Chapter 4

"Knowing his strength, to cover the scar even though it's always there, however, to be impossible is for one to see his weakness as, not an adversary, but the cherry on top of his strength, to rearrange the scar so that it compliments his features." - Criss Jami

A hand care over my cheek making its way up my forehead outlining the frown on it then suddenly he stops. "You awake?" I don't respond letting him think I am still asleep. His touch is on my cheek again warming up the line as he touches me. I open my eyes meeting the brightest blue eyes I have ever seen when suddenly they scare the shit out of me making me jerk away and fall from the edge of the bed and make a thud sound as I crush 9nto the floor.

"Shit. Are you okay?" He roll over onto his stomach letting his head hang from the edge of the bed.

"Peachy" I nap making an 'o' with my forefinger and my thumb. "I just want to go home, okay." I place my palms flat against the bed pushing myself up.

"I'll take you." He sit up brushing his fingers through his hair. "Just give me a minute."

"Who are you?" I watch him get of the bed walking to the dresser.

"Arthur. I told you this." He grin removing a piece of material from the drawer.

"What do you want from me Arthur?" I lean my head to the side watching him pull a black shirt over his head and the fact that he has the body of a god should never ever influence me or have any physical effect on my body.

"Nothing." He mutter stepping into his jeans and pulling them up over his boxers. "I am taking you home."

"Good." I nod dragging my eyes away from the stranger who calls himself Arthur, who was standing way too close to me.

Why did I pass out like that? I could have made a scene in the coffee shop. There were enough people to stop him from getting his way with me. I could have fought harder. Kicked him, hit him, bite him if necessary. Anything. I could have done anything, but I froze. Scared of all the what if's. Now look where that brought me. I am dirty, I am tired and I woke up next to a stranger.

The drive to my house was quiet and felt like hours, but for some reason it wasn't awkward. It felt... peaceful. Thank goodness for gps; I didn't have to show him where to go. I am terrible at giving directions.

He drove a 2022 Golf GTI which appear to be a rental by the looks of the stickers plastered onto it, but hey... Who cares I don't even know the guy. Why should I care about what he drives or what he rents to drive.

I turn the key in the door of my apartment quietly hoping not to wake Isabella.

Although she probably isn't even home. The last few months she has been slipping away mid hours of the night and returned after work. I acted like I didn't notice. She will tell me what's up when she felt like it. She must be furious at me, although she was the one who wanted me to leave.

'Oh no...' I gasp for air, fear gripping hold of me. I step around the broken ornaments on the ground. Everything is ripped apart, couch cushions scattered everywhere, glass broken. Isabella. "Bella!" Adrinaline flood me as I start pacing to Isabella's room jumping over another few pieces of glass, papers, books more glass. "Bella!" I yell again with no answer. She is not here. I struggle getting to the phone in the kitchen.

"911 What is your..." The line goes dead and a huge shadow stand over me. I should probably run. I need to go over this. How do I get pass him. I'll hit him with the phone then run.

"The phone? Really?" My hand gets caught in a tight grip. I know that voice.

"Get your stuff. We should leave." Arthur let go of my hand and I run to my room grabbing anything and everything I can get my hands on shoving them into a suitcase. "Come on. We need to go." He grab the suitcase from under my hands and head towards the door with me hot on his tail, but as far as the door would be we wouldn't make it. I take a step back watching two guys dressed in black standing in the living room.

"Lilith get back." Arthur instruct me holding his hand behind his back and I obey taking another step back. Wait... what? Lilith? I never told him my name. He never asked, because he already knew.

One of the guys step forward speaking in Russian to Arthur who replies quickly afterwards then punches start to fly. What is happening to my life right now. I duck when the man flying my way almost hit me. With astonished eyes I look up to find Arthur having a good go with these guys until two of them are almost beaten to death on my livingroom carpet and the third one pulls a gun on Arthur.

They stare at each other for a brief second that felt like an hour then a few Russian words are muttered and bang. I close my eyes at the loud noise sinking to the floor pulling my knees to my face. I curl up in a fetus position sitting on the ground. Please no. I don't want to die like this. No. No. No. I cover my ears with my hands. I really don't want to die. Not now. Please...

"Let's go." I am suddenly pulled up from the ground and being carried over a shoulder like a bag of potatoes. Dead weight hanging and hands still covering my ears. I can't do this. Why didn't I just listen. I am so selfish wanting to come home. If I just listened he would still be alive and I wouldn't be in this situation.

"Lilith!" I hear him scream, but he is to far I can't see him. "Lilith." Please make this stop. I start swinging my body forward and back, forward and back. "Lilith. For the love of... Lilith open your fucking eyes." A hard slam on both sides of me vibrate through my body.

"Arthur?" I mutter lifting my head trying to see through the fog. I blink a few times to clear my vision. "Arthur? Thank God you are still alive." I throw my hands around him resting my head against his chest.

"Shh... I am here baby." He withdraw his hands from the counter I find myself being seated on and wrap then tightly around me. "I am here." He pull me in closer. I can't help the sudden sobs and tears. He is alive. I snuggle into his neck desperate to feel his warmth against me.

"How do you know my name?" I whisper when the tears dry and sobs end. The warmth turn cold and I am being set on my feet by Arthur's strong arms. I hold onto the counter finding my balance.

"You told me when you were having one of your episodes." He let the words roll of his tongue like it was nothing. Episodes? That is what he calls this. I go numb. I go mute. I pass out. He calls it episodes. Like I have a choice in loosing all control over my body. "Beer?" He offer me the bottle, but I shake my head brutally. Isn't it being drunk that had gotten me here the first time.

"This is serious." I watch him open the bottle. I could have died. He could have died. What if I passed out like that and there was no one to save me. The things that can happen if I don't stop passing out like that.

"I know." He throw away the lid of the bottle and stomp over to the couch a few feet away from me. He looks much more relaxed drinking from his bottle and lifting his feet up placing them on the table.

"So where are we?" I change the subject not looking to pick a fight. I stroll over to him kicking of my shoes to feel the soft white carpet under my feet. I take a seat next to him as there is no other seat available besides the double seater couch he is sitting on infront of a big television mounted onto the wall.

"Sure take your shoes off." He mutter pointing to my feet with the neck of the beer bottle.

"This is where you live?" I question unsure of his sarcasm.

"Apparently. Looks like I got myself a new roommate." He joke. Why did he find this so funny and how on earth can he be so relaxed? We almost died!

Oh he is serious. I am moving in now. Great. Just wished you would take me out on a date first. Idiot. There is no way I am going to live here. "It is not save for you to go home." He answer my thoughts earning him a stare down.

"There is no other way about it. Now fetch me a beer, you lost." He break the silence when I loose to the stare down I began. Couldn't even last thirty seconds huh. That's half a minute geez normally I struggled to take my eyes of off him. I couldn't ignore the fact that he was very attractive. I don't think anyone who have ever seen him could.

"I can get used to this." He motion between him and the beer I just handed him.

"You won't be able to beat me next time." I flash my eyelashes at him.

"We will see." A crooked smile escape forming a dimple on his cheek.

"Whatever..." I collapse onto the sofa resting my legs over his. I take the remote and switch on the television hopping through the channels. Arthur watches me closely following my hand as it turn pushing down on the buttons of the remote.

I finally decide on something to watch. 'Who did I marry.' Sounds fitting. I glance over at Arthur still watching me. "Seriously?" I throw my hands in the air. "Is this the way it is going to be living with you?" I turn towards him. No response. He just stare at me with light blue eyes that seem so familiar and I return the favor which turn into another stare down, but this time I beat my record... 35... 36... 37...

"You are cheating." I yell when he starts tickling me. Both his hands on either sides of my ribcage. I squirm from side to side and he ends up almost on top of me now. "Stop..." I try to fight him off gasping for air. Why do I have to be so ticklish. I swear I am the most ticklish person to ever walk the earth. "Wait..." I gasp pusing against him with both palms flat on his chest. He is like made of stone. I push harder, but he doesn't move. Giving up I straighten my legs trying to loosen myself from under his grip, but he push a knee between my legs pinning me against the couch. My body relax when I realise he stopped tickling me. He is once again looking at me not staring though. His eyes fall from mine to my lips and then back to my eyes. I bite onto my bottom lip to stop me from kissing the dimple on the corner of his lips.

He lower his head and I close my eyes. Reflex I guess. "We need to eat." He whisper against my ear his warm breath send goosebumps racing over my skin from my nape to my toes and suddenly the weight on top of me is lifted.

I sit up holding my head in both my hands to stop it from spinning. What the hell just happened. I glance over at Arthur bended infront of the fridge searching for something like nothing happened. Okay so nothing did happen and I should get my mind straight. I don't even like him. I do... but I shouldn't and not in a romantic kind of way. Not even a friend. He is just so easy going. I am just comfortable with him. Which surprise me. I have never been so spontaneous before.

"Can I use your phone?" I ask silently cornering the fridge. "I need to call my roommate. Explain the mess..."

"There won't be a mess to explain." He close the door of the fridge holding an union and two garlic houses in his hand walking past me to the kitchen counter. "Everything will be cleaned up."

"Okay..." I say astonished and maybe a little confused. Who am I kidding confusion scream from my face. "I just want to know if she is okay and... tell her... that I am fine." I drop my head turning my hair into a newly made bun.

"She wasn't home." He start cutting the union. The skills this man have with a knife. I stare down while he chop up the union in no time. "Get the pan ready." He point his head in the direction of the stove. I shrug my shoulders sighing and stroll over to the stove heating the olive oil in the pan.

"I am not good at this... making food I mean." This really needs to stop. He can't keep on treating me like a child. Tell me what to do, but when I want answers he is suddenly mute.

"What else could you have meant?" He snarl at me scratching the chopped unions and garlic from the plate into the pan.

I don't know. Being held hostage. Living with an asshole with no regards to other's feelings. Constantly being scared to ask questions. I can think of a number of things I am not good at or not use to... I shrug my shoulders.

After half an hour of helping him in the kitchen. Doing my part. Like washing the dishes and talking non-stop about how bad I was at cooking and how I kept myself alive on two minute noodles the spaghetti and meatballs is ready to serve. If I wasn't hungry before, I am now. "Mmm... This smells so nice." I lean over his shoulder watching him dish up.

"You hungry?" He pause waiting for me to answer before continuing to spoon another blob of spaghetti onto a plate.

"Starving..." I rub over my stomach with my palm. I leave him to complete his task while I get the utensils. Since the silence from his side the past half an hour I just endured I kept myself busy becoming familiar with the kitchen and where everything is stashed. He didn't want me to help after I got the unions tanned a little too much... so I might have burnt them and Arthur had to start over again. I also learned that his cupboards was in possession of much more groceries than mine and that he has a sweet tooth. Well that was what the cupboard told me. The one with all the oreos, chocolates and suckers.

"Here you go. Bonne petit." He place the plates on the counter next to each other and pull out a chair for me.

"Thank you." I hand him his fork and watch him take a bite. Some appetite he's got. I can almost feed a family of four with the food on his plate. He glance up at me with a mouthful lifting his eyebrow in question. Oh yeah. Eat. I jump and take in the seat next to him.