We arrive at the venue and it's already full of people. There's all kinds of people here, mafia leaders, business people, athletes, journalist and important people all around. Every year I'm invited to this charity event Finn organizes and every year I come. This time is my first time showing up with a date, so I'm ready for the questions. I help Hope get off the car and she seems fascinated with everything she sees, and I'm still fascinated with her. As we walk in, journalist outside the venue take photo and call my name, Hope smiles and waves at everyone. We walk in to the venue and immediately start greeting people and introducing them Hope. She behaves politely and nice with everyone, her smile never leaving her face. I feel Hope unhook her arm from mine so I grab it rapidly.
"I'll be back." She said.
"Where are you going?" I ask.
"To get a drink Tom." She says pulling her arm from my grip.
I see her as she walks away and the eyes of some men follow after her.
"Jacob," I cal and he looks my way. I point her way and he nods before following her. Harrison and I arrive to a table and stand around drinking some champagne when Harry arrives.
"We are good. The man are scattered all over the place, if the Da Silvas are planning something, this time we are prepared." He says.
"Ok, I hadn't seen you since last night. Why did you leave early?" I ask.
"For the dumb shit you do." He says.
"What?"
"I can't believe I'm going to say this to the most upright person I know, but mate if you're going to cheat on your wife at least do it where she can't see you."
"What the fuck you're talking about Harry?"
"Last night, after you left her in the middle of the dance floor, she followed you to the girls bathroom and noticed the door was locked with you and Bella inside."
"So that's what she was talking about." I say to myself but loud enough for Harry to hear.
"Yeah, when she tried to get in and couldn't, she turned around on the edge of tears and said she wanted to leave. So be more careful next time."
"I'm not fucking cheating on Hope Harry. You know me, I wouldn't do that."
"Well yeah but I also know you had something with Bella so I'm not quite sure."
"Don't say stupid shit, that was over the moment I got married." I argue.
"Ok fine. If you say so." He says putting his hand up in surrender.
I look around desperately trying to find Hope. I need to explain to her what happened, I need to tell her I'm not cheating and all I have with Bella now is a work relationship. That's why she was so upset, but I don't understand, if she despises me so much why would it bother her? Oh for fucks sake Tom is a thing of respect. Is that also why she was with Ezra during the day? Ezra, that's some business I have to take care of too.
"Find me Ezra and take him to the back." I say and Harry nods before leaving.
I continue to look around and I spot my wife very talkative with a black curly haired guy who I recognize almost right away. Hope is laughing and smiling with this guy and it annoys me. Without thinking I walk up to them.
"Hope," I say grabbing her by the arm. "I've been looking for you."
"Oh I was here just having a drink and talking to my friend." She says and takes a sip of her drink. "Mm let me introduce you. This is Tom Holland, my husband. And Tom this is Lucas Da Silva."
"Nice to meet you." I say.
"It's nice to meet you too," Lucas say. "And since I have both here let me apologize for what my brother did, I found out not long ago and I'm sorry he put you at risk this way Hope." He adds.
"It's understandable," I say. "He thought he had rights over her since he had a promise."
"But even that it's a dumb idea, Paulo is nearly 20 years older than Hope, at least they should've given her someone closer to her age." He jokes and they both laugh.
"If they would've gone that route then, it would've been you, is that what you would've wanted?" I ask and Hope turns to look at me with an embarrassed look.
Lucas chuckles. "All I'm saying is she is good where she's at." He says. "I'll go now, have a good evening."
"See you around Lucas." Hope says as the man walks away.
"I didn't know you had a good relationship to the Da Silva family, you never mentioned it." I question her.
"Not with the entire family. Paulo, as Lucas said, is much older than me so we never interacted. With Lucas and Elena though, we used to play all time."
"You would've preferred to be promised to Lucas instead of Paulo?" I ask.
"No, you know how i felt about marriage."
She snaps and before I can open my mouth to say something else Harrison walks up to the table.
"He's outside in the back." He says and I nod.
"What's going on?" Hope questions and follows after us.
Outside are Harry and Ezra waiting . I walk up to them and see he is scared as shit.
"So Ezra, you have some explaining to do." I say and start pacing around.
"Tom what are you doing?" I hear Hope say behind me. "Leave him alone he hasn't done anything wrong."
"Harry, take her away." I say and my brother quickly goes and gets her inside as she continues yelling to leave Ezra alone.
"Why were you with my wife today?"
"Sir I am sorry if-" he starts talking.
"I didn't ask you to apologize, I asked you what were you doing with her?"
"Mrs Holland was alone at the pool and I thought it would be good to stay with her as security."
"Was there no security?"
"No yes, but more security." He says and I raise my eyebrows.
"Continue."
"Then Mrs Holland got invited to play volleyball by strangers and she asked me to go with her, I thought it was best so I could be near in case it was needed. After the game she asked for a drink and I just accompanied her. That's all."
"You keep repeating you thought this, you thought that, but you never thought about letting me know what was going on?" I ask.
"Sir I-"
"I don't want to see you alone with my wife again, are we clear?" I snap at him.
"Yes sir." He says terrified.
"Leave." I say and he nods before doing so.
"Are you alright?" Harrison asks.
"He has a thing for Hope." I say.
"What? How you know?"
"I just know Harrison, I don't want him close to her. Please make sure of that."
"Why? are you jealous?" He teases and I push him back from his arm as I make my way inside where Hope is standing with Harry.
"What did you do? Did you scare the poor guy?" She questions me and Harry and Harrison walk away.
"Don't worry about it."
"How do you not want me to worry when you got the man in trouble because of me? He didn't do anything wrong Tom you didn't have to act like a caveman."
"Hope I'm not going to argue with you-"
"Shh." She cuts me off. "Did you hear that?" She says as she passes me to walk outside. She lifts up her dress in order to walk faster as I follow right behind her. We get to the back door and see as a man pushes a young girl who is not more than 15 to the floor. I don't have time to reach when Hope is already walking their way.
"Hey!" She screams getting his attention. "Don't touch her."
"Mind your business lady." The guy snaps at her. My hand tingles with the need of punching him for the way he spoke to her but she's quick to defend herself.
"If you think I'm going to stand around and watch you abuse her you're wrong. Get out of here!" She yells as the young girl on the floor cries. "Here let me help you up." She reaches out for the girl and the guy grabs her by the wrist.
"I told you to mind you-"
"Let go of my wife right now." I say walking towards them. My gun pointing at the guy in front of my face. The target, his head. He lets go of Hope and puts his hands up.
"She's my girl, she belongs to me and I'm not leaving until she leaves with me."
"She's not a object, she is her own persona therefore she doesn't belong to anyone. She is not going with you unless she wants to." Hope argues holding the girl in her arms. "Do you want to go with him?" She asks and the girl shakes her head no. "You've seen, now go."
"I'm not going without her." The man reaches for the girls arm and I shoot the trash can behind him.
"The next one is going to your head." I say and i see his scared face. "Leave." At this point Harrison and Harry are behind me, guns pointing the man. He murmurs something before running away. I get closer to Hope who is sitting in the floor with the girl crying next to her.
"Are you girls ok?" I ask and Hope nods.
"Are you ok?" She asks her girl.
"Yes, thank you so much for defending me." She cries.
"Oh it's ok, what's your name?"
"Kathy."
"Well Kathy I'm Hope, do you have a safe place to go to?" She asks and the girl nods. "Ok we'll take you there. Calm down honey, he's not going to bother you anymore ok?"
"He will. He always finds a way to do it. He will do it again." The girl cries.
"He won't." Hope says and looks up to me. "We'll take care of it, we'll take care of it." She says as she caresses the girls hair while looking me in the eyes. Her eyes are telling me something I can't believe they are. She nods and I nod back.
"Harry, Harrison." I say and they know what that means. They both run the same direction the man left not long ago. I look back down at the girls and Hope is rocking her body as she hold the young girl who is dressed in the waitress uniform from the event. As sad as the whole situation has been, it warms my heart to see Hope being like this, brave, strong, selfless, kind.
After dropping Kathy off at her house, as Hope promised, we arrive at the hotel. She walks next to me quietly not even acknowledging I'm there. When we arrive in the suite she starts to take off her shoes.
"That was really kind and brave what you did today." I say.
"Thank you."
"But dangerous, what were you thinking Hope?"
"I wasn't. He was hurting her and someone had to do something about it. That's it."
"Ok but what if he hurt you? What if he had a gun and shoot you huh?"
"He didn't and you were there."
"What if I wasn't?"
"But you were, and that actually gave me a boost of confidence to act. I knew you would have my back." She says looking at me with her sweet eyes. I don't know what so say so I give her a smile.
"Ok well there's blankets in that closet. Have a good night Tom." She says as she starts to make her way to the room.
"Hope." I call her and she stops. "About earlier today I-"
"Don't worry about it, nothing happened." She says. Why the fuck is she saying nothing happened when a fucking kiss that keeps repeating in my head happened.
"Something definitely happened." I say.
"Yeah but it was nothing." She says stays to walk away.
"Wait," I say and she stops again. "What did you mean when you said you gave up trying to understand me?" I ask.
She lets out a big sigh. "Yeah, I let your words confuse me but actions bring me back to reality."
"If you're talking about last night here I-"
"I thought you didn't remember?" She cuts me off and I close my eyes. You're fucking stupid Tom. "Don't worry about it Tom, I don't care, about anything. We continue to be married only in paper, but I just ask you to please respect me in front of people, privately you can do with Bella as you please."
"Hope I am not cheat-"
"Tom, I don't care." She cuts me off again. The confidence I see in her eyes makes me realize in front of me is not the girl I was able to manipulate into marrying, but a strong woman who is willing to stand up for herself to the man she was once terrified of.
"I regret begging you for my life." She says making eye contact with me. "Seeing the life i have, i should've let you kill me." She adds before turning around and walking in to the room closing the door behind her. I stay standing in my same spot. Her words bother me, the idea of killing her was an idea that I contemplated for a long time but now it makes me sick. I hurt her for acting stupid and pretending I don't care. But I can't care, I can't let her in. I can't.
A/N: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 1K AHHHHH THANK YOU!!!