You're the risk I'm willing to take

Chapter 27

Whoa. She wants to tell me? Knowing only her mum and sister knew about it ........... And that she wanted me to know .............. Well, it was a lot to take in.

"Alice, I just don't want you to feel like you have to."

She shook her head, looking away. She didn't say anything for a few minutes, before looking back at me.

"I know I don't. You've never asked about it. Apart from when I asked you if you knew anything about him, and you put it all together. I just feel like I need to talk about it with you."

I took a deep breath, looking at her.

"I never asked, because I didn't want to upset you. Someone said something about Mitch being just like his cousin when he layed into Seth at a party, for talking to me. He left me there with Angela, who brought me home. He'd picked me up. I asked Angela what she knew about Mitch's cousin. She told that all she knew, was that he was in prison for something horrible. I broke up with him after that, and well ............... Stayed away from him. Until, the party ............"

"If you want to tell me, that's OK. I just don't want you to feel like you have to. I know you said you didn't, but I don't like my pixie upset."

She watched me as I spoke, not saying anything.

"I just couldn't figure out how someone like you went through that. And you're ............ Well, you."

She shook her head.

"You've said that before. What exactly-"

"All I mean is that you're kind, caring, sweet, you're beautiful......... You could've said no that day I walked up to your desk. But, you didn't, you told me how you felt. I know I over reacted when you told me about that job offer, but we got through it."

She blushed, when I started talking about what I about what I thought of her.

"Bella, I couldn't have said no when you asked me. I just couldn't. I just feel like I need to talk about this."

"I'll listen to whatever you want to tell me."

She took my hand, squeezing my hand. She took a deep breath, and I kissed the back of her hand. I knew she needed to talk about this, but I didn't like the idea of her having to re-live it as she told me.................

"I was on my way back from my cousin, Seth's, house. He lived not to far from where I was and I'd get to see him every now and again. People knew Chase, and thought he was a bit of a creep and. I lived in an apartment with another girl, who had gone out that night, without telling me. She kinda liked Chase, and I'd seen her talking to him once or twice. I didn't really like being around him, so when she had him in the apartment, I always left. I walked into the apartment, walking into the kitchen. All the lights were on, which wasn't unusual. Lisa had a habit of doing that. I didn't know that he was there ................."

She stopped, taking a deep breath. I squeezed her hand, looking at her.

"It's OK. You don't have to."

She shook her head.

"It's OK."

"I didn't know that she'd given him a key, without telling me."

"I heard something in one of the other rooms, and walked out to see where it was coming from. It was coming from my room. I walked down the hall, worried about it. He was there, grinning at me. I asked him, how he'd gotten in, trying not to show how freaked out I was. He said something about Lisa giving him a key and laughed when I didn't know. He started getting a little to close. Before that, I wasn't that bad. He started talking to me, but I walked away, telling him to get out and that Lisa had gone out. He grabbed my arm, stopping me. I turned around, to tell him to let go of me. I tried to tug my arm away, but he wouldn't let go. He told me that he didn't even like Lisa, he'd always liked me. Something I found hard to believe. I always avoided him, and we'd never spoken for more that 5 minutes. I tugged my arm again, and this time he let go."

"I told him to leave. Again. He shook his head, and started getting aggressive. He told me that he'd waited long enough and he wasn't leaving without one thing. I was terrified by now. The look on his face told me, told me what he wanted. Now, we were standing outside my room by now. I told him I wasn't interested in him, and he laughed. He said something about me being pansexual, and pushed me back into my room. I tried to fight against him, but he was to strong. He threw me on the bed and he............"

"Hey, it's OK. Look at me."

She looked up at me, and I could see how much this was affecting her. I squeezed her hand, trying to let her know it was OK.

"Lisa came home with my sister, who she'd met on her way home after he was gone. Rosalie walked into my room, thinking I'd be back soon. She always did than I was out. Lisa went to bed, slamming her door. She never liked my sister, and it was mutual. They just never got along. She saw me, and freaked out. She asked me what happened, and eventually, she got me to tell her."

"Apparently Chase had told Lisa that he wanted to come over but she told him not to. She knew that I wasn't exactly comfortable around him. But, he didn't listen................."

"My family helped me through everything. When I was offered the job here, I didn't know that Mitch was related to Chase. But, I really wasn't expecting to meet someone like you."

The change in the conversation startled me.

I shook my head, trying to keep up.

"I'm nothing special, pixie. You, on the other hand-"

"We'll never agree, will we? I love you baby. That's the first time I've talked about that with someone who wasn't family. You're special to me, OK?"

No point in arguing.

"OK, OK. Why can't I argue with you?"

She smiled a little.

"Ah, you love me. But, seriously, I needed to-"

"You don't need to explain. You needed to talk about it, and while I will never figure out why he did it, I'm here to listen to you."

I really meant it. I care about her and want to be there for her.

"I love you, baby."

"I love you to, pixie."