Max looked across the room at Zoe. They'd been sat in silence for the last hour, curled up at opposite ends of the sofa, Zoe staring off into the distance and Max stealing glances at her every so often. He so desperately wanted to reach out and comfort her, to reassure her, but she'd been so distance that he didn't want to push her any further for fear it would be too far. The way she'd been with Nick over the last few days, as though they were two pieces of a jigsaw, had scared him and he was more resentful than he would care to admit of the older man. But in the end it was Max she had come home with, Max she had allowed to redress her wounds, Max she had clung to after her nightmares, screaming against his chest until, exhausted, she fell back asleep. He looked over at her again - her lips were slightly parted, as though she was about to say something, and her fingers were wrapped so tightly around her glass he was afraid it might shatter. A fair summary, he supposed, of how he felt about Zoe at the moment. When she finally spoke, he jumped slightly at the disruption of the quiet.
"There were three of them." Her voice was frighteningly steady, her gaze blank. Max didn't move - although he knew he would hate what was about to come, he got the sense it was something she needed to do. "He just asked for a light, I didn't think-" she broke off, taking a deep breath to try and get her emotions under control.
"Zo, you don't have to do this now." He stretched out a hand to the middle of the sofa and she grabbed it gratefully, her nails digging into his skin. Shaking her head, she turned to look at him for the first time since they had returned home.
"It's okay. I want to tell you, I don't want - secrets don't work, they're not fair." She turned away again, staring at the blank television. "He asked for a light, and then his mate appeared and-" she stopped again, and Max could see her going through it all over again in her head. "He just kept walking towards me and then my back hit the wall and he kept coming, and he was talking, the whole time talking and he-" Max squeezed her hand gently and she smiled weakly. "He knew my name, Max. He kept saying it, over and over again and then one of them pulled out a knife." Her gaze drifted subconsciously to her leg. "I tried to shout for you, but they-" the glass in her hand shattered and they both jumped, Zoe stifling a sob. Her eyes fixed on the remains of her glass she continued, her voice shaking. "I can't remember much of it after that because I think I hit my head on the wall, but his hands were everywhere, and his smell was so...cloying, I couldn't breathe. And all I remember thinking was that the dress was ruined." She smiled weakly, shrugging. "Then you turned up, I guess." There was silence for a moment, her words hanging in the air between them. Max had never felt so much in one go - he was furious, disgusted at the way she'd been treated and at the people who had done so, beyond proud of her for coming through it and for telling him and-
"God I love you." Max turned towards her, a faint smile tugging his lips. "You're amazing, you know that?" He kissed her gently, smiling as she dragged him towards her. They stayed there for what seemed like hours, until Zoe lay back on the sofa, tugging at the hem of Max's top. He pulled back slightly, pushing himself up above her on his hands. "Are you sure?" She looked so beautiful that it was taking all of his willpower to even pause long enough to ask the question, but he'd made a promise to himself, and to Zoe, that he'd wait for ever if necessary. She grinned up at him, pushing herself flush against him and toying with the zip of his jeans.
"Well, we don't have to-" she was cut off as Max's lips crushed against hers, pushing her against the sofa where they woke the next day, a tangle of limbs and cushions, the lack of nightmares noticed by both.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Sorry it's so short, I'll try and update again today to make up for it. Please R&R they make my day x