-15-

I consider myself a hardworking person.

I have to be. I like helping mom out and it also gives me the chance to buy my own things that I know she can't afford to give me, not because she doesn't want to, but simply because her salary as a nurse is barely enough to pay mortgage, services, her car, etc. We are a team.

However, today I didn't want to come to work. I thought of 100 excuses not to come but I really need the money and classes start on Monday so it's my last day to work double shift. When I start school, I will only be able to work some nights and weekends, without exceeding the allowed hours for a minor like me in school time.

It's been almost a week since I last saw Ares. To be honest, I didn't expect to miss him. I've only spent some time with him. How can I miss him? I think I just miss stalking it. That was a strange hobby of mine that gave me excitement and adrenaline and now they are both gone.

In our small changing room, I sigh, picking my things up and stuffing them in my backpack. To say that I've had a bad day is not enough.

I've been distracted and yawning every now and then. My boss called me out three times and we had to give free French fries to a customer because I confused his order.

I take my McDonald's cap off and shove it in my backpack. I consider changing my shirt but I don't even try. I'm too lazy to go to the bathroom, I'll do it when I get home.

"Bad day, huh?" Gabriel's voice makes me jump and I hit my shoulder with the wall next to me.

"Jesus! You scared me."

Gabriel gives me an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

Gabriel takes off his cap, letting out his reddish hair and I can see his factions better. He has a cute baby face, "So I'm curious, Any reason to give Nuggets to someone who ordered a McFlurry?"

"Oh, you saw that."

"Everyone saw it. You were spacing so bad."

"So embarrassing."

His face falls slightly, "Don't worry. I've been there."

I dare to ask, "Dani?"

He sighs, "Yes," he stares at the wall, deep in thought, "She and I are from different worlds, I'm just the cute guy who works at McDonald's for her, that's all."

"I'm sorry."

"Okay, I knew it wasn't going to work, but I didn't expect her to crawl into my heart so fast."

Oh, trust me, I know about that.

"I don't know what to say, Gabo."

"Tell me your story."

"My story?"

"Why so distracted today?"

I zipped my backpack and put it on, "I... kicked a person out of my life recently, he..." I remember Ares' cold words, "He was not what I expected."

"Disappointment, huh? That sucks."

"Yep." I walk to him, "Alright. I'm off. Goodnight, Gabo."

"Goodnight, Rachel McNuggets."

"Really?"

"I'm not letting slide that easily."

I flip him off, and he acts surprised, "Later alligator."

Walking home has never been as depressing as today. The sound of the cars passing by on the avenue, the orange lights of the posts illuminate the streets precariously. It seems as if my surroundings have shaped to match my mood.

It's almost midnight. I'm not worry though. The crime level is low in this area and my house isn't that far.

My mother has always told me: Laziness brings nothing good. I never imagined I would face a station where that advice would make sense.

Because thanks to laziness, I make a very bad decision.

To get a shortcut.

To get to my neighborhood faster, I decide to cross under a bridge to save some time. Underneath the bridge is dark and lonely but I've crossed it before. My knowledge of crime in this area doesn't count on people who resort to that dark area to do Gods knows what.

A little too late, my feet freeze when I notice three tall men under the bridge, the distance between us is short, the darkness served them as a camouflage, I didn't see them until I was almost right in front of them.

"Do you want something, pretty girl?" One of them speaks, his voice coarse.

My heart beats desperately in my chest, my hands sweating, "No, I don't... I..."

"You got lost?"

"I was on the wrong road." I reply, one of them laughs.

"If you want to pass. You have to give us something."

I shake my head, "No, I'm going a different way." I step back and none of them move. Will they let me go? Please, let me go.

I'm about to turn around and go when my phone rings breaking the silence.

Shit!

Slow and shaking, I pull it out of my pocket and put it in silence to shove it back inside but it's already late.

"Oh, that phone looks very fancy, don't you think?"

"Yes, I think it'd be a good birthday present for my daughter."

I try to run but one of them takes my arm by pulling me into the darkness under the bridge. I scream as loud as I can but he covers my mouth, and pulls me by my hair, keeping me still, "Shh! Calm down, beautiful. No harm will come to you, just give us the phone."

Tears come from my eyes, the man smells of alcohol and a thousands illegal things, "The phone now." The other one demands in front of me but I can't move, fear has paralyzed me. I want to move my hand and get my phone, but I can't.

The third one emerge from the shadows, he has a cigarette in the middle of his teeth and a scar on his face, "She has it in her pocket. Hold her."

No, don't touch me!

I scream but it only becomes a murmur trapped in the hands of the man holding me. The one with the scar comes up to me and pushes his hand in my pocket, licking his lips.

I want to throw up.

Please, someone help me.

He takes out my phone and looks at it. "Good. It looks like new, it'll be a good gift for your daughter." He hands it over to the other man, his sick eyes never leaving my face. "You're very cute, don't cry."

"Should we let her go? We already have the telephone." The one holding me asks.

The one who is now playing with my phone adds, "Yes, we should."

But the one with the scar looks at me and his eyes going down to my body.

No, please no.

The one who holds me releases me but scarred one grabs me and pulls me towards him my back against his front, covering my mouth again. I can feel my heart in my throat, galloping like crazy. I can't breathe, I cann't move.

Help!

"Josh, that's enough, it's just a girl."

"Yes, Josh, he must be my daughter's age."

"Shut up!" His scream rumbles in my ear, "Get out of here."

"But-"

"Get out!"

The two men exchange glances and I beg them with my eyes but they decide to leave.

God please, no.

Josh drags me into the tunnel part of the bridge and I start kicking and screaming desperately. He pulls at my hair and turns to me, "Cooperate, I don't want to hurt you more than necessary, I'll free your mouth but if you scream, you're going to get it bad, pretty."

As soon as he lets go of my mouth, I scream as loud as I can, "Help me! Please-"I didn't even see him raise his hand. I just feel the strong impact on my right cheek. I've never been beaten, I've never felt such a sharp, sudden pain. It destabilizes me and sends me to the ground, disorienting me. My right ear palpitates. I can taste the blood inside my mouth.

"Is anyone there?" I hear a voice coming from above the bridge and it sounds like God to me, "What's going on down there?"

Josh gets scared and runs away, I crawl to sit. The whole right side of my face palpitates, "Help! Down here!" My voice is coarse from all the crying.

"Oh God!" It's a man's voice. In a few seconds that feels like an eternity appears a boy in my field of vision, "Oh my God! Are you okay?"

I cann't speak, I have a lump in my throat.

I just want to go home. I just want to be safe.

He kneels in front of me, "God, are you okay?" I only manage to nod, "Should I call the police? Can you walk?"

With his help, I get up and out of that hellish darkness.

Mom...

Home

Safe.

That's all my brain can think of, the boy lends me his phone and with trembling fingers I dial the only number I know: My mother's.

But she doesn't answer and my heart sinks into my chest. Tears cloud my vision.

"Do you want me to call the police?"

No, I don't want cops. I don't want questions. I just want to go to my house where I'm safe, where no one can hurt me.

But I don't have the courage to walk alone on the street, not again.

And then I remember that my mother's phone number was the only one I knew until recently.Until Ares started texting, I learned his number as the stalker I was.

At the moment I don't care about what he and I agreed. I just need someone to take me home, and the boy who saved me told me he was in a hurry because he would miss the last train. This call is my only salvation, if Ares doesn't answer me, I will have to call the police and wait for them alone.

At the third ring, I hear his voice, "Hello?"

The knot in my throat makes it almost impossible to say something, "Hi, Ares."

"Who is this?"

"It's... Rachel," my voice breaks, tears falling from my eyes, "I..."

"Rachel? Are you okay?" a sob escapes my lips, "Are you crying?"

"No, well, yes... I..."

"Dear God, Rachel, tell me what's going on."

I can't speak but cry, for some strange reason listening to his voice has made me break into tears.

The boy takes my phone, "Hi, I'm the owner of the phone, the girl was attacked under a bridge," there's a pause, "we're in the park on Fourth Avenue, in front of the Blue bank building. Okay, okay." He hangs up.

I'm just a sea of ​​tears.

The boy leans over my shoulder. "He's coming, he'll be here in a few minutes, calm down, breathe."

The minutes fly by and I don't expect to see Ares running madly towards us. Like I said, my neighborhood is not far away, but he still had to run fast enough to get here so fast. He wears his gray pajama pants and a t-shirt of the same color, he's barefoot and his hair is a mess.

His beautiful eyes meet mine and the worry on his face face disarms me. I get up to walk towards him. Ares doesn't even say anything and pulls me into a hug. He smells like soap and safety. I'm safe.

He breaks apart and holds my face, "Are you okay?" I nod weakly, his finger checking my broken lip. "What the hell happened?"

"I don't want to talk, I wanna go home."

Ares doesn't ask anything more and looks at the boy next to us, "I'll take care of it, you can go. Thank you so much."

"Don't worry, take care."

We are alone and Ares releases me, turns and gets on one knee, offering me his back, I stare at him, "What are you doing?

He gives me a smile over his shoulder, "Taking you home."

Carefully, I climb onto his back and he lifts me up without problem as if I weigh nothing. I rest my head on one of his shoulders. My face still throbbing with pain and tears flood my eyes when I think of what has just happened but I feel safe.

In the arms of the idiot who broke my heart, I feel safe.

The silence between us is not uncomfortable, it's just silence. The sky is clear, the streets still run with a few cars, the orange lights of the streets are still there illuminating as if nothing had happened.

We arrive at my house and Ares puts me down, I open the door. My mother isn't here as usual so he comes inside with me. I go up to my room while Ares is looking for ice in the kitchen, Rocky greets me enthusiastically and I only manage to rub his head a little before sending him to sit still in the corner of the room. I take off my backpack and sit on my bed.

Ares appears with a plastic bag full of ice and sits next to me, "This will help." He presses the bag against my face and let out a loud moan of pain.

"I'm sorry."

Ares frowns, "What for?"

"For calling you, I know-"

"No," he interrupts me, "Don't even think about it. Never hesitate to call me if you're in trouble, ever, okay?"

"Okay."

"Now lie down, you need to rest." I obey him and lie down, holding the ice pack against my cheek. He covers me with the blanket and I just watch him. I've forgotten how awesome he is.

I missed you...

I think about it but I don't say it. Ares seems to be preparing to leave and the panic of being alone invades me, "Ares..."

Those blue eyes look at me waiting and I don't know how to ask him to stay. How can I ask him to stay when a week ago I asked him to leave and not return?

I don't want to be alone, I can't be alone tonight.

He seems to read my mind, "Do you want me to stay?"

"Yes, If you don't mind. I mean, you don't have to do. I'll be fine, I-" he doesn't let me finish and throw himself on the side of my bed.

Before I can speak, he puts an arm around my waist and pulls me toward him, hugging me from behind tenderly. "You're safe, Rachel." he whispers "Sleep, I won't leave you alone."

I put the ice pack on the bedside table and close my eyes.

"You promise?"

"Yes, I won't leave, not this time."

Sleep comes to me and I am between that point of consciousness and unconsciousness, when I mumble, "I missed you, Greek God."

I feel a kiss on the back of my head and then the small whisper of his voice, "Me too, witch, me too."

xx

Author's note: I know, I know. It's been more than a month. You have the right to yell at me right now. I'm trying to keep up, guys! I'm trying! Thank you for your patience and not giving up. Also, feel free to create cover for this book :D I'm open to new ideas! 

Personally, I liked this chapter. I like seeing Ares' sweet side. 

Hugs,

Ariana G.