Sixteen

I open my eyes and see Ryan throwing him to the opposite side wall. I screw my eyes shut again and cover my ears. I didn't want to hear this but everything he did to me started flashing through so I was forced to watch as Ryan began to beat the stranger to a bloody pulp.

The man was yelling and so was Ryan but I couldn't understand what was being said between them, my own panic and the music and noise from upstairs. They were so loud that the guests started coming downstairs to see what the commotion was. The first few people just stood at the entrance gawking until they heard running foot steps. Two men one who looked like Ryans' father and the one who called him "cuz" earlier came barreling in. They both struggled to pull him off of the stranger.

Another man accompanied by a woman showed up in a hurry and I could see them roll their eyes at the scene. They went to the man on the floor while Ryans dad had pushed him at his cousin and went to help the stranger up. I started hearing Ryan talking to his cousin and noticed they were but two feet away from me.

"He started touching her and I told her to be quiet. I didn't want her causing a scene. But he started touching her and she was quiet. I told Brad not to fuck with her because I beat her last week and she was still healing. Then he fucking joked about giving her a good time," he put a good time in quotation marks. "You know Brad he's always made sexual jokes. I turned away for a few minutes so I could maybe find and bring a wine upstairs and then I heard him yell about her speaking. I looked over and he had started kissing her neck. She started saying no. It was as if that was the only thing she could say. Everyone knows how I feel about rape. All the men on my side of the family feel the same way." he was really animated. I remembered about how he told me the first time he bathed me that he didn't believe in rape and I was safe from him for that. Even though he was rough his words were kind. His voice was gentle.

I couldn't really hear anything his cousin was saying because he was quieter than Ryan but I knew the man was going to and I was trying to keep quiet to make Ryan happy. I didn't want to ruin his party. I looked down at my hands and back up at Ryan. I was silently thanking him with my gaze. I started looking at him more closely trying to see if he was hurt. His knuckles were split and bloodied. His hair was a mess when earlier it had been perfectly brushed. His whole outfit had blood spatters on it and his face was cut and bloody. I guess the other man got some hits in.

Ryan looked at me giving me a full view of his face. He had at cut above his eyebrow that was still bleeding. His bottom lip was busted and bruised. He had some blood on his chin and on his mouth too from his nose. He looked weirdly attractive. I look over to the other side of the room and it was obvious that Ryan barely got hurt compared to the other man.

I look back to Ryan secretly hoping he would sit next to me and comfort me but knowing it was futile. That's the thing about hope it's like a wish more than likely not going to happen.

Ryan looks back to his cousin quickly and walk over to the other side of the room. I didn't hear any of what was said. It didn't look good by the way Ryan looked. I could tell he was yelling but I could only focus on his movements. A few minutes later Ryan is pointing up the stairs and everyone heads up. I was still watching Ryan though. He was watching everyone of them file upstairs.

I finally look down at my hands again when I feel a hand on my arm. I gasp and move away some.

"It's just me." Ryan said. He sounded tired and worn out. The blood wasn't dried and he smeared some on my arm. He kneels down onto the bed in front of me and gently puts his hands on either side of my face. "Are you okay?" He pulled my face up so I had to look in his eyes. I nod then shrug. I wasn't sure how I was feeling. On one hand I almost got raped on another Ryan was there to save me.

Now he was being kind and it was such a drastic change that it was making my head spin.

"I'm going to go clean up and send my father on his way. He's waiting until I come up to leave anyways. Come with me so you can shower. I'd feel like wanting to scrub my body raw if I was touched and it was unwanted." He helps me up. I wait for him to start walking but he puts his hand on my back and helps me up the stairs. I jump in the shower and he disappears. I finish before he gets back and slip back down to the cellar.

I look at the wine and grab a bottle that had a screw on lid. I open it and drink it straight from the bottle. I didn't even care at this point if Ryan got mad at me. The music was off and as far as I was concerned my life couldn't get any worse. I almost got raped and Ryan saved me with the same hands that hurt me. His touch was gentle and kind and cautious.

I was halfway through thinking of Ryan when he appeared in my view.

"Athea? Are you okay?"

"Hmm?" I look at him and smile. "I'm great. You have really good wine." He sits next to me and grabs the bottle taking a swig. "I'm sorry I ruined your party." I slurred.

"Yeah. That party was awesome until you told someone no to touching you unwarranted." I look sideways at him and see he cleaned up. He looked good right now. Damp hair, nice smile, and his eyes looked kind instead of angry like normal.

"You looked good tonight." I say grabbing the bottle back from him. I sip on it a few times feeling his gaze on me. "Then you got all bloody. That's not a bad look though either." I run my thumb across his busted lip. I didn't even care what I was doing tonight. I was tired of my life at this moment.

"I think you've had enough." He reaches for the bottle and I move it out of his reach.

"Nope" I pop the p. I smirk at him and wink. I think I wink at least. I couldn't tell. Who cares. I don't.

"Athea...," he runs his hand through his hair. "I'm sorry he did that."

"It's okay. You saved me." I passed the bottle to him. I watch as he takes another drink. I was drinking after him. I've never shared a drink with anyone like this. "I felt relieved when I saw you walk in after them. I was so scared that if I didn't answer them they would hurt me. Then you walked in and I felt safe. I knew you wouldn't let them hurt me." I look over at him again but my head was feeling funny when I turned my head so I started to move so I could face him.

"Well, I want you to know that I'd protect you from anyone else." Ryan says as he watches me clumsily move.

"I don't think my Dad was really thinking when he set the bail. He wasn't thinking like a detective." I say. I really shouldn't be telling him what I think about my Dad's court ruling.

"Yeah, you've really had enough tonight." He takes the bottle from me and helps me lay down. I was so warm and comfy that I could just sleep.

"I'm being serious, Ryan. I think you're Uncle is innocent. There's no way he did it. It was as if the cops decided he did it then made the crime and evidence fit." I throw my hands out in front of me as I was sitting back up.

"It's nice to know the judges daughter thinks so." Ryan sits back down next to me. He was really warm. I didn't want to lay back down.

"Why did you let him hit you?" I say running my fingers lightly over his bruises.

"I didn't let him hit me. It just happened." He shrugs.

"I've always thought you were really attractive." My fingers are still lightly running across his bruises . I giggled at how hard this action was proving to be for me. Maybe I have had enough.

"Yeah and for a red head you're cute too."

"You think I'm cute?"

"Go to bed." Ryan says looking at me. I watch him and see the emotion clouding his eyes. He has so many right now that I can't differentiate them from each other. The fact that I am drunk doesn't help any either.

I sit up and away from the wall. He turned his head a little more to watch me.

"Red and black are good colors for you." I close the distance between us and wait.

"Yeah?" I could hear the smirk and the humor he was finding in this.

"Yeah." I close the distance and press our lips together.

Before he left the only thought I kept thinking is:

I just kissed my kidnapper.