Forced to Love

Chapter 9

I don't answer her and just stand there, staring at her. I don't know why but I can't utter a word nor move. I want to apologize but even those words are stuck in my throat. I follow her with my eyes as she walks to the bathroom on this floor and comes back in just a few seconds with the first aid kit in her hands.

"Come here" she quietly tells me and takes my hand in hers to lead me towards the couch. Her hand is so small compared to mine, and it's so soft. I like it.

Wait, what?!

I sit down and she kneels in front of me, taking some stuff out of the white box. "Are you okay?" she asks quietly as she applies something on the cotton pad. I just nod, still not able to speak. She surprised me with her question. How can she ask me if I'm okay after everything I've done to her. I did nothing but treat her badly from the moment she started living in this house. I should be the one asking her that. The guilt I felt before just intensifies and I hate that feeling. But for some reason, I hate more the fact I'm the reason for her hurt, and all I want to do is take it away, take it away and show her a better side of me, a caring side of me, a side she deserves to have.

She lifts her hand and gently cups my chin while she dubs the cotton on my busted lip. I hiss as the stinging sensation and she retreats quickly. "I'm sorry...but I need to clean your wounds" she whispers and I nod, giving her a sign that she can continue. She gently taps all the spots on my jaw, cleaning the blood before she takes the ointment and spreads it on my cuts. She massages the spot with her finger, her focus on what's she's doing while my focus is on her face. And just now do I realize how beautiful she is.

Her face bright, illuminated by the only light that comes from the one lamp in this living room. Her big brown bambi eyes followed every movement of her fingers. Her full and red lips now pouted making her look adorable. Her small and perfect nose scrunching every time I hiss at the pain. I want to chuckle every time she does it. It's cute. She is cute.

"All done," she says snapping me out of my thoughts. She cleans everything and puts the ointment back in the box. She stands up to go and put it back in its place but I gently grab her wrist making her stop in her track and turn her head to face me.

"Thank you...and I'm sorry," I say and try not to look away from her eyes, suddenly feeling like I don't deserve to look at her at all.

God, what is happening with me?

"It's okay" she whispers but I shake my head. It's not okay.

"No Aria. It's not okay. I'm a bastard for treating you this way. You've done nothing wrong, you were just here and you were like a filter for my anger. And that is not okay. You don't deserve that and I shouldn't solve my issues by yelling at you and projecting my anger on you." I let out feeling a little bit lighter after telling her what I wanted her to know for some time.

She bites her lip and nods, not looking at me but at the ground. "I know I don't deserve it but I hope you can forgive me one day" I whisper and she finally looks up at me. " I forgive you" she suddenly says, surprising me. "I know it might be quick but I don't get anything from being mad at you or whatever to not just forgive you. And you apologized, which is already a good enough step for me" she continues and just shocks me even more.

She is so young but definitely more mature than I could ever be. I know she forgave me that easily for nothing. I know she did it more for herself and I know I will have to work hard for her to actually direct her forgiveness towards me. But I don't mind. I'll work hard for it, I'll work hard for her.

"Thank you," I say and she nods. I let go of her wrist and stand up but in a second I'm back down on the couch. I guess I'm still a bit tipsy.

She turns towards me and looks at me. "Let me help you" she grabs onto my arm as I stand up once again and helps me keep my balance. We walk together upstairs and I try not to lean my whole weight onto her. I'm much bigger than her and I'm afraid I'll crush her.

She opens the door of my bedroom when we reach it and holds the door so I could step in. She still doesn't let go until we reach the bed and she makes me sit down on it. "Are you okay?" she asks again and I just nod. She probably wants to get away from me so that's why she is asking that. "Yeah yeah, you can go," I tell her and she nods before she turns around and walks towards the door.

I try to stand up so I can take my clothes off but I trip on my feet and crush into my walk-in closet. I hear her gasp before she's next to me again. "Do you want me to help?" she whispers while holding onto me, not letting me fall. I like it so I just nod letting her help me with my tie.

She undoes the knot and carefully slips the tie off my neck, putting it on her shoulder before she goes for my dress shirt. She puts her fingers on the top buttons and clears her throat before speaking. "Do you want me to help you with this too or...?" she asks again and I just nod, not looking away from her even for a second.

Even though I might be capable to do this on my own, I can't lie and say I don't like that she's the one doing it. I feel her fingers unhook the buttons one by one, with each one revealing my naked chest. My skin burns every time her fingers brush against my skin and I can't help but like the feeling. She tugs the bottom of my dress shirt from my pants so she can do the bottom buttons and I see her blush at the action. She brushes her fingers against my abs and I see her gulp. God, why I am loving to see her like this, and it's all because of me.

She pulls the shirt completely off me and puts it on her shoulder as well. I could've done that myself but I still let her do it. She tries to look anywhere but me and I try to suppress my chuckle. She gulps again and clears her throat, blushing even more now before she speaks again. "Do you need help with this too?" I can barely hear her because of how quiet she is. I follow her eyes to see she is looking at the belt of my pants and I just nod again, letting her do that part as well.

She turned into a tomato now but I love it. She is cute when she is blushing. She grabs my belt and slips it through the loops of my pants but while doing so she brushes her fingers on my lower abdomen and I give it my all for my blood to not go down south. I don't want her to be uncomfortable so I grab her hands gently, pulling them away from my body.

"I can do it by myself from here," I tell her and she nods, giving me all my belongings before she turns around to walk out of my room. "Good night Aria" I quietly call out to her before she leaves. She turns around and looks at me.

"Good night Lorenzo".