Arms of a Hero (A Captain America Love Story) {ON HOLD}

Chapter 3

For once, I am not stressed, a million pounds just lifted off of my shoulders and are carried away along with the wind that is whipping past me. I can just float away. For the first time in so long, I am at peace. I feel like I am on top of the world, no one can hurt me or judge me. I feel so exhilarated. A smile spreads across my face wider than the universe.

I am pulled from my peaceful moment when the motorcycle drastically changes to a faster pace without warning for a half of a second. A mini heart attack comes upon me. I let out a shriek and cling onto Steve tighter than I did before. My body shakes with fear and my heart is pounding so hard I fear it may beat out my chest. I hear Steve laugh.

"Damn it, Steve! You scared the hell out of me!" I scold him, lightly pounding my fist against his back. I end up laughing along with him though, because honest and truly, it was pretty dang hilarious. I rest my cheek against his back and close my eyes with a smile on my face.

There was a sudden silence, and then Steve's soft voice fills my ears.

"Delilah. Delilah, wake up sleepyhead!" I didn't even realize I had fallen asleep. I shoot upright and blink away sleep.

"Uh... Crap. Sorry, I didn't mean to doze off." I grin sheepishly. I place my hand on my forehead out of my foolish mistake. Steve chuckles as he gets off the bike and holds out a hand to help me off. When he looks at me, his smile disappears which confuses me. He gently takes my left hand and studies it.

"You're getting married?" He murmurs, it was almost a statement and he almost sounds, disappointed.

"Yeah, Cole proposed just last night, actually." I smile. Steve puts on a smile.

"Congratulations."

"Thank you." I grin. We just hold each other's gaze for a moment.

"Do you want me to walk you up?" He asks, breaking our stare. I finally realize that I am home. My stomach drops.

"No. No, I'm fine." I quickly dismount the bike. "Um. Ahem. Thank you for taking me home, Steve." I walk up the steps after the words roll off my tongue quickly and jumbled.

"Anytime." He replies.

"Well, good night." I tell him.

"Goodnight, Delilah." I smile to him and turn to face my door. The roar of the engine sounded, and he was gone. I let the blush crawl onto my cheeks and step inside. Once I close the door behind me, all happiness and peace completely dissipates, those million pounds drop back onto my shoulders. I sigh deeply and kick off my shoes.

"You're late." A voice snaps over the sound of the television; my lip quivers.

"Yeah, it was a late night at work." I lie. Cole rises from his noisy armchair and stalks over to me, with a glare on his face. Cole is tall and skinny; he has brown eyes and short black hair. His face is a ghostly pale. His eyes have dark circles beneath them and hollow cheeks. In all honesty, he looks like hell.

Fear overtakes me and I slowly walk backwards, but the door blocks my path. Tears threaten to fall, but I stifle them with all of my might. Cole is now inches away from me. I smell alcohol on him and his eyes are bloodshot; he is already drunk, why am I surprised?

"Go make me a drink." I gently let out a breath or relief that I didn't know I was holding. I simply nod and move around Cole's stationed form.

When I get to the kitchen, I let a tear fall. That could have gone a billion times worse. I take out a small glass from the cupboard and put four cubes of ice inside, then filling it to the brim with straight Vodka. I don't know how he drinks this shit. I take in a deep breath and walk to the living room.

"Here you go, baby." I say with a gentle but forced smile. He takes it and turns his attention back to the T.V. "I'm going to bed." I then make my way to the hall. When I am halfway there, Cole speaks.

"I wanted Crown, not this shit." I stop dead in my tracks as my stomach falls to my feet. Liar. He knows he didn't specify. I hold back a whimper and turn on my heel to return to him.

"I'm sorry, it must have slipped my tired mind." I murmur. I kindly take the drink away from him and turn away. I am stopped when a hand latches onto my wrist, hard. I wince at the pain and my stomach is uneasy. I turn my head back to Cole.

"I didn't say to take it from me." He growls as he stands, towering me by a good 5 inches. I gulp. He snatches the drink from my hand and hurls it to the wall, shattering it into thousands of tiny pieces. I jump at the noise.

Before I could register anything, the back of his hand slams itself into my left cheek. I collapse to the ground onto the broken glass, with the shards lodging themselves into my palms and knees. My face stings and aches, but this I am used to.

"Clean it up, NOW."

He snarls. I nod and stand to grab a towel, but Cole takes it differently. Suddenly, a fist entangles itself into my hair. My head is yanked back and I am brought to my knees. I let out a small cry and my face contorts in pain and fear. I reach behind me and grab Cole's wrist, I attempt to pull it towards me to give myself some slack, but his grip is firm. Tears begin to fall down my face.

"What do you think you're doing?!" He asks angrily through clamped teeth.

"I'm just doing what you told me." I sob. "Please, just stop hurting me. Just let me clean it up. Please." He growls as I speak. Suddenly, a tiny voice breaks the terrifying aura that floats thickly about the room.

"Daddy? What are you doing to Mommy?" My eyes snap open and glance to the right. There stands my five-year-old daughter. The grip on my hair loosens and I stand instantly once I am free from his grasp.

"Aurora, don't worry. I was just helping Mommy clean up a mess that she made, that's all. Now, just go back to bed, okay?" There is a glimpse of the Cole I once knew, but my daughter knows better.

"No you weren't, you were hurting her!" She almost shouts.

"How dare you talk to me like that?" He begins to stride over to her. I sprint past him and collapse to my knees and wrap a protective embrace around Aurora just when Cole raised his hand to strike her. I send him a glare full of daggers.

"Don't. Touch. Her." I growl. His glare hardens and turns to fiery anger. He harshly rips me away from Aurora and grips my hair; again. I shriek in pain. He sends another blow to my cheek, which doubles the pain. He sends another one, which triples it. He threw me against the wall, making the back of my head bounce against the wall. I collapse to the floor on top of the pile of glass.

Through my blurred vision, I can barely see Cole lift his steel-toed boot and swings it down, then a sudden crack erupts in my ribs. My breath is knocked from my lungs; I groan in pain. I hear the front door slam, and my daughter's screams.

"MOMMY! MOMMY!" I am then welcomed by darkness.

It's because of nights like these I was questioning my answer to Cole. I still am.

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