I'm Sorry (Watty Nominated 2019)

11.

Chapter 11
Nikolai King

And just like that, I could tell her day was ruined.

I glanced over my shoulder, to gauge Tyler's reaction but he wasn't even looking in our direction. And when I looked back in Hunter's direction, the petite blonde was heading in our direction and that bastard rapist was nowhere to be seen. Cameron shot Amelia a huge smile as if everything was okay between the two of them but I could tell that Amelia was doing her best not to break down in the mall.

Cameron walked right up to us and pulled Amelia in for a hug. She pulled away and said something to her that I could barely make out because my eyes were trained on Amelia who was visibly shaking. I knew what was going to happen. She was going to have another panic attack.

It wasn't long before Amelia was clutching her chest and gasping for air. She looked up at me and her eyes were wide, her face pale and sweat was dripping down her temples. She stumbled and I caught her immediately. Cameron's face was one of pure horror as I tried to steady Amelia. Her legs gave way and she sunk down to the ground. I crouched down with her, trying to keep my eyes locked on hers the entire time. But her eyes were looking through me.

They kept glancing up at Cameron.

Tyler rushed over, dropping down on his knees next to me.

"What's wrong? What's happening?" He asked, his eyes wide and his voice filled with panic. I shot a glare at Cameron.

"Get her out of here. She's making it worse." I growled, shooting venom at Cameron with my eyes.

She looked hurt, her blue eyes brimming with tears as she looked to Tyler for answers. I could feel Tyler still looking at me in confusion. My eyes snapped back to him and the expression on my face caused him to pull back.

"GET. HER. OUT. OF. HERE. NOW!" I said through clenched teeth and he was up on his feet. I turned my attention back to Amelia, who was now crying.

"Hey, hey, it's okay." I whispered gently, cupping her face. "She's leaving, don't worry. Come on, take a deep breath." I said reassuringly, but Amelia's eyes still were looking through me and she seemed to be taking bigger gasps of air.

"Amelia!" I said, my voice a bit harder, and finally her eyes met mine. I leaned in close, so close that our noses were touching and I used my thumbs to wipe away the tears rolling down her cheeks. She seemed to hold her breath as she stared at me. "It's okay. Just breathe." I whispered as she let out a deep, shakey breath.

I smiled at her gently but she just kept staring at me with wide, green eyes, even as I pulled away. And even as I  helped her to her feet, she was still staring at me with something adjacent to awe. I start feeling a bit nervous so I reach out and poke her in the side, which causes her to jump then let out a giggle.

"Quite undressing me with your eyes." I say teasingly and her face flares up with colour. I laugh at her reaction and she smiles back at me. It's a grateful smile, a silent thank you and I wish I could tell her just how much that small gesture meant to me.

Tyler walks back over to us, worry written all over his face. He looked at Amelia in concern before pulling her in for a tight hug.

"Oh my God, Amelia. What the hell happened? You scared me." He said in a muffled voice from beneath her hair, and for a second I think that Amelia would tell him but she surprises me with her next words.

"I'm sorry, ever since it happened, I've been getting panic attacks at random. It hasn't stopped." She says quickly, a little too quickly. Tyler shoots me a look over her shoulder and I know that he knows she's lying.

He knew that what just happened had something to do with Cameron, but I had a feeling that Tyler knew more about Cameron's relationship with Hunter than he was letting on.

Amelia pulled out of the hug before walking over to me. I put my arm around her and pull her close against my chest, placing a gentle kiss on her hairline. When she looks up at me through her lashes, my heart unintentionally skips a beat and those nervous flutters start up in my stomach again. She felt so small and fragile in my arms and I wanted nothing more than to protect her from the world.

But she has already seen the horrors of the world. She has seen just how cruel life can be, just how inhumane humans can be. She is now nothing but a ghost of the girl she used to be and I suddenly wish I had met her sooner, moved here sooner. Maybe things would've been different now and she wouldn't be suffering.

If I'd met her sooner, I'd have been able to protect her from that monster, Hunter.

But I wasn't.

And I'm grateful to even be able to know her right now, to have her clinging on to me for dear life right now. I'm grateful to have a chance to save her, grateful to have a second chance to make things right.

And I would protect her with everything I had, with all my heart and soul even if it meant having to lose myself in the process. Because there's a reason I crossed paths with her. And it wasn't to just watch her shrivel up and die because of the relentless torture Hunter keeps inflicting on her day after day. It wouldn't happen.

I won't allow it.

"Hey, do you wana go home or do you still want to watch the movie?" I ask her gently. She looks up at me with those eyes again, and I get that same weird feeling in my stomach, and it feels like I just ran a mile with the way my heart is hammering.

She took a moment to contemplate it before shooting me a smile so transparent, I can see the cracks in her soul. She nods with so much fake enthusiasm that its actually hard to watch.

"Yeah, let's see the movie. I won't let this ruin our day." She says through a painful smile.

"Are you sure?" Tyler and I ask at the exact same time.

I glance up at him and see that he can also tell that something is wrong. She looks between the two of us with wide eyes before she let's out a genuine snort of laughter that tugs at my heart strings.

"Yeah, come on. Let's get those tickets. I'm starving." She says with a smile that seems more real this time.

We buy the tickets and then head into the food court. I scan the whole area to make sure Hunter is nowhere to be seen and the tension in my shoulders evaporate when I realise he isn't there. At the exact same time, I feel Amelia's grip loosen around my fingers and I realise that she was also looking for him. I could feel the relief come off of her in waves.

That's also when I realised that we were holding hands, and that I've never felt more complete than I did having her fingers laced between mine.