you two can finally sort this messy business out once and for all. And I don't want to hear a word of complaint from you, after what you put him through you should just be grateful that he is willing to take you back at all."
I clung to Maximus's arm as dread slammed into me and added to the betrayal. Tears of resignation and humiliation came to my eyes as I wrenched out through my tears. "It was you. You were the one who told everyone I was lying. I thought it was Lance, but it wasn't. How could you? And now you demand I go back to him? After what he did to me?"
My voice was rising steadily, until it was sharper than I had ever remembered before. I hated that Maximus had gotten caught in the middle of this family drama, but he hadn't put me back into my chair yet so all I could do was try to sit up using his arm and face my mother.
She made an imposing sight, her natural height increased by the four inch heels she wore. Her face was set into a hard scowl, the skin pinched to look as if she had clothespins holding her face back. Her sharp hazel eyes, the same eyes I inherited, glared down at me from behind her brown fringe as if I was gum on the bottom of her shoe.
Her words cut me to the core, "He didn't do anything to you. He came over to explain himself after you called the hospital. You were chopping in the kitchen and he startled you. You backed into the knife on the counter and made such a fuss about it, blaming him for your mistake. I have never been more ashamed of you-"
My grip increased on Maximus's arm until it must have hurt but he made no comment and I was in no mental place to think clearly. It was all I could do not to shake apart as my mother took my trauma and threw it in my face while telling me I made all of it up for attention. Tears slid down my cheeks, but I didn't care. I had never expected her to betray me in such a way, in any way. She was my mother, she had held me after Lance had assaulted me. She had comforted me in the hospital when I lost my ability to walk.
However as I remembered what she had done for me, I also remembered the other details I had always tried to not focus on. Her telling me that I must have misunderstood Lance's rape of me because he couldn't possibly do such a thing. Her disgust at my injury and her calling my efforts to get on with my life after he was locked up unnecessary dramatics.
She had always been on his side, I just had been too stupid to see it. The betrayal cut deep, making me feel as if she had buried a knife in my chest. I should have seen it coming, I would have if I hadn't held desperately onto the hope that my mother couldn't possibly take my abusers side.
When she moved as if to physically take me from Maximus's arms, I flinched back into him while curling up against his chest. Right now he was the only thing in my life that hadn't been flipped completely on its head so I would cling to him until everything was stable again.
In the next instant, Maximus's voice came out in a low growl. "I don't care who you are, you will not be taking a single step closer to her." I felt the vibrations from it from my place leaned against his chest, but I didn't look up. I knew it was the coward's way out, but right now I couldn't bare to look into my mother's eyes while knowing that she was the one who caused so much of my suffering.
Instead of the indignant squawking I expected, the room was eerily silent. Deciding to take a peek, I immediately noted the glazed look in my mother's eyes. Maximus must have used his gaze on her when he spoke to her before.
Maximus looked down to me, his eyes softening as he spoke. "There are people on the way here now and they can't see this. What do you want me to do? Whatever you choose I will honor it."
My head pounded as I tried to think past my cotton stuffed head. I buried my face into his chest as a headache throbbed behind my eyes. "I don't know. I don't know what I want. I just want to get away from here. Away from them."
Maximus's mouth grazed the top of my head, before his voice rang out again. "Both of you are to act as if nothing occurred here, you don't know where Zelda is and you will continue on with your lives as if you hadn't come to visit today."
They both nodded mutely, before exiting the lobby. Leaving me with a new betrayal to think over and pain to work through. Maximus's voice rumbled from above my place tucked into his throat,the sound comforting as I tried to piece everything back together.
"This was the only thing I could think of that would allow you to choose what you wanted at a later time when you are less overwhelmed. For now, we can go home as you want and deal with this whenever you are ready."
The thought of ever being ready to deal with this seemed impossible but I didn't disagree. Too happy with the thought of getting away from here to care about the future. Maximus must have picked up on that, because he carefully situated me into my chair before wrapping me into a hug.
"It will be alright. I won't let them or anyone else touch you. Once we're back home you will be far out of their reach. If you choose to later, it would be my pleasure to have them brought to Romania to be thrown in Vlad's dungeon." His words rang with his want to do just that, but his touch was gentle as he stroked down my back.
The thought of Lance being in the dungeon didn't bother me as much as it probably should have, but while I was hurt that my mother would betray me in such a way, I couldn't let that happen to her. My voice cracked when I answered, but I considered it a victory that I managed to choke it all out.
"No, at least not for my mother. I don't care what you do to Lance, obviously the law isn't going to do anything. But my mother, I can't…" My statement trailed off, but Maximus dropped a kiss to my forehead, cutting me off by brushing another kiss over my mouth.
"No need to explain further, she's your mother. That's all I need to know. As for Lance, I'll alert Vlad to the situation. He can send someone back to collect him easily. For now, let's get you back to Romania. We still have to decide what food you want for our date when we get back and I can put in a call for someone to bring chocolate and whatever else you want to eat to the airport before we board. Okay?"
His understanding tone held no judgement for the drama he just witnessed and that made tears of gratitude pour out of me. He didn't miss a beat, cradling my face as he swiped them away. I nodded, not able to speak past the knot in my throat, but my nod was enough for him.
Pulling back, he pulled me into another kiss only letting go when I had relaxed into it. "Do you want me to push your chair or keep and arm around you?" Was it that obvious that I didn't want him to stop touching me?
Shaking my thoughts to the side, I answered. "Can you keep your arm wrapped around my shoulder? I...really want you to keep touching me." Or I might break down. That part went unsaid, but if the concern that flared in his eyes was any indication it had still been heard loud and clear.
I nudged him back, wanting to get on the plane and back to Romania as quickly as possible. He gave me space before sliding his arm around my shoulders and dropping into stride with me. His thumb stroked my shoulder as we left the building, with my heart considerably heavier than when we entered it.
