beautiful mistake - joe burrow

59

❗️TW: mentioning of physical abuse

"Joe..." Elle's features slipped as she opened the apartment door after the bell rang, and Joe was sure her complexion had just gone a lot paler. "...What...what are you doing here?" she stammered.

"I'm looking for an explanation" Joe pushed past her into the apartment while Elle, still in shock, closed the door behind him. She followed him into the living room where Joe stopped, put his hands on his hips and turned to Elle with a tense face.

"can you please explain why you're lying to me? Why don't you want to spend the evening with me and why don't you just tell me?" he asked Elle, who was standing about three feet away from him, hiding her shaking hands behind her back.

"I...I..." Elle stammered. She was totally out of it. Never had she expected Joe to show up here without notice and confront her as well.

"Elle, what's wrong?" Joe's voice suddenly sounded more concerned as he realized how much Elle was struggling to find words.

"I...I can't" Elle swallowed down the lump in her throat, but she just couldn't tell him. She wanted to, but her whole body refused tooth and nail to let her tell him what was going on.

"Damn it, Elle" Joe got louder again and was startled to find that Elle had fearfully taken a few steps back.

She was standing with her back against the wall, pressing her body as flat against it as she could. Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut. Her lips were only a thin white line now, so hard she pressed them together. Her chest rose and fell at a much too rapid pace.

"Elle,....are you afraid of me?" Joe asked in shock as Elle cautiously opened her eyes, but still didn't detach from the wall.

"No, I..." her voice sounded weak, intimidated, afraid, helpless.

"Elle, don't lie to me" Joe got louder again and took a step toward Elle, who immediately raised her arms protectively in front of her head and turned away from Joe as best she could, as if expecting him to attack her at any moment.

Her breath was gasping. Her hands were shaking. Joe heard her sobbing softly and suddenly he had a bad premonition of what Elle's ex had done to her.

"Elle, please don't tell me that what I suspect is true" in his voice the bewilderment, the shock was plain to hear.

It would explain so much if he was right. Why Elle had wanted to take it so slow. What Zac had meant back then when he'd told Ja'Marr and him that Elle's father had asked him to keep an eye on Elle. Why Nick was protective of Elle, like his own child. Even her panic attacks and her weekly conversations with Nick suddenly made sense.

"Elle, don't tell me your ex physically abused you" Joe voice sounded pleading. He so hoped he was wrong. He hoped that Elle hadn't really gone through what he thought she had.

Elle's loud sobs as she buried her face in her arms was answer enough for Joe. A cold chill ran down his spine as he wondered how a woman he had known to be so strong, confident, and self-assured could have gone through something so horrible.

How could anyone do such a thing to such an incredible woman as Elle?

"Elle, I'm so sorry..." Joe took a step towards Elle and tried to pull her into his arms, but Elle slapped his arm away in a panic.

"don't touch me" her voice sounded shrill, desperate, afraid. "...Please" she added, sobbing as she slowly slid down the wall, tightening her knees and wrapping her arms around them.

She rested her head on her knees, her hair covering her face, her whole body quivering, while only a helpless, painful sob could be heard from her. 

Joe felt terrible watching Elle cower so desperately on the floor. He was helpless, not knowing how to help her. She didn't want to be touched by him right now, which he totally understood, but he just wanted to comfort her. Give her a hug. Tell her that she was safe. That she didn't need to be afraid. That he could never do something like that to her.

Now he just stood helplessly in the living room, not moving an inch, his heart contracting more with each sob from Elle. It hurt him to see her like this. It hurt him to be so helpless.

Suddenly, he was aware of Elle's breathing getting faster and faster. She was hyperventilating, the sobs had turned to panic. When Elle didn't seem to respond, however, Joe finally broke free of his rigidity, looked around startled, and spotted her backpack by the dresser.

He grabbed it, dumped the entire contents on the floor, and immediately reached for the pillbox, which he placed in front of Elle, who immediately untwisted it, tossed the pills into her mouth, swallowed without water, and put her head back on her knees.

Joe knew Elle needed time and would probably seek closeness again on her own if she needed it. But he still wanted to show her that he was there for her. That she wasn't alone.

Carefully and as quietly as possible, he sat down on the floor across from Elle, leaned against the side of the sofa, and stretched out his legs. He crossed his arms and looked at Elle.

Her breathing seemed to have returned to normal by now. Now and then a soft sob could be heard, but the sedatives seemed to be working.

Nevertheless, she continued to sit in the same position for quite a while, while Joe just sat quietly across from her, watching her.

At some point, she finally lifted her head and brushed the remaining tears from her face with her sleeve. However, when she met Joe's loving gaze mixed with worry, she sobbed and immediately new tears ran down her cheek.

Without words, Joe spread his arms, not taking his eyes off Elle, who crawled to him on her knees, crying, and threw herself into Joe's arms with a loud sob.

She literally clawed into him as Joe wrapped his arms tightly around her, holding her as tightly as he could. Elle stifled sobs against Joe's chest, he noticed her tears wetting his tshirt, but he didn't care.

"I'm sorry, Elle.  I'm so sorry" he whispered to her softly as she only clung to him more.

Im so sorry for not posting the last two days, i was sick (fortunately it wasn't Covid) but im better now so I will post a second chapter right away

WHO-DEY🧡