Good Night Sweetheart

I'm Here

Libby's POV

Waking up in the soft bed and fluffy pillows, I'm confused until everything comes rushing back to me. Being groped and fondled, trapped in that office with him, I close my eyes, trying to get the memory out of my head. How could I be so stupid to be alone with him like that? I knew I should have trusted my instincts.

Opening my eyes, looking around to see I'm alone in the room. I pull my phone out of my pocket, seeing all the missed calls and messages from Megan and even Keith had tried to call me. I don't have the energy to read all the messages now, putting the phone down and stretching. I have bruises on my back and can feel them when I stretch. Pulling up my sleeve to see perfect finger bruises on my arm from when he held my arms down. I managed to escape him, somehow hitting him, and he swore he would ruin my chances of graduating.

Fighting the urge to cry, I sit up to look around better. Moving boxes line the wall, and empty bookshelves stand next to the boxes. Getting up more, the crinkle of paper gets my attention, and I find the paper folded neatly next to the pillow. My name is on it in his neat handwriting.

Libby,

I went to get some groceries. I'll be back soon. Help yourself to anything.

Keith

I smile at the note in spite of myself, and my phone rings. Seeing that it's Megan, I decide I better answer. I don't want to tell her what happened. I didn't want to tell anyone. I already said too much to Keith.

"Libby, are you alive?" She asks the moment I answer the phone.

"Yeah, I'm alive. Hey, I won't be in classes today." I start, but she cuts me off.

"You don't know, classes are canceled for the rest of the week. They can't find professor Barns, and when they went to his office, they found some really disgusting things on his computer and in his desk. The man was a real monster, Libby. Are you sure you are okay?" She pauses, waiting for me to answer, but I don't know what to say. "Hey, are you there?"

"Yeah, I'm here." Muttering back so low, I'm surprised she heard me at all.

"Rumor has it the police are looking for him, but he may have skipped town. I'm just glad you are okay." Megan adds. "Hey, want me to come hang out with you, so you aren't alone?"

"No, I'm okay, really. I'll talk to you later, okay?" I hear the front door open and want to get off the phone. Not to mention I'm rattled by everything I just heard. He really was a monster, but where did he go?

Closing my eyes and taking a measured breath, I get myself out of the large bed, and my socked feet hit the cool wood floor. I can hardly believe I slept in his bed, and it smells like his cologne; sniffing my sweater to find it smells like him now makes me smile again.

Hearing movement in the kitchen, following the sound to see him unpacking a bag of takeout from the diner. He stops looking up at me, giving me a small smile.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" he sounds concerned. His calm, gentle voice is soothing to my overactive mind. I shake my head, no looking around the room. It's an open concept making the living room and kitchen all meld into one large space. More boxes stacked neatly in the living room and kitchen, he really did just move in.

"I didn't know what you would like to eat. I hope I guessed right," he says, setting a to-go box on the counter. Walking to the counter and opening it to see my favorite omelet makes me smile.

"You guessed right, or you asked them." I smile at him, making him give me a boyish smile like he just got caught.

"I may have asked what you liked." He admits handing me a coffee as well from the bookshop. How many places did he go just for me, I wonder.

"You didn't have to go to the trouble just for me," I say, looking down and biting my lip.

"It wasn't any trouble." He replies right in front of me, tilting my chin up to look into those eyes of his. They remind me of the sky before it rains, blues and gray, a storm of color. I could get lost looking into them. His thumb brushes my lip, freeing it from my chewing on it. "I'm happy to do anything just to see you smile." His voice is soft and low as he watches me. He moves away from me, something strange flashing in his eyes, like he's unsure what to do next.

"Thank you," I mumble out, looking back at the food. "Thank you for coming to find me yesterday." Before the first tear can fall, I'm in his arms. I have never felt so cared for than I do when I'm with him, and right now, I never want to leave his arms. I still barely know him, but he feels like the only thing I'm sure about. This pull to be with him and know him. He's in my thoughts and dreams, he has become something I can't seem to live without, and I don't even understand why.

"I'm here." He whispers so softly I feel like I might break under the words. "You can talk or not but either way, I'm here sweetheart." Holding me close to him, I'm lost under the weight of being cared for and feeling seen.

After a few more moments of holding me, he lets me go holding my shoulders gently, looking down at me, and smiling warmly.

"You should eat and then tell me what you would like to do today. Anything you want is fine with me. You only need to tell me." He strokes my hair, and I give him a weak smile. I want to shower and sleep my life away at the moment. I don't know what that creep did to my grade, and it's killing me. I know what he screamed when I hit him and kicked him off me, but I don't know if he did anything before disappearing. Where did he even go? Did he know someone was on to him? Is he going to come after me?

Sitting down at the island and picking up the pack of utensils, Kieth watches me for a moment before smirking, satisfied, and going about unpacking boxes. He heads into the bedroom and comes back a few minutes later.

"I put clean towels and some sweats in the bathroom if you want to shower." I could take you back to your apartment if you would like?" he looks hesitant at the last part, and my head shoots up, looking at him a little horrified at the idea. What if Barns is there?

"No, I don't want to be there alone," I utter the words I have been thinking aloud, and he looks at me softly.

"I wouldn't let you be there alone. If you want to go get your things, I'll take you there and then anywhere you want to go, even right back here, but you won't be alone, I promise." He watches my face as I ponder what to do, still picking at my eggs. When I look down at them, he walks over to me, brushing my hair back from my face.

"You won't be alone. It's whatever you want, Sweetheart." His voice is kind and gentle. "The choice is yours."

I want to stay here with him. He makes me feel safe, but how do I say that without sounding completely strange and desperate?