Nadine's POV
AS I RUN up the stairs leading to the roof, I can't help but think about the story Ivan told me.
Did my parents lie to me? I mean, I wouldn't be surprised. They lie to me a lot, but never something this big.
I push the doors open to see Rue sitting at the edge of the roof. Her back facing me. She didn't turn to look at me, she just sat there.
"Rue." I walk closer to her. She still doesn't move. Maybe she's asleep? That sounds dumb.
But then I see it. I see a bruise beginning to form on her shoulder.
Fuck.
I put my hand on her shoulder. She still doesn't budge.
"Rue what happened." I try to keep my voice a low whisper, but I was worried. What happened up here? Why didn't she leave when she got the chance? Why is she shaking so much- oh it's fucking cold out here. Where the fuck is her coat.
I take my Dress jacket off and drape it over her shoulders. I sit down and take a good look at her face.
Her cheeks and nose were a rosy tint, she had a cut about an inch under her eye, and tears were streaming down her poor face, I then notice bruises shaped as handprints appearing on her neck. She kept her blank expression while letting the tears flow.
Ivan must have done something.
I knew I should have kill d him when I had the chance, but fuck- I couldn't take the risk.
I grab Rue's arm and pull her up from the sitting position she was in. How could I be so reckless, to think that I could trust him? No one can trust him.
I press Rue's back against the wall so that I was standing in front of her. She still wasn't acknowledging me, she wasn't even looking at me.
"Rue, what the hell happened," I yell. Her lips part a little after I said that.
"He touched me." She stated.
I felt a ping in my heart. I don't know why, but I didn't want her to feel this way. I don't want her to be in pain.
I also felt angry.
"Who, Rue!?" I feel my jaw lock. "Who touched you?" I demand.
"The bodyguard. He- he hit me"
"Rue, I am so sorry, I didn't mean for any of this to happe-"
"Where were you." She sounds so defeated, her breathing is uneven and she still isn't looking me in the eyes.
I grab her chin and direct her attention to me, "I am so sorry Rue. I'm serious, you don't know how bad I feel." My thumb brushes over the cut on her cheek and I can see more tears beginning to spill, "I won't let them touch you."
"It's a little late for that, isn't it? Why weren't you up here with me? W-why?" She was full on sobbing now.
I don't know what I can do to comfort her. My parents never showed me much affection, they said it would make me weak. My mom would give me head kisses every now and then, but I don't think I've had a proper hug since I was 5.
"Rue, I'll be right back, I'm gonna go find the guy-"
"Please don't leave." She finally looks me in the eye, and I swear I could feel all of her pain.
"Rue-" I start, but sh cuts me off.
"Please." Her lip was quivering, and her skin felt like ice. I can't leave her like this. Especially when she's this vulnerable.
"Okay. I won't leave you."
Rue's POV
Pain.
Pain is all I felt while I was with that... that man.
I don't even want to talk about what happened.
My shoulder was killing me, and my throat was sore.
I know what y'all were thinking you nasties.
"I'm sorry Rue." I was pissed. I didn't even want to come to Russia in the first place. But I had no choice. I never have a choice, between my parents, my friends, and now Nadine.
"Can we just go home." My voice was quiet and raspy, I must be losing it.
"Of course." He answers.
The ride back was quiet. And I'm glad it was. I didn't want to talk anymore, I wanted to sleep.
As Nadine, and I walk through the door, I start heading straight for my room.
"Rue." I turn around and see Nadine a few feet away from me.
"Yes?" I answer.
"I want you to sleep in my room tonight" I walk a little close towards him.
"Why?"
"Because I don't want you to be alone. I need to be able to look after you." He puts his hands in his pockets and tilts his head to the side.
"I'm also not asking you, I'm telling you."
"Are you gonna leave again?" I ask, pulling my bottom lip into my mouth to keep it from shaking.
"No." That was enough for me to listen. I'm so tired, I don't even care what he does anymore.
"Okay. I'll sleep in your room tonight. I'm just gonna take a quick shower." I send him a forced smile and make my way back to my room.
I look in the mirror and see mascara running down my face, my cheeks were super red, probably from me crying and the cold.
I turn the water on and wait for it to heat up. As I take my dress off, I can't help, but look at all of the bruises I have received in one night, "Fuck." I let out in a shaky, breathy voice.
I take my underwear and bra off, and jump in the shower.
The hot water hits against my fragile skin, the bruises make my body hurt like hell, and the water so hot it burns against my skin, but I don't make an effort to re-adjust the temperature.
I wash my hair, my body, all my goodies, and get out.
The white towel wraps swiftly around my small Frame as I step in front of the mirror.
The bruises had darken, making half of my neck black and blue.
I change into some sweatpants and a white sweater before going into the hallway and walking to Nadine's room.
I knock on the door with a little rhythm and wait for him to let me in.
"Come in." He shouts, the door is still closed, but oh well.
I open the door and take a few steps in before stopping.
His room was nice.
A big bed a few feet away from a window that was about ten feet long. A brown leather chair, right next to the entrance of the bathroom. And a coffee table, next to the chair.
It was bigger than my room, but I'm not complaining.
"You can sleep in the bed, I have to get paper work done anyway." Nadine was shirtless, and had black sweatpants on. He must have just gotten out of the shower, because his hair was wet.
"Okay" I slowly get in his bed and get cuddled under the covers. But I can't sleep anymore. Maybe the shower woke me up?
I try to shut my eyes and just block out the rest of the world, but it wasn't working. My head hurt, my throat hurt, and my shoulder- god, my shoulder was killing me.
"Are you ok?" I look over to see Nadine staring at me with concern.
"My arm is killing me." I whisper. I don't expect him to hear, but he does.
"Do you want some pain 'meds'? They're pretty strong, and they make you feel good." He asks.
I look at him with a confused and weirded out face.
He lets out a deep chuckle. "Not that way, they just make you numb, ya know?"
"it's not oxy is it?" I ask.
"Nope, I assure you, it's just gonna make the pain go away." He pulls out a bag that has plain white pills in it. "Here." he gives me a single pill and hands me a cup of water that was on the night stand.
"Thank you." I drink some water, and before swallowing, I toss the pill in and let it all down. I drink a few more sips of water before putting it back on the side.
It doesn't take long for the pill to kick in. After 5 minutes, almost all of my physical pain left.
Almost.
Damn, these things are strong.
"I forgot to mention that the pills make you really tired."
Why did he withhold that information from me ? Rude.
It only takes 20 more minutes for me to be able to finally sleep.
-Brooke ♥️ 9/2/2021 Thursday