When Vic pulled back, I couldn't bring myself to look at him, so I averted my eyes towards the floor once again.
"It's a long story; there's no need to worry about it." I muttered softly, more like it was only to myself than for him, and blink a few times to dry a few tears that were already threatening to spill.
"Of course there's need to worry!" Vic retorted with a strong voice, startling me. "Thalia, I know we've known each other for like, a day, but I can feel you're something different, you're special. And someone as extraordinary as you should be happy at all times, not having to run away form anyone or anything!" His words surprised me, and a single tear escaped my eyes, rolling down my cheek. Vic brought his thumb to rub it tenderly against the soft skin and wipe away the tear, making me blush. Why was he being so kind and caring? If my own family and friends back home didn't give a damn about me, why would a complete stranger?
"We don't to talk right know if you don't want to, it's okay, love." Vic tried to look into my eyes, but I wasn't looking at him still, I was too afraid I'd find a mocking expression on his face and discover all his kindness was just a cover. "But it'll help you if you get it off your chest."
"No, no, it's okay. If you're going to be my... I guess, lessor, you should know the whole story. You kow, in case it changes your mind..." He chuckled and slipped his arm around my shoulder, squeezing lightly as if to encourage me to start talking. I took a deep breath and started telling him about my all-too-very-pathetic existence. "Well, as you might've guessed, I'm not twenty, like it says on the ID; I'm seventeen. I lived alone with my mother in Ireland; my father walked out on us when I was a baby, so I never got to know or meet him. We weren't all alone, though, because my mum's parents, my grandparents, lived next door and would always take care of me and make me happy. Everything was so much fun and easy going with them..."
"Then, when I turned 15, my grandparents got involved in a car crash with a drunk truck driver when they were going to one of my ballet shows, and they both died. So that left my mum and I alone again, and everything became worse and worse each day. My mom started to drink every day and every night, after work, she'd get extremely drunk and start yelling at me for no reason, saying that I was the reason her parents had died. I-I didn't know w-what to d-do anymore, so, yesterday after the last fight with my mother, I decided I'd had enough. She'd t-told me to g-go k-kill myself, but, instead, I-I r-ran away to the o-other side of the world..."
I hadn't noticed I was crying until I felt Vic's thumb once again wiping away the tears that were apparently staining my cheeks. He pulled me into his chest and hugged me close while I cried, not minding one bit that his t-shirt was getting wet. I clutched the fabric between my fingers and let it all out. I cried every bad thing that had happened in my life out until my eyes were dry, puffy and raw. Vic put a finger under my chin and tilted it upwards, forcing me to look at him in the eyes. His chocolate brown orbs were watery; shit, had my wretched life affected him this much?
"Thalia, listen to me. Don't you ever even think about doing any of that. Please, you're too valuable and much of a good person to be lost because of something like that. You can stay here as long as you want, I'll help you as well as I can. I promise no one will touch you, not even your mom and all the Queen of England's army together. It sounds weird, I know, but I'll protect you from everything."
My heart swelled with Vic's words, but I couldn't help but still wonder why he would care about someone as worthless as me. After all, I was an underage on the run that could only bring him trouble. I rubbed my eyes with my fists and looked up at him again.
"But, why...?"
"Because I already lost someone very important for me to suicide, and I won't let that happen again." The determination was clear in his eyes and it made me feel both hopeful and ashamed. Hopeful because there was finally someone who seemed set on believing in me and being by my side, and ashamed because after all he'd said I still had doubts about him. 'Besides, you're too precious, funny, kind and loveable to let go this easy.'
I smiled shyly and look at him through my eyelashes. He raised my chin with one of his fingers to force me to look at him fully. 'I'll make you feel beautiful once again, I'll make you feel loved and safe here. I'll protect you, always.'
I looked into Vic's eyes and was so mesmerized by his warm brown orbs that I didn't notice Vic was inching closer and leaning in until his I could feel his breath on my lips. I could feel my heart hammering against my chest, and I was afraid Vic would hear it too.
Not late after, Vic closed the gap between us and locked our lips together in our soft, sweet kiss. Soon enough, the kiss started to deepen when he ran his tongue over my bottom lip. I gladly let him in and tangled my fingers in his feathery brown hair. His caloused hands travelled to my waist, pulling me closer to him.
Just then, the doorbell rang, interrupting us and breaking our little moment. 'Ignore it.' Vic said in a husky, raspy voice, and attacked my lips again. I giggled - yes, fucking giggled! - and pulled back, poohing to the door. He grinned big at me before sighing in defeat and standing up to get the door.
Before he walked away, he leaned in to whisper in my ear. 'I'll protect you, forever and always.' and kissed me deeply once more as if to seal our promise; a promise that assure that everything would be okay.

Notes

Woah, there! I know that things are moving real fast, but I've got big plans for this baby, so I need the story to move fast.
I'll be updating weekly from now on, a new chapter every saturday, because I can't handle a daily chapter
With exams and shit...
Enjoy, lovelies ;)