Abort
1167 Words
CATANIA
My breath caught in my throat.
His words confirmed my absolute worst nightmare: he had heard me!
I didn't just make noise in my sleep, I had actually voiced the desire pulling at me in the dark, and it was all because of HIM!
I squeezed the cold pitcher tightly against my chest, desperately trying to keep from shrinking back.
"I-I wasn't... it wasn't what you think. It was a nightmare, yes, a nightmare. I-I was groaning… in pain, Rafael. Not... not that," I stammered.
Rafael stared down at me intently, but his eyes filled with dangerous amusement.
He obviously didn't buy my excuse for a second.
His large hand slowly slid up the stainless steel behind me, wrapping his fingers around the handle of the refrigerator door right next to my hip. His other hand remained firmly pressed against the marble countertop on my opposite side. My heart hammered so hard inside me as his chest almost brushed against mine.
Oh, God! He completely boxed me in.
What is he doing? What if Mom suddenly came in? Is he not scared that we might get caught?
“Raf–”
“Raf…” he softly chuckled. “I like that," he hoarsely whispered in my face, smelling the faint scent of whiskey.
My brows furrowed. “A-Are you dru–”
I immediately pressed the back of my head against the fridge door when Rafael leaned his head closer to my face.
Christ!
He's gazing down at my lips again, which has completely derailed my mind.
Why does he keep looking at my lips? Does he want to… to… to… Holy s**t! And now I can't help but stare at his lips an inch apart from mine.
The panic and the guilt about the secret pregnancy all blurred together into a rush of heat. Images of that night, of his hands on my skin, of the breathless and forbidden intimacy we shared, flashed wildly behind my eyes.
I fluttered my eyelids shut as I prepared for his mouth to find mine, fully expecting to drown in him just like I had in my sleep–
“Oh!”
My eyes snapped open when the fridge door at my back opened, causing me to stumble forward, and my face and chest hit Rafael’s bare chest.
My eyes widened.
Damn, he's f*cking hot! I-I mean, his body is so damn hot!
I was about to distance myself, but he opened the fridge door fully behind me, causing me to press even harder on his body.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. My back felt cold while my face was burning.
He leaned his head past my shoulder as he reached for something inside the fridge while I stood frozen in front of him.
He had just wanted to open the fridge.
"You know," Rafael suddenly muttered as his head tilted slightly closer to my neck. "Your scent... it smells familiar, but I can’t quite place it."
My blood turned cold.
Panic flared in my chest and ducked under his arm, instantly distancing myself from him.
"I-I need to go back to bed," I choked out anxiously.
I didn't wait for him to respond and practically fled the kitchen. I ran down the dark hallway, burst into my room, and slammed the door shut behind me.
I leaned my back against the door, sliding down until my knees hit the carpet. I pressed both hands over my chest, but it did nothing to slow the frantic battering of my heart.
“Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my f*cking god.”
He doesn't remember!
The confirmation hit me. I admit it was a relief, but… it was a deeply bitter one.
To him, that life-altering night was just a hazy memory, obscured by alcohol. He recognized the perfume, the familiarity of my presence, but he hadn't connected the dots. He didn't know I was the girl from the bar room, and he certainly didn't know I was carrying his flesh and blood.
F*ck!
But wait… If he didn't remember me... if he truly believed I was just his helpless step-niece... Why did he look at me like that?
The intense gaze and the dark hunger in his eyes. The way he kept staring at my lips like he wanted to devour them. It wasn't the look of a concerned relative offering shelter. It was the look of a man who wanted to possess me all over again.
That's how he looked at me that night.
*****
The next morning, the sky was still misty gray when I slipped out of his mansion. I didn't leave a note. I couldn't risk waking my mother or the thought of bumping into Rafael in the hallways after last night. It made my stomach churn with anxiety.
I kept my hoodie pulled low over my face as I walked quickly toward the neighborhood café where I used to meet my best friend, Donna.
My eyes scanned every passing car and every pedestrian as fear delved into me. I'm terrified that one of my deceased father's aggressive debtors would recognize me on the street or that a family acquaintance would see me and start asking questions I didn't have the strength to answer. As far as I know, Mom already paid almost all of them. Just almost.
When I slid into our usual corner booth, my hands were shaking so badly I could barely hold my phone. I dialed Donna's number while tapping my foot impatiently against the floorboards.
It was already in two rings when the bell above the café door jingled. I looked up to see Donna bursting through the entrance. She spotted me instantly and rushed over, sliding into the booth across from me.
"Oh my god," she breathed as she grabbed my cold hands across the table. "I've been trying to reach you for days! I heard what happened after the funeral and those monsters forced you guys to sell the house. Where have you been staying? Are you and your mom okay? Why didn't you call me sooner? I have a million–”
"Hey, please," I cut her off in a desperate whisper.
I couldn't handle the interrogation and the trauma of losing our home or explain the nightmare of living under Rafael's roof.
"I… I need your help right now. I don't have time to explain everything. I just... I really need you."
Her expression softened instantly. "Of course. I can help you with anything. You know I'm here for you, no matter what. What do you need? Money? A place to stay? Just tell me."
I swallowed hard, hesitating to keep the secret anymore. But I have to tell her.
I leaned closer across the table as my eyes welled up in tears.
"I need you to help me get an abortion.”
- Writer
