CHAPTER FIVE
Waking up to the gentle touch of sunlight on my skin marked a departure from the usual harsh awakenings I'd grown accustomed to. In the mornings or the dead of night, my consciousness often emerged in response to screams or physical blows. Even in the hospital, after all those medication and sedatives they gave me, the pain was there like a bitch. Straightening my body, I yawned without concern for propriety, pushing the covers away before rising from the bed.
My clothes, or the girl's clothes if I must say, were still inside the baggage. I navigated swiftly through my morning rituals in the bedroom's bathroom.
"I wish there was anything longer than shorts." I murmured, even though there were two jeans inside, I have checked the size of them but they wouldn't fit me since they were two size bigger. Okay, I may be a little too skinny. Lowering down the jeans I was holding high to look at, I sighed sadly. I wasn't fed well. Sometimes I couldn't even get to eat because they would lock me in my room and forget about it till the next day when the table wasn't ready.
A knock on the door startled me, and I responded with a shaky "Yes?"
"Can I come in?" he inquired.
Rationalizing my speeded heartbeat as stress, I replied, "Sure." As he entered, his eyes scanned the room, realizing I wasn't on the bed. "Morning," he greeted with a deep voice after he found me sitting in front of the baggage, a resonance that triggered unexplained emotions within me.
"Morning," I replied, attempting a friendly smile that caused him to look at me as if he was just figuring out I was in his house. His glancing prompted me to withdraw the attempt, and I focused on the task at hand.
"I was just trying to find something to wear," I murmured, still taken aback by his reaction. He cleared his throat, his movements were out of sight as my gaze remained fixed on the baggage. "I don't think those would fit," he remarked, pointing to the jeans in my hands. "Yeah, they are two sizes bigger," I admitted, raising the jeans once more to confirm.
"They look new," he observed. "Why would you buy pants that wouldn't fit you?" Furrowing my brows, I turned to face him, explaining, "I didn't. Flora and the girls gave me those. After the accident, they said my bag was nowhere to be found. So no clothes, no ID, and," I gulped, pushing the pants aside, "no money."
He didn't say anything and I wasn't expecting him to. Deciding for jean shorts and a comfy white T-shirt, he announced, "Breakfast is ready. I'm waiting inside; we need to talk." After that he left without further reaction. He speaks but only four words for each sentence. Taking a deep breath I got up from the floor and started to get dressed.
"No, you don't have to finish; I can check them when I get there." His voice, still deep and slightly tired, accompanied the sound of him gulping his coffee. As soon as he noticed me at the door, he gestured with his hand for me to sit on the chair, which I promptly did. "No," he said to whoever he was talking to on the phone, "Nabu." His tone turned into a warning. "I'm ending the call." Without waiting for a response, he did just that.
"Do you like coffee?" I raised my head to look at him, finding his eyes already on me. He checked me out initially, and then our gazes locked. Nodding, I struggled to comprehend the effect this guy had on me and its purpose. He filled my cup with black coffee and placed the pot on the table. "Do you want anything with it? Sugar? Milk?" I shook my head, having trouble finding my voice.
"Is there anything else you want to eat or prefer to eat?" Again, I shook my head, perhaps annoying him a little this time. "Then please eat something. You're too skinny." Okay, I knew that, thank you very much. Helia had told me that too. "I know I am," I snapped, taking a bite from the bread and cheese on my plate. I chewed while he watched, this time pretending not to care that he was observing. The act crumbled when I remembered my place - his house, his food, and me staying without paying him anything, not to mention my burdensome past. Closing my eyes, I swallowed the bite and took a sip of my coffee before speaking. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to sound rude." When I looked at him, he didn't seem mad or annoyed; in fact, he appeared to be enjoying himself. "You don't have to apologize to me," he said, taking a sip from his coffee. "Finish your breakfast, then we can talk." He resumed eating without wasting time looking at me or my reaction. I nodded anyway.
I always had issues with food. I didn't like it, and it seemed the feeling was mutual. Sighing, I took the last bite from my plate and let out a deep breath of relief. This was my Everest!
"Do you always eat this little?" he asked.
I turned my head to check if he was serious. I had never eaten this much in my entire life! "What do you mean? I never ate this much before."
This seemed like a normal conversation to me, or at least, I thought it was. However, he didn't seem to think that. Not only were his brows furrowed, but he also rose from his seat, taking his plate and mug to the kitchen. Stood up somewhat aggressively. Biting my lip, I scolded myself for talking to him. He could talk; this was his house. However, I was in a place where I should try to be invisible, something I had always been told to do. I stood up immediately and began to clean up the table. I entered the kitchen with dirty dishes and headed to the sink, but his voice stopped me in my tracks.
"There's a dishwasher over there; you don't have to wash them in the sink," he said.
I looked over at him to see if he was serious. "Umm, are you sure? Doesn't that cost a lot of money?" He looked at me, his eyes traveling over my face for a couple of seconds, perhaps checking if I was serious.
"No, it doesn't. Washing them by hand costs more, actually. And it's not ecofriendly." I looked at the dishes in my hands and put them in the washer without saying anything to avoid bothering him more. There wasn't much to say anyway.
"Come, we have to talk." A cold chill spread over me like an electric wave. I gulped and walked out of the kitchen, following him. He sat down on the couch and gestured for me to sit as well. I walked to the couch next to him, but he stopped me before I sat.
"You can sit next to me." Nodding without saying anything, I sat next to him but made sure there was enough distance for us both.
"Before I say anything," he started, and I held my breath in anticipation of the next, probably hurtful, words. "I want you to answer some of my questions."
I looked at him, and he turned his body toward me, waiting for a response. "Okay," I murmured, unsure of what else there was to ask since I had told him everything last night. His eyes continued to scrutinize my face, making me uncomfortable. I knew I was prettier than my stepmother and stepbrothers, but I also knew I wasn't anything special. Uncle Jack would often compliment me, but I understood it was his way of cheering me up.
"You said you were eleven when your dad passed away. Eleven on paper or eleven in reality?" I closed my eyes before replying, unable to handle the mention of my father's death. "I was really eleven," I whispered.
"So, for nine years, you were alone with them?" He asked, not allowing me time to compose myself. Biting the inside of my cheek, I nodded. "And you were homeschooled?" I nodded again.
He paused, giving me a moment to collect myself. Pressing my nails into my palms, I waited for him to kick me out. "Would they hit you often?" This question caught me off guard and struck me hard. I hesitated, not wanting to answer. I hated portraying myself as a weak girl. Even when Uncle Jack asked, I never truly admitted anything. He knew, of course, given the bruises on my skin. Even my teachers were aware. My German teacher had even provided me with emergency contacts and the address of a place where I could stay for free until I found my own place. Now, I had neither the paper nor a plan. Clearing my throat and looking at his emerald eyes, I admitted, "Yeah, pretty often." My eyes shifted to his fisted hand, his knuckles white from tension. "Nothing I couldn't handle," I added, uncertain why I felt compelled to say it. He continued to gaze at me, and I sensed pity in his eyes. I heard him take a deep breath and move a bit closer to me on the couch. This time, I didn't jump or get scared. The trust I felt last night was as clear as it was right now.
"Why did they hate you so much?"
"I was their stepsister/stepdaughter. Why wouldn't they? Everyone commented on my looks, which theirs isn't that good, so jealousy was a reason too. Not like I am something special, and they didn't need an excuse to hurt me or make my life miserable."
He murmured something under his breath, but I couldn't quite understand it. We both fell into silence. He stared at his bookshelf, which I had wished to explore when I first saw it, but my time was running out. So probably it was going to stay as a wish only.
"I'm a lawyer, Stella," he said suddenly. My eyes couldn't help but widen in surprise. "Y-you are?" I asked, not because the fact that he was a lawyer shocked me, but because of his figure, which seemed more muscular, making me think he might be a soldier or a fighter.
He looked at me a little taken aback. "I am," he affirmed shortly. "What I want to say is, I can help you if you want." My eyes were scanning his face, to see if there was any kind of joke hidden anywhere. Why would he want to help me? Why would anyone give away their time for me? Flora and the girls were angels, they don't count but the emerald guy? Why would he do that for me?
"Do you mean that?" My voice was so low; he had to lower his head toward me to hear me. "I do," he said shortly.
"I don't mean to—" I began, but he raised his hand to stop me. "You should stop saying that; it's annoying." I gulped down my words, realizing he looked serious and that it wouldn't be wise to get into trouble with a man who could easily lift me with one hand.
"Look, you can stay here as much as you want; I don't mind at all. I want to help you." He seemed genuine, but I couldn't understand why he would want to help me and let me live here.
"Why would you do that?" I asked, adding a little volume to my voice. "I-I have nothing to give you."
"I don't ask you for anything Stella. I want to help because I hate people who are bad inside. I hate when they think they can easily hurt anyone they want. I hate to see them winning, and I hate to see them look all innocent." I guess he doesn't like bad people. I opened my mouth to speak, but the doorbell interrupted me. He rose from his seat and headed to the door while I looked behind him.
"Hey, cousin," I heard the familiar voice say, causing me to jump from my seat and rush to it. He was looking at Flora without saying any words, while she smiled sheepishly with Helia next to her.
"You should've answered my calls," said Flora all of a sudden, now more serious and less apologetic.
"I should've," said Brandon, surprisingly his voice didn't sound annoyed or mad. He sounded regretful. When I looked at Flora again, I saw that she was also surprised by his reaction.
Deciding to step closer, I called for Flora. Maybe it wasn't a good idea, as now all the attention was on me. Flora rushed to me and took me in her arms, nearly crushing my bones with the hug she was giving. "Umm, Flora?" I moaned, causing her to step back immediately. "I'm so sorry! Did I hurt you?" She asked, all worried. I shook my head, even though my back felt like it was being stabbed with invisible blades. I tried to smile to lessen her worry. However, when my eyes met his emeralds, I stopped trying to smile. His brows were furrowed, though I couldn't say I was surprised since they had been furrowed since I met him, but he also seemed worried. Biting my lip, I took a step back; he probably was worried for his cousin being next to me. Who could blame him? "No, I'm fine," I murmured, looking down.
Her hands grabbed mine, and she led me towards the living room. "I really missed you, Stella. The girls sent you gifts!" She seated me on the couch and left a small bag on my lap. "We were discussing about moving to a bigger house all night! We decided it can be done; now Tecna and Musa are going to look for adverts. Then we can all go and see." Her smile brought back the one I suppressed.
"She can stay here," said his deep voice. I wondered if they could see how his voice affected me. I looked up at him; his facial expressions hadn't changed. "There's no need to tire her more than she is."
Helia walked in and sat on the other couch, slightly smiling. "The girls are ready for it, Brandon."
Brandon? His name was Brandon? I turned to look at him again; this name fitted him perfectly. "They can be, still, she needs somewhere safer than the girls' house."
"She does?" asked Flora, who seemed to be getting annoyed but also a little confused.
"She does," said Brandon.
Helia and I were watching them carefully and nervously. I guess I was the nervous one, and Helia was the careful one. "You two should sit down; you're making Stella nervous." Helia's voice was a wake-up call for all of us. I lowered my head again, as it seems I wasn't doing a good job hiding my feelings. Flora and Brandon both sat down after Helia's words. I was still looking down, but according to the weight I felt next to me, it seems like Brandon sat next to me.
"I guess you two talked," said Flora. Her usually soft voice sounded a little harsh right now. I looked up, was she mad at me? However, her eyes were fixated on Brandon, not me.
"You guess?" Brandon's sarcastic voice was testing Flora's patience. I was good at reading anger and fear. This skill saved me from a lot of beatings. "I tried to call you, Brandon. And left tons of messages and voicemails. You should at least open one of them; it could've been an emergency," She stopped for a second and raised her finger up as a warning, "It actually was!"
Even angels can get mad, I guess. Brandon took a deep breath and shifted next to me. My eyes were on Flora, but I could feel his eyes were on me.
"You're right; I'm sorry." My heartbeat was going crazy. I hated arguments and tense situations. They always ended with me bleeding or crying in pain.
"I guess I should step in and say, again, that this conversation is making her nervous. So cut it." Helia's voice brought the silence back. Emeralds were still on me, and even though I wanted to look at him, I decided not to for my own good. He had strange effects on me.
"Actually, the reason I'm here is to take a look at your injuries and condition. I want to know how you're doing." Helia's words caused me to look at him. He had a caring and careful expression on his face. I didn't get to talk to him much, but he always stopped by to make sure I was okay when I was in hospital.
"Now?" I found myself asking. Like what difference does it make, if he checks it now or after a while? "Yes, actually, it would be better now. I have to get to the hospital."
Biting my lip, I turned my eyes to Flora. Even though Helia took care of me in the hospital, I was really in a difficult situation and weak at that time. At that moment, I didn't think I could raise my voice even if it was my stepmother checking on me. But now, Helia seeing me naked, even for control purposes, gave me goosebumps. Even when a guy looks at me made me I shiver like a leaf, now thinking he was going to touch me was terrifying. No, I wasn't a bigot. I just didn't want a man to touch me, even if he was a doctor because it reminded me of things I didn't even want to remember from my past.
I cleared my throat but didn't say anything. My eyes were still sending Flora signals for help, but she only seemed worried now. I don't think she understood the signals I was sending. "It would be better if Flora checked her, Helia. I want to talk to you." A huge relief washed over me. I wanted to look at Brandon and thank him for understanding me, but his eyes were hypnotizing me the moment they captured mine, and I found myself struggling for air.
"Helia is the doctor, Brandon. What if I miss something?" Flora stood up without knowing the heaviness her words had caused in my heart. She kneeled in front of me and held my hands tightly. "I would be there with you, and I'll be doing all the touching if necessary. Don't be scared," she whispered. Hoping that Brandon didn't hear anything, I nodded my head.
Helia rose from his seat, and so did Brandon. I gulped down my shyness and looked up to see him. He looked nervous and confused. He was heading to the bedroom, I guess to leave us alone. Helia sat next to me smiling, "Do you have any complaints?" he asked, gesturing for Flora to help me take my shirt off. I shook my head as response, but I was barely holding myself back from crying.
"Stella. Listen to me," Helia grabbed my arm carefully without using any force whatsoever, and now he was talking slowly and kindly to me. I couldn't hold back the sniff I was holding. "I won't hurt you, I promise," he murmured, but I could see he was also taken aback by my reaction. "Can you tell me what's bothering you? Is it because I'm male?" He already knew the answer; these people were so smart. If I took a breath in, they'd understand my inner thoughts in seconds. I nodded my head, and at the same time, a tear escaped my eye.
Flora was holding me close, but I could feel her shaking with me. "Did someone hurt you?" I shook my head so eagerly that Helia raised two of his hands, meaning for me to calm down. "Did anyone try to?" A hiccup escaped my lips then. Yes, someone, my brother. He was stopped before he could hurt me further, but he had tried and gave me the worst day of my life.
"Was it one of your stepbrothers?" Asked Flora, but I could see she was sorry to ask this out loud. The regret she was feeling was immediately pictured on her face. I didn't tell anything to her about my life, like I told Brandon. However she had understood the situation with only few things she knew about me. Helia took an angry breath in; he raised to his feet and looked down at me. I could feel his anger rise. I never felt so embarrassed in my entire life. I did nothing to deserve this! Nothing.
A crash made Flora and me jump at the same time. It was coming from the bedroom where Brandon was. Helia rushed towards the bedroom, leaving us both looking wide-eyed. Flora was still holding my hands, so even if she wanted to go, the way I was gripping her hands was holding her back. One or two minutes had passed, and Helia came back with a weird look on his face. "Nothing serious, just a broken vase." Flora looked at him, not really sure about what he just said. I guess I had the same expression on my face because he looked at us and smiled to reassure us. "He's not hurt," passing behind Flora and sitting next to me, he murmured "Yet." under his breath, but it seems like I was the only one hearing it.
Even though it wasn't a good thing that happened, still, it was enough to distract me from my dark thoughts. I was a little relaxed, and my tears had stopped from falling. Until I heard Helia say, "So, where were we?"
