Save Me

Chapter 10: BARE

*mature content and trigger warning*

Ava:

I hung up the phone on Toby and inhaled.

He's in love me. Am I in love with him?

Of course not Ava! You are no good for him...for anyone.

I grimace as I bring my feet under me on the couch. My ribs feel so sore.

I sit there looking blankly at the TV. I can't remember the last time I was this warm and comfortable in a home. My thoughts start to wander and I feel a single tear escape my eye. 

James walks in with two cups of tea and I quickly turn and wipe away the tear.

"Are you okay Ava?" He says as he hands me the cup, I smell it and nostalgia hits me,

Chamomile. I take a sip and savor the sweetness of the honey and the sweet scent of the tea. I look at him and smile and he smiles back with such warmness, I blush and look away.

"Chamomile reminds me of the teas my mom used to make when I was little..." I didn't mean for it to come out but it did. Everything reminds me of her yet everything slowly fades along with her.

"Really?"

I smile, look at my cup and nod my head. Appreciating that he didn't press the subject.

He puts his cup down and looks up at me,

"So about that kiss..." he smirks, and I instantly feel myself getting red. 

He sighs, "I don't want to take advantage of the fact that you're hurting Ava, and I am your doctor. On top of the fact that I barely know you."

I smirk, "I think you know more about me than most people James." His blue eyes that are highlighters against his olive skin twinkle. He smiles and looks down.

"Look James, we can forget about the kiss. But I'm pretty sure you let another doctor take over my case before I left," I look at him and he looks away embarrassed. "I don't regret the kiss. I've never been that vulnerable with someone. I may be a lot of fucked up, but I'm always honest."

His eyes widen at my confession.

I do struggle with being honest when it comes to my pain, but when it comes to being truthful about anything else, I don't hesitate.

"Wow," He chuckles, "I wasn't expecting that, but I don't regret the kiss either."

I smile at him.

"But tell me...Who did this to you?" His jaw flexes when he says that, I can't deny that I find it sexy when he does that. But the thought goes away as I remember the horror of what I just lived through.

"I...I don't know. I was just walking through town and stopped because I was upset at Toby."

He sniffs when I mention Toby, but I continue,

"The man wore a suit and had an ear piece, he wouldn't let me go.." I take a deep breath, refusing my emotions to get the best of me. "He kissed me and started touching me," his jaw locks and he tenses up, but relaxes when he meets my gaze, "but I put up a fight, so he beat me, touched my breast and left." I look down in embarrassment and shame.

If I wasn't lower than dirt when my father called me that, I am now.

James cups my cheek and wipes away my tears, 

"Don't feel ashamed for what he did to you, You are worth so much Ava. I don't know how much you've been through and I don't know why life has played this cruel card on you. I don't know why I'm compelled to help you. But I promise I won't hurt you and I promise I won't put you through any more. If anything I will guide you out of this."

I lean towards his hand, his words bringing comfort I never knew I could feel.

"This won't be painless, but it'll be with me."

I lean in and kiss him again. I can't help it.

At the end of the day, you only want someone who accepts all of you, for what you are and what you are not and I feel that with him. He makes me feel value in me that I never thought I was worth.

James:

I let her kiss me, I can't deny it from her. I can feel my soul calling for her, despite all rationality. I don't care about the consequences, I don't care where this may lead. All I know is that I want to save her.

She leans back and stares at me,

"James, I don't know if there's anything in me worth saving. I have been broken over and over again and I don't know how much more I can take."

There she is letting her soul be bare with me again.

Her words cut through me like a river cutting through rock. She says the same words my mother did when she knew she was close to giving up.

This broken angel stands between giving up and seeing how much more she can take. I want to be the one she leaps towards.

I may not know everything about her, but I will... soon.

I gently lean back towards the couch and let her small frame lay over me, making sure she's comfortable. I caress her hair and kiss the top of her head. Swallowing as she drifts to sleep, I finally let myself feel everything that has happened today and she sleeps in my arms.

I would look into who did this to her first thing tomorrow, I was not going to let the son of a bitch get away with hurting her.

I squeeze her tighter hoping that by some miracle some of her pain is leaked onto me so she can sleep peacefully. I take one look at her as my eyes water from getting a glimpse of the darkness she tries to hide. I hug her close and put my chin on her head.

"I promise, I'll save you..,"