Chapter nine

Elana walks through the clothing shop through the men section. She's wearing a pretty dress with flowers on and her hair over her one shoulder. It's so long, it even covers her breast. She stops in her tracks and looks at a shirt. Liam needs new shirts, but seeing this nice shirt immediately reminded her of Jordan. She takes it and looks at the size.

"Elana?"

She gives a scare and looks at this strange man that came to her. Her eyes went wide open in terror when she saw it's Ralph. The man that ruined her life. You can't see anything that Liam has on him, but his face will haunt her forever.

"It is you," he chuckles approaching her quickly. He wants to hug her, but she put her hand up to stop him. She feels weak all over her body, bit doesn't allow to show it. "Elana?"

"Don't do this now," she stops him and stand back. "What are you doing here?"

"Taking my daughter for some shopping," he replies giving her an odd look. She looks around scared then back at him. He's acting as if he never did her any harm. "Are you still angry at me?"

"Yes, I am angry at you!" She shouts at him and walks past him. "You act as if nothing ever happened! You know what you did to me."

"I said I'm sorry," he replies and follows her. As if sorry will ever fix anything.

"Well, sorry can't turn back the time, can it?" She asks and turns around looking angrily at him. "You hurt me, Ralph! No one can ever forgive someone that does that! Worse of all is, I loved you!"

"And I did it because I loved you too!" He screams back at her starting to draw some real attention from the people in the store.

"You don't rape someone you love idiot!" She screams and pushes him away. Tears are flooding in her eyes. Her heart is beating fast with fear. His daughter makes an appearance looking terrified at them. Did she hear everything? She has dark hair and still a teenager. "I trusted you and you fucking blew it for me! I never could trust any man after what you did to me and now that I'm finally about to start living you show your disgusting face in public!"

"Then maybe you should've surrendered then it wouldn't have been a rape," he responded. She throws the shirts down and pushes him back. He trip over. She straddles him throwing one punch by another in his face. She has no idea what had gone over her, but years of anger is leaving her body.

The securities run to them and grab her pulling her off him. He lay there and look at his daughter starting to cry. She throws the clothes down and walks out terrified. If a child should find out that their father raped another woman, it can destroy the family. He would kill another man for hurting his daughter, yet he went and hurt another woman's daughter.

"I'm sorry!" He cried out to his daughter.

"Let me go!" Elana screams and pulls out of their arms. She picks up the shirts and starts to walk away. She's shaking all over her body.

Today's event is playing off in her head where she's sitting at the table in her kitchen with her head in her hands. She give a little fright when Liam came in. She's become a nervous wreck all over again.

"Hey," he greets and gives her an odd look. She stands up and approaches him giving him a tight hug. She wouldn't want her life any differently, but she would've wanted to know how to handle it better.

"I'm sorry," she whispers holding him tight. "I forgot to pick you up at school."

"I thought you got my message," he replies and gives her an odd look that also looked at him. "Joe's dad offered to take me home. He wants to see you."

She looks behind him at the door where Jordan and Joe enter the door in confusion. They can see the wild look on her face.

"Mom, are you alright?" Liam asks giving her an odd look. She looks at him and nods.

"I'm fine," she fakes a smile and let go of him. "I'll see you in a bit."

"Okay," Liam nod and show Joe to follow him. Jordan steps closer looking worried at her. Besides having homework, they know that grownups need space and Jordan knows how to help her. He already proved to her that not all men are the same. She grabs the plastic bag from the counter and gives it to him.

"I didn't know which size you wear so I took what I think would fit," she says. He takes it and puts it down on the counter.

"Thank you," he says and gives her a worried look. "Are you alright?"

"Of course I'm alright," she replies angrily. "What do you think?"

"With that attitude, you most definitely aren't just alright," he replies giving her an odd look.

"Can you just take the shirt and leave me alone?" She asks and walks away from him. She's not just irritated. He can see something is bothering her.

"No," he immediately replies. "I won't let you push me away and expect me to just forgive you tomorrow, because you were in a bad mood."

"I can't do this!" She screams and turns around looking at him. "Okay? I had a shitty day and would very much like to be alone."

"Elana, don't do this," he begs her. He was hoping they can speak this through calmly but seems like something awful happened that makes her want to scream at him. "When I leave, I never come back."

"Did this happen to any woman before?" She asks glaring at him. She can't stop herself. "What happened to, I never moved on again? How certain are you that when you walk out that door, you won't return? Fuck, you men are all the same. Words, words, words, and all just for what? A piece of meat on the side-line."

"If I was so desperate for that I would've gotten you in my bed already!" He stood up stronger. "I don't need to persuade you with cheap words just to have sex! And yes, I never moved on because no other girl could knock me off my feet the way you do. I want you, Elana. Don't you want me?"

"Why me?" She asks and began to cry. He calms down and steps closer. Sometimes you have to be stubborn to call the storm to fall. "Why of all other women, would you choose me? I'm a broken person. I have flaws. I disappoint people. I disappoint you! I'm..."

"Because I like you," he immediately replies. She looks terrified at him. She knew he saw her more than a friend, but to pay attention to that, he had to say it. Tears began rolling from his eyes too. You know it's serious when the strongest man cries. "Since Joe's mother left, I thought no woman will ever be able to prove me different. I knew that I'll never fall in love again. But that first day that I saw you so beautifully there at the table, unaware that you're Liam's mother...my heart turned into flesh. I immediately fell in love with you. For a grown man, I started believing in love at first sight. Lana, I don't know what made your day so bad or what happened to you, but I want to be the reason you smile again, okay? Stop pushing people away when you're at your weakest and blame the world for not being there to catch you."

She nods trying to dry up her tears. He takes her into his arms and holds her tight. She holds him too, burying her face in his chest. Her body is warm against his. He kisses her forehead and runs his hand over her hair.

"You're not like other men," she whispers and looks up at him. "I'm sorry that I said those things."

"It's okay," he smiles. She pulls away and looks down with a blush. He takes the bag and takes the shirt out. "Oh wow."

"It reminded me of you," she says and looks at him. He takes his shirt off in front of her. Elana looks down awkwardly and suck her bottom lip.

He puts on the new shirt and smiles satisfied.

"I love it," he laughs and winks at her. She giggles and looks at the two boys that came down. They each grab an apple from the basket before they went back up to Liam's room. Elana looks at Jordan and smiles softly.

"Why don't you and Joe come to us this Friday night then you boys can have a game night and I'll probably bake a million cookies and join later on?" she suggests. It's not the idea of spending a night in the house with him and two boys. She wants to know what it'll be like if they ever become a family. She needs to know what he's like at home.

"That sounds fantastic," he nods and looks at his phone. "Damn."

"Something the matter?" she asks and walks to the refrigerator.

"I have a meeting tomorrow with my agent," he replies and looks at her. Elana raises an eyebrow at him and takes a bottle of juice out. "Can Joe come with you and Liam? I'll fetch him after the meeting."

"That would be my biggest pleasure," she immediately replies and put the bottle on the kitchen counter. "I can take them for lunch tomorrow afternoon. You can call me if you're home then I can drop Joe off."

"Okay," he nods with a smile and walks closer to her. "Can I give you any money or..."

"No," she immediately stops him. He nods and looks down. Elana smiles at him and walks to the cabinet to get glasses.