Their Girl: The Hunt

Chapter Sixteen

Alec was asleep for a few hours, we'd moved slightly since he fell asleep. He was now laying on the couch with me practically laying on top of him securely wrapped up in his arms whilst I watched the TV. I don't know if he even knew I was there or whether his hold around me was subconscious but I wouldn't have been able to get up even if I tried. Not that I did nor did I have any intention of doing so. Occasionally his hand would brush over my skin and I'd freeze from the feeling but here with him I also felt safe. He looked so peaceful and content I couldn't help but smile every time I glanced up at him. It was a complete contrast to the unhinged man that stormed in earlier, this was the Alec I knew and loved.

Although, seeing him that way didn't make me love him any less, there wasn't anything that that would change that. And the longer I laid there with him the more I realised how much I missed being able to be this close to him, his warm body wrapped around mine and his steady heartbeat thumping away in his chest was so soothing. I couldn't help but think even though Antonio wasn't here he still had such a large hold over me, haunting me. I didn't want that, I couldn't live like that anymore. This isn't what I wanted for my life, i wanted to be able to be loved and held close without it horrifying me. If it wasn't for Alec coming back the way he did I would probably still be hiding away in my room begging for them not to touch me but now here I was wrapped up in his arms savouring every moment of it.

I tucked my head into Alec and let myself melt into him, and just as I did I felt him stiffen underneath me. "How long was I asleep?" He asked his voice still corse from only just waking up. I looked up to see all sense of the anger was gone, them beautiful blue eyes glistened their usual welcoming shine and now he just seemed more confused than anything.

"Just a couple of hours I didn't want to wake you" I replied and he shifted so we were both laying on our sides looking at each other. I was trapped between him and the back of the couch and even though I'd been laying here with him for hours my breathing instinctively spiked. But this time it wasn't out of fear, it was something else. A feeling I hadn't had in such a long time.

He slowly reached his hand up and traced his finger across my neck and for the first time I didn't flinch away from him. I knew I didn't have anything to fear, the feeling of him touching my skin didn't send me into a frenzy like it had been. "I strangled you didn't I" he said softly with his voice drenched in guilt. I really had hoped he wouldn't remember, because the way he looked now was so solum and I hated that.

I retraced where his finger had brushed and I smiled faintly "I'm okay you didn't hurt me" I replied softly trying to reassure him.

He looked away from me unable to hold eye contact and I knew he was beating himself up about it. "I'm so sorry Alissandra I'm a.." before he could even finish sentence I leaned my head forwards and gently pressed my lips against his. I don't know where it came from but I just had the sudden urge to do it. And fuck me it was a weird feeling, his lips felt so right against mine but so wrong at the same time. I just couldn't stop the image of Antonio flashing into my head. He was the last person to kiss me, or touch me in that way and that was still something I was grappling with but kissing Alec squashed down them memories slightly, putting new ones in their place. Ones that I welcomed wholeheartedly.

Alec didn't kiss me back and when I pulled away I could see why, he was shocked. Probably as much as I was. Neither of us were expecting for me to kiss him, I'd gone from not letting any of them near me to laying here with him and kissing him. "Please don't finish that sentence Alec" I said softly "You're not a monster. You're the kindest, most caring man I have ever met and I love you" I cupped his cheek with my hand and stroked my thumb back and forth trying to bring him some kind of comfort.

He didn't say he loved me back but that didn't hurt me I knew that was how he felt, that he did love me he just wasn't able to say it yet. "you stayed here with me the whole time?" He asked with his brows pinching together and he seemed to still not understand why on earth I would still be here with him.