CHAPTER 21 - SAFE -
ROSELYN.
My heart picked up pace.
This couldn't be happening.
No way.
Suddenly, Erling's eyes stopped at mine, when he noticed me standing at the stairs.
"Hey." He softly said and smiled.
My palms were sweaty and my voice was rusty.
Suddenly, Brody turned around and looked at me, with a false smile. "Oh, Roselyn. You didn't tell me, that you were getting tutored by your classmate Erling."
The closer I looked at his false smile, the more I recognized the restrained anger in his face.
"I-I." My voice was thin. I cleared my throat. "I forgot to tell you." I answered, quietly.
Brody looked back at Erling. "You guys can learn here."
"It's alright. We can go to my place. I don't wanna disturb you." Erling said with the kindness he always had towards people who didn't do anything bad.
Or, whom he didn't know had done anything bad.
"Oh, no. You're not disturbing. Make yourself at home." He glanced back at me. "I like the company."
In his eyes, I noticed anger, lust and provocation at the same time.
He liked, that he had that effect on me.
"Thanks." Erling smiled before looking back to me.
My heart was still pumping my blood like crazy.
I thought, I could get out of this house for at least 2 hours, and now I was trapped in here.
"Come." I said, quietly, looking at Erling, before slowly walking up the stairs.
I heard footsteps getting closer, which told me that he was following me.
When I arrived in front of my door, I opened and let Erling pass before entering myself and closing the door behind me.
Once, Brody was out of reach, I quietly took some breaths.
I hoped, he would leave me alone while Erling was here.
"You alright?" Erling suddenly stood in front of me and looked down at me.
I looked up and slowly nodded. "Y-yeah."
Quickly, I walked past him to my desk.
"Let's start."
I sat down and looked at Erling.
Hesitantly, he walked to my desk and took a seat at the chair next to me.
From his backpack, he gathered some material before placing it on the table.
We started with going over some vocabulary, then worked on my pronunciation and eventually did some tasks.
It's gotten later and later.
The last time, I checked the time, it was 8:15 pm.
I didn't want Erling to go.
It seemed like, Brody wouldn't do anything to me while Erling was here.
I didn't know if it was because he didn't want anyone to know what's going on in our home, or respect towards another male.
None of those things made anything easier.
I just hoped, Brody would really leave me alone while Erling was here.
The punishment, I was gonna get because I brought a guy home, would be painful.
But, I wanted to procrastinate for as long as I could.
"I think, you're good." Erling said and closed the book.
"Thank you." I bit my lip. "Without your help, I would fail the upcoming tests."
"Anytime." He softly looked at me.
My eyes were on him as well.
I wanted to say something, but I couldn't.
I wanted to tell him, to stay.
To stay, so I wouldn't get Brody's punishment just yet.
But, I couldn't.
Instead, I tried to talk around it.
"Are you hungry?" I asked, hopeful.
He seemed to be surprised by my question, which I noticed by his hesitant response.
"Uh-yeah, sure."
Inwardly, happy, I got up from the chair and walked to the door.
"I'll be back."
Quickly, I walked downstairs into the kitchen, even though I didn't want to run into Brody. But I had to make Erling stay here.
On the isle, I found an advertisement from a pizzeria.
I took it and wanted to get back to Erling instantly, but a hand around my wrist stopped me.
This hand forced me to look at him by turning me strongly towards him.
In pain, I contorted my face.
His hand still having a firm grip on me, he looked at me.
"Who the hell is that boy?"
I swallowed. "Your boyfriend, huh?" He pulled me closer. "You told me, you didn't have one, Roselyn! You fucking lied and you're gonna pay for it!"
My eyes filled with tears while feeling the pain in my wrist. "H-he's not my boyfriend. We're c-classmates."
"Classmates." He scoffed. "I'm not blind. I saw the way he was looking at you, trying to fuck you."
My body was shaking.
I didn't know whether I should say something or just be silent.
Either way would make things worse.
"N-no." I mumbled with a thin voice. "He doesn't, really."
He shook his head, anger shining through his eyes. "Once he leaves, you're done!" He hissed in my face.
With each word he spit in my face, I moved my face further and further back to not be so close to him.
"Go. And make him leave!"
I nodded, silently before he let go off my hand and walked into the living room.
With tears in my eyes, I looked at my wrist, which was red and hurt.
I sighed, sadly.
Quietly, I walked back upstairs and stopped in front of my room.
I wouldn't tell Erling to go.
I couldn't.
I knew, if he left now, Brody would hurt me.
Nervously, I opened the door and immediately felt Erling turning his head around to see me while he was sitting in the chair in a relaxed position.
I put on a false smile, to hide the fact, I was so scared.
"We could order pizza." I said, holding up the advertisement.
His eyes wandered to the little piece of paper in my hand.
"Sure."
He answered, and I walked up to him to sit down on my chair again.
We decided on what pizza we wanted and then Erling called to order.
Meanwhile, I sat down on my bed and turned my laptop on.
I needed Erling to just stay a little longer.
No matter how intimidating the company of a guy was, Brody's was much worse.
After Erling had ordered for us, I invited him to sit on the bed, too.
It was weird for me, but I needed him to stay with me.
We had picked a movie and started watching it on my laptop which was placed at the end of the bed.
I had my legs pulled tight to my torso and hugged them with my arms.
I tried keeping my distance from Erling, whom was sitting on the bed with one leg on the floor and the other one stretched out on the bed.
He leaned against the end of the bed with his back while watching the movie.
It was quiet between us.
My body was restless.
Being close to a guy was hard for me.
But it was the only thing I could do right now.
Brody would come upstairs any time if Erling would leave.
I didn't want that.
About 20 minutes into the movie, the doorbell rang from downstairs.
I flinched a little, before slowly getting up from the bed and walking to my door with shaky legs.
Inwardly, I feared I would run into Brody downstairs.
He told me to get rid off Erling, but I didn't.
That must've made him mad.
But then, Erling got up from the bed as well and followed me downstairs.
I was relived, but a little scared, still.
I opened the door and a tall, skinny man in a red costume held two pizzas in his hands.
My body felt nervous and shaky.
The presence of another guy being around me, made me uncomfortable.
Especially, when it was at my home, where I was supposed to feel the safest.
"Delivery for Rosario." He read from his phone.
I was too churned to say or do anything, that's when Erling suddenly pressed past me and completely covered me with his muscular body.
He reached into his pockets and grabbed a 20€ bill to hand it to the delivery guy.
"Thank you." The delivery guy said and handed Erling the pizzas. "Thanks, man." Erling mumbled before closing the door and turning around to me.
My breathing slowed down, once the door had fallen close.
"Rose?" He looked down to me. My eyes wandered up to his. "Sorry." I mumbled.
"Here, wait." I reached into my pocket and looked for the money, I had put in there before.
Suddenly, Erling gently grabbed my hand to stop me from searching. "No. I got it covered."
I was frozen by the touch of him on my skin.
My eyes wandered to his hand, which was still holding my wrist.
The wrist, Brody had held before, but not like Erling did.
Brody's grip was harsh and tight while
Erling's grip was gentle and light.
My eyes wandered back to his eyes.
"You don't have to pay. It was my idea."
"I want to." He said, and I was sure he meant it.
"T-thank you, Erling."
"No need to thank me." He looked at me softly. "Come on, let's eat."
Once we were upstairs again, we got back into our previous positions and started eating while continuing to watch the movie.
While we were enjoying our pizzas, we watched the movie. However, my eyes sometimes wandered to Erling.
He seemed to like the movie, which was some action-comedy movie.
Meanwhile he looked so relaxed, so calm.
His calmness transferred to me a little.
My body relaxed a little and I looked back to my laptop.
I blinked a few times until I opened my eyes completely. My head was laying on my pillow, facing the window.
It was dark outside and the only thing that lit up my room a little were the lanterns from outside.
Confused, I turned my body around and flinched for a moment when I saw a sleeping Erling next to me.
He was lying on the bed with his whole body, his eyes closed and his breath was regularly.
My body relaxed again.
He looked calm and harmless.
He looked like, there was no way he could ever hurt me.
I wandered with my eyes to the clock on the wall with my eyes.
2:30 am.
Oh, god. We fell asleep hours ago.
I wondered, if Brody had come in here to check on me.
He must've.
He nearly did it every day.
Before, I was able to continue thinking, the door opened and a figure stood in the door.
The lanterns helped me scanning his face.
His eyes were formed into little small slits, his fists clenched.
The anger was written on his face.
"What the hell?" He whispered, angry, having a hard time to hide it.
I looked over Erling's shoulder to face Brody.
I didn't know what to tell him.
"I told you to fucking get him out of here." He whispered again.
In each word of his, I felt his anger.
"W-we fell asleep."
I whispered, scared.
"You're done tomorrow." He whispered before turning around and leaving my room.
My eyes filled with tears.
I knew the pain I avoided today, would be 10 times worse tomorrow.
I laid back down and closed my eyes while tears ran down my face.
Quietly, I sniffled.
I covered myself with the blanket and then looked at Erling. He was still sleeping, with no blanket on him.
Carefully, I put the blanket on him as well before laying back down and closing my eyes.
Never in a million years would I've imagined myself in a bed with a guy.
But, it was different than that.
Erling being here came in handy.
Brody didn't assault me tonight, didn't touch me or made me feel worthless.
For the first time in a long while, I was able to just close my eyes and sleep peacefully.