One More Mistake | ✓

47 | Uneasy

But the closer we'd get
I became more attentive, more
protective, more aggressive
— Sabrina Claudio

One More Mistake
Chapter forty-seven

❱ I couldn't stop thinking about the things that happened to me last night. It kept replaying in my head and it was like I was living it all over again. Throughout my classes, I tried to concentrate on something else besides that but I couldn't. His presence in my head was making me distracted that I didn't even notice Sterling coming in the class and sitting next to me.

"Thea?" He asked as I felt a warm grab my bare shoulder. I couldn't help but flinch at his touch. I looked up at him and suddenly sigh in relief.

"You okay?" He asked as he had his eyebrows furrowed, his face in a frown.

"Yeah, I'm okay," I wanted to tell him about what happened last night, about Alec and what he was about to do to me but I couldn't let the words out because of I did say them, they would become real and it still felt like a damn nightmare. So I didn't say anything at all.

"You seem different, are you sure you're okay?" He asked again which gave me another opportunity to tell him what's actually going on with me. We might've not been the same as before but he was here and for right now that's all that mattered.

"I should be the one asking you that, don't those bruises hurt?" I changed the topic and he noticed but decided not say anything about it.

He looked away from me and sat forward with one hand slowly coming up to his chest. I noticed how he tried to hide his pain but it was obvious by the way he was clenching his eyes and groaning.

"Yeah, well believe it or not but I didn't want to miss school" he said and I couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. He quickly snapped his head towards me and looked at me weird.

"You laugh?" He asked with a small smile forming on his lips. I roll my eyes and look away from him.

"Ha ha ha" I say dryly.

Soon the class starts and we become quiet.

Throughout the whole class, I tried to get Alec out of my head but when he wasn't there, it was Bruce. I know he was capable of hurting people, even me, but I couldn't believe he wanted Alec to force himself on me. He was still my uncle and it hurt knowing that he truly didn't care about me.

The class soon packs up when the bell goes off. I didn't waste a second before I packed my stuff and walked out of class, leaving sterling behind.

As walked through the crowded hallway, I couldn't help but feel uneasy.

As I was about to enter my other class, I felt a hand grab my wrist. The same wrist Alec bruised up.

I didn't think before I pulled my hand away and took a few steps back from the person.

When I locked eyes with him, my hard look disappeared.

Rory stared blankly at me but I noticed how he was trying to read me. His eyes swiftly looked at my wrist and back at my eyes. Suddenly his face grew cold.

"He did it again, didn't he?" He asked.

"What?" I ask back, taken off guard.

"You know who I'm talking about, he hurt you again." I scoffed but didn't say anything.

"What did he do?" He asked, now standing closer to me.

"He didn't do anything, okay?" I said as I looked up at him.

"Why are you protecting him?" He looked angry and his voice had risen which made people look our way. I look away from him and then take him away from the crowd. When I find a place where we can talk, I turn to look at him with a blank look.

"Nothing happened okay, he didn't even hurt me either" it was true, he didn't hurt me but Alec did, he just didn't need to know that detail.

"Then, explain to me how you got that bruise on your wrist?" He asked as he picked up my hand and showed me the obvious bruise.

I pulled my hand away from his grip and looked away from him. I wanted to tell him everything but I was afraid. I haven't told anyone, not even sterling. Why would I tell him?

Why do I actually want to tell him?

If I did tell him, what would he do? Would he help me or would he just walk away?

"It wasn't Bruce this time.." I start as I look back at him. ".. it was Alec"