Brave Enough To Love Again

Chapter 9

Keane

The scene at the bar tugged at my heartstrings and left a lump in my throat. When I was on my way back with our drinks in my hand, I found her sitting on a guy's lap. His arm around her waist was like an animal trap, and she was the innocent creature that fell prey to the devious device. Her face mirrored the terrified and traumatized expression of a person who had already experienced abuse and violence, and had not escaped unscathed.

I felt a pang of pride when she elbowed the jerk, but was immediately on alert because I saw the expression on the man's face. He wasn't going to let it go.

The sheer force of anger that burst out of me was unprecedented and unstoppable, when I witnessed what was about to happen. The urge to protect her was so intense, I could barely stop myself from ripping the guy's head off when I reached them and grabbed the man's arm who was about to slap her in the face.

I stood with my back to her, shielding her, and my murderous eyes stared down at the poor excuse of a man, promising unimaginable pain if he dared to move or even flinch. The enormity of control it took me to suppress the impulse to eradicate the piece of scum, who dared to even think about laying a hand on a woman, was inconceivable. My whole body was trembling with rage.

The guy was intimidated by the fury in my eyes and stumbled back to his intoxicated friends who were too dazed to understand the situation. I was disappointed and relieved at the same time that the chaos didn't end in a fist fight.

When I turned around to console her, she was gone. And as I looked around, I saw her back just leaving the bar through the entrance. I hurried out to follow her. She walked ahead of me aimlessly and disoriented like a wounded animal that had just escaped the claws of death. My heart ached for her.

I found a kindred soul in her. She evidently had been wounded in the past. Just like me. But in an even worse way than I had been hurt, and it angered me, that someone had dared to harm her.

There was no way I would talk to her about my unusual proposal.

This was enough.

Her company alone kept the pain at bay, so being friends would have to suffice. I didn't want to add to the already prominent sadness in her beautiful eyes, because I was the wrong guy, I couldn't stick around forever. Instead I wanted to see happiness in them. But, I would already be satisfied with just conjuring peacefulness or contentment, even if only for a short while, in those orbs of blue, which looked like the color of the sky in a bright sunny day.

When she finally stopped walking, she looked around and stared into my eyes, I saw regret and fragility in them. I knew that she wanted to apologize when she opened her mouth, but I didn't want her to do so, because she had no reason to ask for forgiveness.

I placed my finger on her lips to prevent her from saying useless words of excuse. Once again I found myself so close to her I could feel her breath on me when she looked up with gratitude in her eyes into mine. I smiled at her with tenderness, which I didn't expect to ever appear again in my gaze.

I knew where to take her.

To my favorite place of retreat, where I could stay and enjoy peaceful tranquility that lets me forget my woes.

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Eden

He was still holding my wrist when we entered the hotel and he only let go of it to talk to the person at the front desk. I stood in the middle of the lobby and looked around at the splendor. The hotel was designed and furnished in a modern and elegant way. It was very beautiful and welcoming. I wondered what we were doing there. I looked over at my neighbor who was just given something into his palm by the hotel clerk.