Repair me

8. Hear me

"Thanks," Jackson was all smiles to the cab driver as he handed over the money but I knew behind his casual smile was pent up fury, it was burning in his eyes. It was in the way he gripped my hand as he guided me up the stairs to our apartment, his nails biting into my skin. His grim facial expression as he opened the front door and let me pass through first with my entire body tense as I waited for the inevitable. He slammed the door behind us and I winced at the sound.

"What the fuck was that?" he demanded the moment the door closed.

"What?" I was clueless to what had pissed him off. But it was sure to be something seemingly insignificant that I'd done.

"The way you were looking at that waiter," he roared my ignorance provoking his temper even more.

"Seriously?" that hadn't been what I was expecting, "I didn't even notice him."

My response was met with the first slap straight across my cheek, he was sizzling with rage now.

"You fucking liar," he fumed, "do you think I'm an idiot? I saw the way you looked at him, there's no way you can deny it."

I stood frozen, arguing with him would only make it worse. So I let him stand there and scream at me hoping all his frustration would be let out that way. His breath was hot and stank of alcohol as it hit my face. My cheek had now begun to burn from the force of the slap and I longed to soothe it with ice cold water but I had to wait him out.

Jackson's rant was broken by the sound of the door exploding open. My hand flew over my mouth as Mitch came charging in like a raging bull. He was on Jackson in an instant knocking him flat to the ground with a resounding crash. My breath caught in the back of my throat as Mitch and Jackson began to wrestle on the floor. When Mitch's fist connected with Jackson's face I began to scream.

***

"Cara! Cara!" Hands were wrapped around my upper arms gripping me tightly as I thrashed around my bed and attempted to wrestle them off. I was gasping for air as if I'd just ran a marathon. The sheets were sticky and suffocating around me, above me I felt the weight of a body leaning onto me as they pinned my arms down. A deep voice instructed, "breath. Just breath."

"Mitch?" I gasped. I knew it was him I was simply taken aback that he was the one there.

"I'm sorry," Mitch finally released my arms, "I didn't mean to scare you. I heard you moaning and whimpering in your sleep. I came in and you were tossing all over the place crying out about whatever dream you were having. The only way I could think of to calm you down was holding your arms."

"I understand," I nodded much calmer now I had my breath back and my chest rose and fell at a regular pace. Mitch fell onto the bed beside me his body completely turned towards mine. I spun so I was on my side as well facing him with our noses almost touching. He lay a heavy arm around my waist though I was reassured by it.

"Are you okay now?" He asked.

"Yeah I'm sorry I woke you," I apologised.

"Don't apologise," he shifted his arm upwards to stroke soothing circles onto the side of my face, "I'm a light sleeper anyway. I always used to stay up and listen to my mom and dad fighting all night. Even when I did finally sleep I would always stay half awake just in case."

"That's awful," I stared at him incredulous, my heart reaching out for the boy who always cared so much for everyone else that I'd forgotten he needed to be cared for too.

"It's fine now that I can stay here," Mitch gave an unconvincing half smile, "I don't have to hear it anymore. I'm only worried about you, what was your bad dream about?"

"You were in it," I admitted but that was all I was willing to say.

"And?" Mitch prompted, I pressed my lips shut unwilling to divulge any more. He blinked at me and suddenly his eyes filled with tears; on my cheek his thumb froze not massaging me anymore. When he spoke his voice shook with fear, "I wasn't hurting you was I?"

"No," I insisted immediately, I couldn't believe he would even think that, "never."

"I wanted to apologise for earlier, for hurting Grey in front of you. For hurting him at all," Mitch sighed heavily, "I've never done anything like that before, I just saw red and next thing I knew I was on top of him. The worst bit was when I saw your face at the end," Mitch's thumb drew a gentle swoop under my eyes, "and you had tears running down your face, it broke my heart to think that I'd caused you to be upset. I'd never in a million years want to do that."

"I know," I reassured, and I meant it.

"I was just so mad because we never keep secrets from each other," Mitch shook his head slowly against my pillow, "and he was keeping you all to himself. But I should've stopped to ask you first, I shouldn't have gone in like that, I know. I just couldn't help myself."

"I understand," I reached out to touch his forehead and smoothed out the worry lines carved in there. I hated seeing him troubled.

"If you can look me in the eyes and tell me that you want to be with Grey and only Grey I swear I'll leave you two to do what you want but I need to know that that's what you want Cara. Because whatever your decision is I'll go with it. All I want is for you to be happy," Mitch said in absolute seriousness.

Through the darkness of the room I stared into his beautiful green eyes and the words wouldn't come into my mouth. I couldn't look at him and say them because I knew I wouldn't mean them. I inhaled sharply from the intensity in his eyes that took my breath away.

"Mitch," I breathed out unsure of what to say.

He silenced me by leaning down and placing a kiss directly on the tip of my nose. As he leaned down my heart began to pound in my throat making me freeze.

"You don't have to say anything right now," Mitch wrapped his arms around me and drew me into his chest, "just be here with me, please."

I closed my eyes as I pressed my face against his bare skin feeling his taut muscles underneath knowing that there was no way I could say I only wanted to be with a Grey given the way I felt about Mitch.