Into the woods I P U B L I S H E D

„Fool me once, shame on you.

Fool me twice, I don’t think I can trust you ever again.”

- Elizabeth

Elizabeth

„Why didn’t you tell me that he was coming here?!” I yelled at the laptop, trying to calm myself down but I couldn’t, I was so angry at her.

Anastasia looked at me like she just saw a demon. Her face was pale, her eyes widen and her lips were slightly open, trembling at my stare.

I had never in my life felt this angry before. I don’t know where did this come from. I was never like this.

„I wanted to tell you yesterday but you had to go.” Closing my eyes, I took a few deep breaths.

„You know how awkward this is? My boyfriend is with my ex-boyfriend in the kitchen. Henry looked like he was about to kill him when he hugged me,” I threw my hands in the air. „Why did he came?”

„He said that he is visiting his cousin,” She leaned her head on her arm, staring me with those blue eyes. As I was about to say something to her, someone knocked on the door, and a second later, Henry walked in, his eyes searching for me. He relaxed when he saw me standing in front of my desk.

„There you are,” His eyes traveled to Anastasia then at me. „I thought your ex-stole you from me.” Sneaking his hands around my hips, he pulled me to him so I could feel his hard body beneath his grey t-shirt, and gave me one of his passionate kisses. Anastasia coughed and he let me go, smiling at Anastasia.

„Hello,” He said. Anastasia stared at him, her face turning paler. I didn’t know if that was a good sign or not.

After a few seconds, she finally gave a sign of life. „Hello,” She said, her voice trembling. She was still frightened by him but I don’t know why.

„This is Henry.” Moving away from him, I took his hand in mine showing her that he was mine. I don’t know where this act of possessiveness came from but I didn’t want her to scan him as she did with the others.

Henry smiled at her, waved at her, but when he saw her wide eyes, he took a deep breath.

„I will see what Lena, Louis, and Joens are doing.”

„You mean Jack,” I said to him. He smiled at me, giving me a kiss on my cheek. „That’s what I’ve said,” Turning to Anastasia, he nodded. „It was nice to meet you...”

„Anastasia,” She cut him off. „It’s Anastasia.” They both stared at each other for a while before Henry decided to leave the room, leaving us in complete silence.

„Elizabeth.” Anastasia started crying. Her eyes were full of tears, her body was shaking as she stared at the door behind me.

„What’s wrong?” I sat on the chair, my eyes traveling all over her terrified face. Her eyes found mine and she took deep breaths.

„Remember when a man had broken into your room a few months ago?” I almost lost out of breath, my arms starting to shake. Why was she mentioning this now? After so long. After I forgot about that.

„What about it?” I asked.

She wiped her tears away. „Would you believe me if I just recognized that man. Elizabeth, I saw...” Lifting my hand, I begged her to stop. I shook my head at her. That couldn’t be possible. Henry would never do that.

„Please, stop,” I couldn’t even look at her right now.

She was lying. That was it. She was only acting like this because she didn’t like him.

„Elizabeth, I’m telling the truth,” She pointed her finger at me. „Are you seriously thinking that I’m making this up? Me? Your best friend since childhood.”

I shook my head. „I don’t know. I can’t. That’s insane, Anastasia. He isn’t like that, and besides, the man you saw, he had red eyes and Henry doesn’t have red eyes.”

„I saw him. I saw his face and that red eyes hunt me in my dreams since that day,” She said through her teeth, her eyes narrowed at me. „Please, stay away from him.”

„I cant, Anastasia,” A tear slipped down my face.

„Why?”

„Because I love him.”

~ - ~

„And that’s how I got hit by an old lady at the airport.” Everyone laughed at Jack’s comment when I entered the living room. Lena and Louis were almost dying out of laughing but only Henry was managing to keep a straight face. His arms were crossed as he stared at Jack who was enjoying this moment, the center of attention.

„Is everything okay here?” Everyone turned quiet, their eyes were focused on me now. I smiled at Henry. „I need to go to University. Nicklaus didn’t message me a thing, so can you drive me?” His eyes traveled to Jack as I waited for his answer. Getting up, he walked to me, places his hand around my hips. „He didn’t message you because I told him that I will drive you today.” I nodded.

„I have some work to do at the library later. I will be late,” I said to Lena and Louis.

„Just be safe, okay?” Louis said, his arms around Lena’s baby bump. He did that all the time when someone was around only to show that she was his.

„Don’t worry,” I turned to Jack. „It was nice seeing you. I guess you have to go to visit your cousin or something,” I stared at him, my eyes burning into his ones. Oh, how much I hate him.

„Actually, Henry offered me to take a lift to the University. I’m meeting my cousin Odinson there.” I took a deep breath. Great. Now, this too.

„Fine. Let’s go,” I didn’t spend another second in the living room as I walked out of the room, through the hallway to the door.

Henry was next to me, he was clearly sensing that something is wrong with me but I tried to stay as calm as possible. If the things that Anastasia said were true, I don’t know if I could ever look him at the face again.

„How long are you two dating?” Jack sats on the back seat and didn’t waisted another second before bombing with all sorts of question., „I don’t want to sound rude or anything. I’m just wondering for how long my ex-girlfriend of two years is with someone else.” I looked at Henry who looked too calm for himself. He was never like this or, he just tried not to comment on Jack’s stupid sayings.

„Three months,” Henry said, his eyes focused on the road. This was going to be a hell of a long ride.

~ - ~

As soon as Henry parked his car on the parking lot, turned the car off, we all got out.

„Thank you for the ride, Henry. It was nice meeting you,” He waved to Henry, his eyes immediately landing on me. „I will see you sometime, El.” After he left, Henry sneaked his hands around me, kissing my neck.

„Can I kill him?” He joked and I laughed.

„No. I don’t want you to bother with him. He is nothing to me anymore.” Turning around, my lips landed on his. He licked my lower lip, seeking for excess that I gladly gave him.

He pushed me to the car, trapping me, he was ruling my mouth with his. Sometimes, he was more dominant than before but now, he was just showing everybody in the parking lot that I was his and he was mine.

„I have to go now,” I pulled out of the kiss but he didn’t stop there, his lips traveled to my neck and I let out a moan. „Henry. Everybody is staring at us.” He pulled away after a minute, his eyes full of lust.

„I have some work to do with Tyler. If you need a ride home just call me, okay? I will be right there,” I nodded.

„Sure.” Giving him a one kiss on the lips, I started walking away before I turned around to him. I had to say it now before it was too late. „Henry.” Getting out of the car, he stared at me. „Yes?”

It was now or never. „I love you.” His eyes light up, and his lips curved into a small smile. „I love you too.” Like a lovesick puppy, I started running to the stairs where Ashley and Kathryn were waiting for me.

„Hi, El,” Kathryn said. I said hi to them and we all started walking to the main door.

„Who was the hottie with you?” Ashley asked. Oh, she saw Jack.

„You saw him?” Opening the door for them, both of them walked in and I behind them.

„Of course I did. Probably all of the girls here saw him, and your hot make-out session with Nicklaus’s brother.” I slapped myself across the head. Of course, they did. They probably saw what Henry was doing to my neck, or worse, heard how I moaned.

„Who is he?” Kathryn asked. I stopped in the middle of my way to my classroom, turned around to them, and with a deep breath, I finally confessed. „That’s Jack Armstrong. He is my ex-boyfriend.” Both of them opened their mouth to say something but I didn’t give them a chance as I started walking again. They quickly reached me, Kathryn grabbed my hand and pulled me back.

„Does Henry know?” She clenched her jaw.

„Of course he knows. I told him the first day we had met,” I pushed her hand away. Ashley looked at me then back at her. Realizing what she just did, Kathryn apologized to me. „I don’t know why I did that. I’m sorry.” A girl called her name from the end of the hall and waved at her. „I have to go. See you later,” She left without a goodbye. I looked at Ashley who was just as confused as me right now.

„What just happened?” I shrugged. „I don’t know.”

We turned right to the stairs, where I saw Jack standing there, his arms on the wall, behind Monica. Boby, John, and Lara were there too. The way his arms were resting brought up a memory that I had been keeping away for a long time.

„Elizabeth?” Ashley shook me a little. „Are you okay?”

I turned to her. „Yes. Let’s go.”

~ - ~

„Elizabeth?” I felt someone’s hand on me, and when I turned to the person, I saw Alice, the girl from the support group, looking at me with worried eyes. I glanced at everyone else in the room, and all of them were staring at me.

„I’m sorry. I just zoomed out,” I said, pulling my coat closer to my body.

„It’s okay, let’s continue,” Ashley said, and Carla started talking again. „When I came home he pinned me to the door and started undressing me.” I looked at the blond girl. She wasn’t even 18 yet, and yet, she already been assaulted. As she continued her story, I started to remember mine.

„Don’t you come near me, Jack!” I yelled at him as I tried to unlock the door to my house. My eyes were full of tears, and my hands were shaking as I tried to put the key into the hole. I couldn’t believe that he just did that. After two years. After everything.

„Listen to me, El. It isn’t like that,” He grabbed my shoulder and pushed me to the door.

He came closer to me, his body only an inch away from mine, his eyes were red and an awful smell of alcohol came out from him.

„I don’t want to listen to you,” I spat on his face, pushed him away and at the same time I entered the house only be stopped by his hands as I tried to close it.

„You shouldn’t have done that,” He grabbed me by my hair and placed his hand over my mouth so I couldn’t scream. Dragging me to the couch, he threw me on it and started undressing me.

No, please no. I kicked him with everything I had left, but he was too strong.

He reached for my arms, pushed them above me and lied on top of me. With one hand, he held both of my hands, while with his other one, he tried to took his pants off.

My eyes widened, and somehow I managed to kick him in the balls. He cried out as I pushed him down me. Grabbing a glass from the stand, I shattered the glass on his head, and at the same time managing to cut my palm.

„You piece of shit!” I hit him the stomach and he rolled around, letting an awful sound of pain. „Get out before I call the police!” I hit him again. He stood up, leaving my house. As soon he stepped out of my house, I ran to the door, locked it and sat down on the floor, crying like this for hours.

„I was almost sexually assaulted,” I didn’t even realize that I said it out loud until I saw all eyes turning on me.

„What?” Ashley looked at me in complete shock.

„You heard me, I was sexually assaulted. Almost, actually,” I couldn’t believe that I was talking about this. „My ex got drunk and decided to rape me, but I managed to defend myself before anything happened. But I know how it feels that you could feel him on you.”

Carla looked at me as I continued. „You shouldn’t blame yourself. It wasn’t your fault, just like it wouldn’t be your fault to defend yourself. I learned that it’s okay to stand up to a man and that they were the ones who were actually week. They think that they could use us, but they can’t. We are humans too. We feel too.”

„What about now? Are you okay with it?” Nadia asked me.

I nodded. „At first, I wasn’t, but I learned how to stood up. Since that night, I learned to take care of myself, and that night defined who I am now. A stronger, much braver person who wasn’t afraid to stand up to people. Especially men.”

“Why didn’t you called the cops?” Ashley asked.

“I did, but my father didn’t want to come out because he was afraid that it will ruin our, I mean, his name at the public. After all, Jack’s family had a percentage of my father’s company.”

“But how did you feel after that? When you finally saw him?” She asked again, but this time I looked away from her.

“I wanted to kill him. There was so much hate in me that I couldn’t even recognize myself.”

“But you overgrew the hate didn’t you?”

I nodded. “Yes. I learned that the hate I have for him only made me worse. I couldn’t trust anyone. Not even my friends. I didn’t trust anyone until Henry.”

„Does Henry know?” Ashley asked me. I stared at the floor in front of me.

I shook my head. „No.” Turning to her, I looked at her in the eyes. „Please don’t tell him. Especially not Peter or anyone. I don’t want them to know.”

„Don’t worry. Your secret is safe with us, right girls?” All of the girls nodded.

„Thank you, girls,” I smiled at them.

~ - ~

„Henry is hiding something from me,” I said to Ashley as she gave an older man his books.

„Thank you,” The old man said.

„You are welcome, Mr. Brook,” She smiled at the old man and helped him out. When she returned she leaned on the counter. „Peter is keeping something from me too. He is acting strangely for a while.”

„Yeah, and now I have to deal with my ex too,” I sighed.

„Can you please me remember why is he here again?” Ashley took her phone and checked something.

„He came to visit some cousin named Odinson,” My eyes widened as I realized who his cousin was.

„Omg, Monica is his cousin,” We both stayed at the same time. Of course, she was. They looked the same.

„How could you be so stupid, El?” I said to myself, closing my eyes again.

„Why are you so stupid?” The door opened and a happy Peter walked in, with flowers in his hands.

I shook my head. „It’s nothing. What about you? Why are you caring flowers?”

Peter walked to Ashley, pulled her to him and kissed her on the lips, „Happy one month anniversary,” He said to her.

„You remembered,” She wrapped her hands around his neck.

„Of course I did,” He kissed her again.

My phone buzzed in my back pocket. „ I have to take this,” I showed them my phone.

Walking to the other room, I answered the phone.

„Hello,” I said with confidence.

„Hi, Elizabeth,” I turned pale at the sound of the voice. „I heard that something was bothering you about your precious Henry.” How did he know?

I took a deep breath, walked to the wall and leaned on it. „He is keeping something from me. Something dark. You mentioned it before that there was something different about his family.” For a moment, the line became silent and I wondered if the man was still there.

„Oh, I see. You want to know the truth about him and his family but my dear, you already know the truth. You know who they are, but I guess that you can’t tell yourself that it’s actually the truth,” Every word he said was in a calm tone. He was right. I was too delusional to think about the truth, but still, I didn’t want it to be real.

„I don’t know what are you talking about,” He cut me. „My dear, that’s the fear talking out of you,” He took a deep breath. „Meet me today at Saint John’s road behind the fountain. That’s near the library you work in. Be there at 8.p.m. Don’t be late because that’s the only chance you will get.” After the line died, I placed the phone back into my pocket and returned back to Ashley and Peter.

„But I made a dinner reservation at your favorite restaurant,” Peter said to Ashley while she stood there with her hands on her hips.

„You did what?” She asked. She clearly didn’t hear what he just had said.

„I made a reservation at Billy’s,” She threw her herself at him, giving him a strong hug.

My eyes left them for a moment only to check what time it was. It was almost eight. I needed to go now If I wanted to be there on time.

„Guys, I need to go take care of something for Lena.” Both of them turned to me. „Could you please lock the library before you leave?”

Ashley nodded. „Sure, go ahead.”

I took my bag and coat from the hanger. „Have fun. See you tomorrow.”

„Bye,” Both of them said.

It was already dark and cold when I got out of the library. The streets were shining with the street lights, and as I walked down the street, my paranoia stroke once again even if there was some light on the streets. The cold air made it even worse. I was so cold even if I had three layers of clothing on me.

A few people were drinking at the corner, having fun, and I pulled the bag closer to me, lifted my head up and tried not to look at them.

I heard my phone ringing and I immediately answered it.

„Hello.”

„Elizabeth,” Thank God. It was Anastasia.

„I can’t describe to you how happy I am to hear your voice.” After I passed the people, I took a deep breath.

„I got your message. Are you seriously doing this?” She asked.

„Yes,” I ran down the street to the fountain, and at the same time, I managed to throw over someone’s bike.

„So you believe me?” I closed my eyes for a second. I don’t know if I want to believe you.

„I will hear the truth now. I will call you tomorrow, okay?” I ended the call without giving her the time to answer back. As I passed the fountain, I started to slow down. My mind was already gone and the only thing to what I could focus to right now was the truth. It was now or never.

The small street was dark, only a one street light giving some light to her. As I was about to enter the small street, my feet immediately stopped as I heard someone’s whimper. A man screamed in pain as he landed on the wall.

Hiding behind the trash can, I looked from the corner what was happening in the street. Two men in suits walked to the man lying on the floor.

„Please forgive me. I didn’t mean to run away,” The man on the floor cried out. One of the two men grabbed the man with his one of his hands and pinned him on the wall.

„Oh, but you did. Did you really think that we would forget about you?” The man said into his face. The two men stepped into the light, and trying not to scream, I placed over my mouth.

Oh, God. That was Tyler, and beside him, Henry was standing with a cold look on his face.

„No, I didn’t Mr. Nightclaw,” The man said. Henry laughed, took a step to the man and looked him directly in the eyes. „You know who we are, what we are?” The man nodded. „And you know what is going to happen right now?” The man nodded again.

“I want to ask you, why did you make the deal in the first place? Was it worth it?” Henry asked.

„Don’t play games with him, Henry. Let’s do this so I can go to bed. I’m tired,” Tyer placed his hand on Henry’s shoulder. Turning to Tyler, Henry smirked at him. Even from here, I could saw his red eyes looking at Tyler. Anastasia was right, he wasn’t human, and I felt so stupid for not believing my best friend.

Henry and Tyler bent down, and a second later, two black beasts stood in front of the man. Their fur peach black, and the same smell of death could be smelled from a mile away, and those red eyes were looking at their next victim. But unlike Tyler’s, Henry’s left leg had a scar and didn’t have fur on it.

And the truth hit me as I whispered. „Ronny.”