STAY OUT OF MY LIFE!

**Rebecca’s story**

Today I decided it was time to resume one of my old habits. Especially since I hadn’t done it in a long time and my muscles were fading, not to mention my physical condition. Around my house was a small, dense forest where I used to run in the early hours of the morning before the attack. That’s exactly what I was preparing to do now.
I suited up, put my headphones in my ears and confidently set off slowly into the woods. From the very first running steps, my legs felt it. It was to be expected. Don’t despair, Rebecca, things will get better, I kept telling myself with each step. But as I went further into the woods, my body, which was no longer in shape, failed me. I found a bench and rested for a few minutes. I struggled to believe that I couldn’t run at least one mile.
No, I couldn’t give up that easily. I gathered all my remaining strength and set off again. Only this time, everything around me went dark. I was struggling to stay on my feet, but it was no use. The dizziness was stronger. Then it was all over. I felt a powerful blow.
A few hours passed, and when I finally opened my eyes, a familiar place, Dominic’s house, was emerging. His smell, his presence, it all lingered around every corner. I tried to get up with the last of my energy, but I fell. Dominic’s king-size bed was so welcoming. I wondered how I got here. I remembered I went out for a run and the fatigue I was feeling, but after that, everything went black in my mind. A soft knock on the door made me flinch. Dominic framed the entrance, leaving no room for escape.
“Good morning, Rebecca” His voice was deep and distracting.
The way he said it brought back many painful memories, even at this moment. I so missed his voice and the way he made me feel. Now the feelings were mixed.
“I would have been so grateful if you just left me there”
My sudden change of heart was a great and unpleasant surprise to him. I needed to be that way. I couldn’t let this love consume me for any reason. Especially if there was really someone on my tail wanting to hurt me. It just went to my mind that if I stay away, Dominic would be safe. The most important thing was to protect him from those who would want to take me out of the picture. I didn’t know who they might be yet, but I needed to be on my guard. I couldn’t allow anything bad to happen to him. Not because he was famous, but because I loved him.
“Sorry, no can do. Are you hungry?” I could hardly believe Dominic’s nerve, as if nothing had happened. As if his lie didn’t exist and time and space were no longer here.
“Are you serious right now?”
“As serious as can be. I mean, you’ve been running, if you’ve had a chance. Now I bet you’re hungry. I don’t think you ate before you left home. You don’t really run with a... full stomach.”
“Then, no, I’m not hungry. It would be good if you would just let me leave...”
“I’m not holding you against your will. You can leave whenever you want. I saved you the second time, though. I’ve gotten used to how grateful you can be” This time he had gone over the line, again, and if I was honest, he deserved another slap like the one I gave him last time. However, my phone rang, so he escaped. But when I looked at the display, it was Logan. It was payback time!
“Oh, Logan, what’s up? I’m so glad to hear from you!”
The color in Dominic’s cheeks suddenly changed. A wave of anger rushed through him, and just when I thought he could handle the situation, he reacted unexpectedly. In fact, I knew that when I was involved; he had no boundaries. He approached me silently, put his hand on my phone, and hung up on Logan. Now that was beyond any limit I would have permitted.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
I exploded in a way I didn’t think I was capable of. At least not in front of Dominic. The look in his eyes was full of anger and wrath. I bet his blood was boiling in his veins, too. He’d just hit on a very sensitive point. In the past few days, I learned to live without him, to do things without his help, to manage on my own. What he was doing was clearly a jealousy scene. I wondered why he was doing this. He was the one pushing me to have my life back. It was not like he said it to me in words, but his actions spoke for themselves. I got used to the idea and moved on. Seemed like he was not.
“What the hell does he want from you?”
“Say that again?” I was really nervous and didn’t care what kind of words I was throwing around. He had no right to talk to me or act like that. It wasn’t like we were a couple.
My anger has reached an alarming level. I couldn’t help myself and snapped at him. “How dare you, Dominic? You have no place talking to me like that”
Then suddenly he started talking so much nonsense that I didn’t want to listen to him anymore. He talked to me like he owned me.
“Oh, so now you’ve forgotten how defenseless you were. I saved you and this is how you repay me? Where the hell do you know, Logan? Do you trust him that much?”
“Where do you keep coming up with these lines? You think I’d be any closer to Logan if I didn’t know him? And besides, I don’t understand, since when do you talk to me like you have some kind of right over me?”
I was getting close to him. I wasn’t afraid because I knew he wouldn’t hurt me. The tension felt so overwhelming that I could barely breathe. But there I was, in front of him, holding his gaze. There was no way I was going to show him what he was doing to me. What storms he was stirring up.
Eventually, he broke the connection and walked a few inches away from me.
“Own you? You don’t even know what you’re talking about, Rebecca.”
“Oh, if you think so, then maybe I really don’t know. I’m out of here hoping Logan didn’t get mad. I’ll explain that I didn’t hang up the phone. Rude!”
I only made it three steps to the door when a large, firm hand grabbed my arm. Not roughly, but gently, he forced me to narrow the space between us. I turned to face him, so close I could breathe him in. He was warm and the longer I stayed in his arms, the more I didn’t want him to let me go. There was a sense of belonging I felt. I fit so perfectly here, in his arms and in his life.
My body was pressing against his massive, hard chest. I could feel his heartbeat in a rhythm that excited me so much. I couldn't believe the impact I was having on this man. His body’s reactions when I was close. The next thing he did, unable to resist the tension between us, was press his full lips to mine. I was stunned by the gentleness of the kiss at first and then it all became desperate, as if he was about to lose me forever. And then I felt the sadness and the fact that he was trying to get so close to me that our bodies merged into one. It didn’t matter what I just said.
I took two steps backwards, guided by him, until my body touched the icy wall behind me. Instantly I moaned at the sweet pleasure of mixed feelings, the coolness of the wall, and the heat of his touch. I arched under his hard body, surrendering myself completely into his hands. He took every opportunity to make me feel wanted in a way I had never had before.
I didn’t know what triggered all of this, or I did, but I didn’t care. One thing I knew for sure was that in my entire life, I had never experienced so much burning pleasure. I was burning from this fire that consumed me mercilessly. It all lasted a few minutes, but it felt like hours. I suddenly put distance between us, fixing my gaze on him. It was like I stepped out into the cold reality.
“I’m sorry I shouldn’t have done that...” he said in a husky voice, his eyes burning with longing.
“Yes, you shouldn’t have. You should have stayed the hell out of my life!”