Charlize Theron Imagines

The Meet-Cute ~ andy

Note - this is not a part of the same story as "The First Escape", "Floating Between The Words", "Coffee Adventures", "Hope & Pain" or "Treasure On The Beach In The Sunlight". It's completely separate - Melissa isn't an immortal in this story.

{the eternal warrior, Andromache the Scythian}

Original Female Character: Melissa Alexandra Grey.

TRIGGER WARNING: sexual assault (stay safe, loves)

My heart is racing so fast I can see it blaring through my capillaries in my eyelids when I blink. I conceal my shaking hands by crossing my arms, and let my hair shield my face on both sides to hide the tears streaming from my eyes. My shoulders are hunched up against the cold in my thick coat, but I'm boiling inside.

Fury.

Humiliation.

Agony.

My loud sob accidentally alerts the people walking along the pavement around me, but I retreat from their gazes and walk faster. I squeeze my eyes shut at just the wrong time and trip over a crumbling brick on the pavement. I lurch forward with a gasp but regain my balance. I curse, a leaden lump loitering in my throat.

I continue walking. Just a few more blocks to my apartment building. Just a few more blocks to safety. I swallow. I regret taking that walk to the café more than ever. The coffee and croissant I'd eaten churned uncomfortably in my stomach.

Once again, enraptured in my thoughts, I don't watch my steps. A tall man bumps into me - hard. I jerk my head up tautly to meet his soft stare, and he grabs my arm to stop me from falling, gasping an apology.

Fear erupts like a volcano inside of me and I tear myself away, eliciting a confused frown on his kind face. But I can't unsee it. Not after what happened. I can't unsee that deranged, greedy look on every man's face now.

I'm speed-walking, growing increasingly unsteady and woozy. The ground is tipping. I glimpse an alleyway up ahead and slip into it, almost tripping over a humongous flower pot next to a store front. I take a tight hold of the wall and collapse next to it, sobs crashing over me like blows from a wrestler. I curl into a ball, tightly tucking my head into my chest.

"Hey," comes a soft voice, making me flinch. "What happened? Are you okay?"

I lift my head slowly, and peace and relief seep into me as I see a woman approaching me. I shake my head and tremble violently. She glances behind her and removes her jacket. She drops to her knees in front of me. Through my teary, blurry vision, I can see her hollow cheeks and pale skin. As I try to ease the tears, her vivid eyes come into focus and my lips split. She's beautiful.

"Here," she whispers, tightly winding her jacket around me. It smells like worn leather and woody perfume.

We lock eyes and she smiles. My eyes blur over once more and a loud whine bursts from my chest. She pulls me into her on the ground and I weep into her warmth. She strokes my hair and breathes, gently muttering, "It's okay" and "I've got you", every now and then. I try to focus on her steady heartbeat.