First Love (is being edited)

Chapter 29

Trigger warning: unwanted sexual advances.

"Ever since I was a young girl, I had shared a special friendship with Luke.
We were able to find common ground even though we were so different.
We spent a lot of time just hanging out, talking about everything and anything.
He was my best friend.

It was to him that I went when my father died and I didn't know how to go on living.
I shared my pain with him, and he did his best to help me overcome the grief that was like a black hole trying to suck me in, never to see the light again.
Small things did wonders, making me laugh, focusing my attention on some interesting things he had learned or seen, things like that.
His strength and steady hand guided me to recovery, to return to life.
I stopped feeling guilty or wishing for my own death, all thanks to him.
When I was finally back to my old self, I started noticing things." Gem said.

She took a deep breath and John could feel that there was a shift coming in the tone of her voice.

"At first those were some smaller things that I didn't really pay attention to, how his eyes sometimes seemed to linger on me for longer than usual, how his hand would brush against mine when I was sure there was enough space to prevent that.
He started calling me at all hours of the day and night and at first, I had no idea what it all meant.
At the same time, he became more attentive to my needs. It felt like I was being waited on all the time and it made me feel uncomfortable.

Also, he kept buying me the most beautiful gifts with no apparent reason. It felt wrong to take them, but I also didn't want to hurt his feelings, so I took everything he gave me and put it in a little box to return to him when he was back to his old self.

The questions about where I was and with whom also started at the time.
At first, I was joking around saying the most ridiculous things thinking that he was joking.
However, once I realized he was serious I wasn't sure how to deal with the situation.
Not wanting to lose a friend who had helped me go through so much emotional pain, I decided to turn a blind eye to that behavior and just honestly answer his questions.
I thought that he was just being overprotective, that the situation wouldn't get worse.
It was naive of me to think so.

One night was all it took to change my perspective on the situation.
We were just sitting in my living room, chatting about our day when suddenly something shifted in his eyes.
Honestly, I didn't pay so much attention to what it was, I had known the guy for years, I trusted him implicitly.
I should have been more careful because I did know that something was wrong.

Before I had the chance to register what was happening he scrambled towards me on the long couch and put his hand on my knee.
Naive as I was, I at first thought he did it by accident, trying to get my attention to tell me a secret because that's what he usually did when he came to sit that close to me.
However, his hand lingered and started to move towards my inner thigh and that was when I jumped up from the couch.

"What are you doing?" I asked him.
In that moment I was more surprised than anything else. I always saw him as a friend, and he always behaved like one so his actions shocked me.
"What both of us have wanted for a while." He said.

He started approaching me and I started backing away from the guy I no longer knew.
Soon enough my back hit the wall and that was when panic finally took over, I had nowhere to go, and he was stalking towards me. For the first time in my life, I was terrified of Luke and what he might do.
It was obvious that something was wrong with him but I couldn't think clearly, I couldn't find a way out." Gem said.

Her hands started shaking in anticipation of what was to follow and although John had been angry and hurt, seeing her distress tug at his heartstrings.
He slowly squeezed her hand in support and it seemed as if the contact gave her the strength she needed to go on with her story, to release the burden she had been carrying for years.

"Before I had the chance to react, frozen in fear as I was, he pressed his body against mine and tried to kiss me, but I managed to turn my head to the side just in time.
Not perturbed by my actions he lowered his slimy lips on my neck and started sucking on it as if we were in throes of passion.
Pure disgust overtook me and seemed to give me the strength I didn't know I had to push him away.

I will never forget the look of surprise and hurt on his face.
It was as if he thought I was asking for it and then refusing.
In a flash, he became furious.
I have never seen anyone as angry as he was then and I knew I wouldn't have the strength to fight him off if he tried anything else.
Never again do I want to feel that kind of weakness and fear, it's more than one person could handle, no matter how brave they are.
Hating the fact that I needed help, I started screaming so loudly that I felt like the house itself started shaking.

My screaming was cut short by his hand on my mouth, but it turned out luck was on my side.
Someone had heard me screaming and I could hear footsteps rushing in from my front door as Luke kept trying to keep my face still so that he could kiss me.
I struggled with all my might and before I ran out of my strength a loud gasp was heard in the living room.

"Luke Gideon Cane get away from that poor girl! What came over you?!" Mrs. Cane screamed at him.
It was obvious from struggles and tears running down my face that we weren't two people enjoying each other's proximity, and she was quick to pick up on that.
Quicker than I thought possible, Luke let go of me and moved to the other side of the living room.

"This is not how I raised you. I raised you to respect all women. What is the meaning of this?" Mrs. Cane said.
"She wanted me to." He said like a small child being told off.
"Young man, did she say those exact words?" She asked.
"No, but..." He started.
"I don't want to hear it! Go wait for me in the car! I came to tell you that your car is fixed, but now I think you won't need a car. Go!" She said anger obvious in her otherwise calm voice.
Once he left, I slid down the wall in a heap of sobbing mess.

Mrs. Cane crouched next to me and hugged me tightly rocking me slightly until I calmed down a bit.
She was after all the person who was there for me when my mom didn't have enough strength or will to deal with my problems as well as her own and there was something familiar in crying in Mrs. Cane's arms.

"I am so sorry my dear. He has been sick for some time now, mental issues, but I had no idea it was this bad. There are no words to describe how sorry I am.
There is no way to justify what he tried to do, but I am begging you not to report him.
I will get him the help he needs, but please don't let my son be punished for his illness". Mrs. Cane said tears running down her cheeks.

"I won't. Just, please keep him away from me." I told her and that was the last time I heard of them before today.
I did, however, hear that he was suffering from the Fatal Attraction syndrome and that he was being treated for it.
He honestly believed that I loved him, that I wanted him, although I have never given him any reasons to see me as anything but a friend." Gem finished her story.

Although she wanted to look into John's eyes and see if he was ready to accept the truth, she didn't dare do that because she knew that if she saw suspicion or accusation it would break her heart.
Before she knew what was happening, John engulfed her in a hug that warmed her heart.

"I am sorry you had to go through all that. And I am even more sorry for ever doubting you.
You were trying to protect me back there, weren't you? From his mental instability?" John asked.

She just nodded her head and kept holding on to John letting his scent wash away all the pain and finally she felt free, free from the pain, from the guilt, from everything.

It was as if it finally dawned on her that nothing that happened in her life was her fault, not her father's death nor Luke's attack, she finally allowed her self to let go of all that burden and just be happy in John's embrace.