BLEEDING [✔️]

BLEEDING - 19

Chloe was curled up on the bed, and was sleeping soundly like a baby when banging on the doors resonated around. Chloe stirred and slowly woke up. With her long exhale one can easily detect the telltale signs that her brain was still waking from the sleep. The banging, that began as light pecks on the door, quickly grew to a crescendo of tidal waves. Within seconds, her eye lids that were leaden with sleep snapped open and she jerked up. She was pensive as she tried to fathom what was happening.
Slowly walked towards the door, she opened it to reveal worrisome Markus.

"What were you even doing ?" Concerned, Markus said.

"I–I don't know—when I dozed off. Sorry." He exhaled a sigh of relief.

"Its okay, Chloe. Freshen up fast, or we'll eat all the pasta." She bit her lower lip and nodded. He chuckled and strolled away. She quickly made herself presentable and walked towards the living room.

"So you're here." Marcus enthused, as his eyes fell on her. Sam's head snapped towards her. His eyes roamed up and down her figure, before settling on her face, currently ducked low.

"You sure are a heavy sleeper." Markus said playfully turning her into a shade of evening sun. Assessing her Sam realised that Markus seemed right, the kind of softness and gentleness she held couldn't ever be mastered by the kind of women, they knew.

"Sorry." She whispered yet again.

"There's nothing you have to be sorry about, Come join us." Markus said. She nodded, stepping towards the round table and flopped down on the sofa. Markus slid a bowl of pasta towards her.

"Thank you." Softly, she mumbled. He smiled. As she ate, Sam stared at her, and noticed, each forkful was as tiny as one would feed a baby, and then, she was nibbling on it long enough before taking anymore.

"It ain't poisonous." He remarked. In that moments, her cheeks turned beet root red in embarrassment. She lowered head and cautiously stood up.

"I'll be in my room." She whispered.

"Chloe, I know you're scared. It's obvious but I promise we aren't going to hurt you." Markus said from behind.

"I just need sometime alone."

"Okay." He said. She stepped towards her room. Just as she was about to push open the door, Sam stopped her. She froze on her spot. Ever since last couple of hours, her nerves were so bad that she was shaking on the inside.

She turned. He was standing just a few metres away. The moment their gazes lock everytime, whole World seems to fade as if there's an invisible force pulling them together.

"Here take this." He stretched his phone out, "Talk to your parents." Still trapped under his intent gaze, she grabbed the phone, their hands brushed past. With millions of butterflies in her stomach, she began dialling the number. "I thought you needed some lone time." Sam said. Her head shot up. The way he said that, he had her mind surge with perplexity.

"I–I don't understand." Meekly, she whispered. "Go back in your room and talk." He replied. A small smile appeared on her lips. She nodded and turned, "I am trusting you." He said. "I–will not–break it." She worded and went back in the room.

"Okay, what was that ?" Confused, Markus uttered.

"What ? I told you I'd give her a shot. Let's see what happens." Sam replied.

Inside her room, Chloe called her parents.

"Mom."

"Princess." Her mom said, "How are you ?"

"I am okay." She replied.

"Are you ? Princess are you surely okay ? Your voice sounds strained. Even that day, it did. Do they make you work so hard ?" Chloe exhaled a deep breath, not as a signal of relief but of the level her tension had reached.

"Where's dad ?" She asked. Natalie sighed, "He is out for some work, and don't you try to change the topic with me. Now spill before your daddy is back and starts his lecture on not to push you, you're a woman now bla bla bla." Chloe giggled in response. "Now speak princess." 

"Uhm–there is this–uhm I mean–I met this man–like I have met him a couple of times by now but still I think I don't know anything about him. I just–I just don't—understand him."

"Did he hurt you ?" Worried, Natalie uttered.

"No–no–no, he never hurt me." Softly, she whispered. "So ?"

"He helps me, but he never talks to me –like–like normal people talk."

"You like him, princess ?" Chloe was taken of guard by her mother's sudden question. Unconscious of her feelings, she said, "I want to understand him." Natalie exhaled a deep breath.

"Princess, do you know how your dad and I met ?" Chloe smiled.

"Cliché, bad boy good girl story." She shrugged.

"No princess, that just the surface. You know, your dad once told me that he was always attracted to me, towards my sweetness and kindness—his words not mine. And how his friends always tried to bully me cause I was a nerd. Back then, your dad might have kept his distance with me but he always protected me. Always princess."

"Dad is the best."

"After that, certain instances brought us closer for good. Later, when I asked your dad why didn't he propose me earlier. He told me that he was always so conflicted within himself."

"Conflicted, I didn't get you, mom ?"

"That's proves that you're my daughter." Natalia said, sarcasm dripping from her tone. Chloe chuckled.

"Well he said that he always found me attractive but on the second hand, he strongly believed that he cannot find true love, like there wasn't any such thing. It took him some time, but he realised, he was wrong." On hearing Natalie, Chloe realised that it could be the same thing with him too. He might be conflicted.

"So what's the point of our story ?" Natalie spoke, breaking her trance.

"People act tough to hide their—insecurity or–or they don't want to be proved wrong."

"Yeah perhaps that is the lesson."

"Thanks mom. You're the best. I love you and dad too. I'll call you later."

"Don't be stressed and Love you too." Natalie said and ended the call. Chloe walked towards the balcony and gazed at the night sky. She smiled, as the cool, gentle breeze blew her hair before resettling few strands across her face.

"I have never been so pulled towards anyone but you. You're so different. Do I like you ? I don't know, even if I did I wouldn't have realised because this feeling is new. All I know is, I want to know you and for that I'll have to trust you, forgetting my fear."

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