Kara thought he wouldn't be in the penthouse by the time she got home but she was wrong. His office light was on, he was in there working on something. Slightly nervous she knocked on his door. She didn't know whether he would tell her off or just ignore her for disturbing his work.
"Stefan..." she called.
"WHAT?" he sounded annoyed and shifted his eyes from his laptop screen.
He immediately regrated his outburst seeing Kara was about to cry to his yell. Her face fell but she didn't run away. She stood still waiting for him to let her in.
"What is it?" he changed his tone to calm her down. He was upset to her but it didn't mean he could yell at her like that, he cared about her too much.
It was just this confusion that drove him mad. For not knowing what was going on exactly or made up his mind about his relationship. He knew he should talk to her but he wasn't ready. His rage was still hot inside his chest, he needed time to think.
Kara walked slowly toward his desk and stopped about three feet away trying not to invade his space. Stefan's chest hurt for a split second seeing how scared she looked.
"I found this in the mailbox." She said, "The report from car forensic company about your Jaguar." She talked ever so softly and gave him the already opened envelope. "I am sorry I opened it..." she apologised and stood there waiting.
Stefan pulled out the papers and scanned the report through.
Brake Tampering.
The conclusion of the report made Stefan sick in his stomach. He read it again and again hoping to get different meaning but it stayed the same.
Who would try to harm him? He had people who hated him, of course. He was in business and he had to make cruel decisions sometimes. But he knew those enemies wouldn't take that extreme step to kill him.
He scratched his unitchy scalp, her eyes didn't leave the report in front of him, his eyebrows forming a frown.
"I drove that car all the time and I only returned it that afternoon before you had the accident...." She said hesitantly. Her eyes watched his face, wanting to know how he would react to it. "I thought you should know..."
He lifted his head and stared at her. "and?" he asked in confusion.
"I didn't do it...." She continued. She looked so scared that her lower lip started trembling.
"Do what?"
"I didn't tamper your brake. I might be cruel to you, blackmail you and all but I will never ever harm you Stefan. If only I could take your place in that accident I would...."
He kept staring at her, trying to understand what she was saying.
"I had it checked before I returned it to you. When I drove it here, the brake was fine..." she looked down, terrified. She lost his trust already and she didn't know now how he would react to another bad news.
Everything was her fault, if only she didn't return the car, if only she took his offer to keep the Jaguar, he wouldn't suffer any of these injuries.
"I had thought about it since you were in the hospital. I know you wouldn't drive when you are tired or drunk so I thought it would be the car's fault. It's just.... I..... I wished I was the one who drove it. I wished I could take your place..." she had tears slowly run down her cheeks.
Now his chest was really hurt.
She wanted to take his place? Having this excruciating pain and all so he could run around and be happy? Was she mad? He wouldn't let her do that. He would endure this pain all of his life if he needed to just to see her happy. Didn't she know that?
Stefan stood up and walked to her, she took a step back too scared to know what he might do to her. And when he lifted his hand she was ready for a blow. She bent down a little and hide her face by lifting her shoulder but instead of a slap, his hand touched her cheek gently, "Don't be silly..." he simply said. "I know it's not you Kara..."
She stared at him. "You believe me?" she asked.
"Of course I do."
She cried of relief and it broke his heart. How could she ever think of that?
He would never ever accuse her to do a dirty job as low as tampering his brake.
Was she that scared of losing him that she had to behave like that? He thought he saw a different person just now.
She had hunched trying to protect herself from him when he was about to touch her. Did she think he would hit her?
Did she love him that much that she was willing to take it rather than running away or fighting him back?
He didn't know how to react to her anymore. She looked defeated and vulnerable and weak. She wasn't Kara Singleton that he used to know. Her spirit was gone and she looked like an ordinary weak girl that asking for his mercy.
Stefan hadn't seen her like this before and now she looked so fragile that he believed if he touched her one more time she would break.
"I have to go." He pulled his hand away from her and left the room.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"I need to clear my mind. Don't wait up...."
Oh he left again. Where did he go? It was nine in the evening already. Was he mad? Would he come back?
Kara wiped her tears away. She wanted to talk to him about this afternoon but she figured it could wait. More important problem had come up. Who would try to hurt Stefan?
She took a shuddering breath and went to the bathroom to have shower. She was exhausted and she needed to go to bed to have some rest. But she was worry about Stefan too much that she ended up waiting for his return by sleeping on the couch.
***
Kara woke up the next morning with blanket covering her body. Stefan had come home!
Slowly she checked the bedroom and she saw him sleeping soundly. She released a long relief breath. She wanted to kiss him before she went to do her morning chores but she didn't want to upset him even more, so she stood there watching him sleeping for solid ten minutes before going downstairs and prepared his breakfast and left to work after.
***