To Love Again

I looked like a complete and utter idiot. I just stood there and stared at him. Hello? What the hell was I doing? I still did not know if it was the shock of seeing him or the fact that he was so unbelievably gorgeous. I did have to get that thought out of my head but a girl could look.

"Oh my God! It's the new guy." Jodie whispered in my ear. Did he just smile? He must have been thinking something funny because there was no way he could have heard her.

I glanced at her quickly interrupting our staring contest, confirming I had already established that point.

"Eleni, right?" Doctor Cullen interrupted.

"Yeah and this is Jodie." I pointed to Jodie, still sounding like I was in a daze.

"Unusual name you have. Come, take a seat over here for me." I walked slowly to the examination bed in the center of the room. I tried my best not to scream as I pulled my weak limbs onto the leather.

Edwards hadn't moved an inch. If I didn't know any better I'd say he wasn't breathing. Maybe he just didn't like me.

"So why is it exactly you are here?" Doctor Cullen asked, pulling over a seat in front of me.

"Because her boyfriend is a pig and thinks she is a punching bag." Jodie blurted, after taking a seat in the corner of the room. I threw my biggest death glare in her direction.

I swallowed hard. "I have a mouth." I pointed. "Sorry, Jodie is pretending to be my mother tonight." I said looking back to the doctor.

He smiled weakly but obviously still worried to what she had just said.

"Where exactly are you hurt, Eleni?" His whole face was drenched in concern.

"My stomach is bruised, maybe my back." I said softly, lowering my head to the ground.

"Ok, I need to ask you a few more questions but before I do I need to have a look at you." Oh great. The new guy was standing two feet away and just learned that I was an idiot who couldn't stand up for herself. My eye's traveled to Edward who was staring at me with so much intensity I thought the space between us was going to explode.

"Eleni, would you like me to leave?" He asked softly, still staring at me. It scared me that when he said my name every inch of me tingled.

"Ah," I opened my mouth but I couldn't say no to him. Something about the way he looked at me made me feel safe. "No, it's ok." I breathed and he smiled gently but enough to send me the encouragement I needed. NO! He wasn't here for me, he was here for himself, so he could get into college. Snap out of it, Eleni.

"Ok if you could just lye back?" Doctor Cullen stood up and patted the top of the bed. I winced as my stiff and sore muscles stretched. I closed my eye's as he lifted my t-shirt to just under my bra.

"Oh my God." Doctor Cullen took a deep breath.

"Eleni, look what he has done to you." That was Jodie, sounding closer than before. I still hadn't opened my eye's and I didn't want to.

I knew what it looked like. Blue and purple map like bruises painted onto my skin.

I gasped and screamed as Doctor Cullen pressed two fingers right into my ribs. But then - my screams suddenly stopped as ice cold fingers laced in between mine.

"Ssh, it's ok." Edward said, soothing me with his gentle touch. I opened my eye's only to see him stare straight back down at me. I couldn't breath. I watched him swallow hard as his own breathing began return to its natural pace. His other hand was clinched in a tight fist.

I couldn't make a sound after that. Doctor Cullen continued to exam me but I couldn't scream. The pain was excruciating but that didn't stop me from feeling his touch and breathing in everything about him.

"You are going to be ok." He assured me. Even though I knew deep down his words were not only lies but were part of his job to tell me that, it still did not stop my heart fluttering when he looked at me or make my breathing stop when he rubbed his thumb against my hand.

"I am going to send you for an x-ray for your ribs to be safe. I think they are just bruised but I still want to be sure." Doctor Cullen smiled, then, he turned to face Jodie. "Jodie would you mind if I spoke to you outside for a moment?" She nodded, still staring at me in disbelief. She was really going to kill Joe next time she saw him. "Edward will be able to ask you a few questions about the injuries and what you can do for them."

As they left I pulled my t-shirt down and sat up. His firm but yet gentle grip was around my shoulders helping me. I smiled gratefully as I swung my legs over the side of the bed. He stood there for a moment and just stared at me. I had to remind myself to breathe, I had never seen anyone so beautiful in all my life. His girlfriend must be a model because there was no way that man was single.

"Why don't you walk?" He asked, keeping his gaze. I knew what he meant. Why wasn't I running for my life?

"Not fair on everyone else if I do." I answered honestly. His gaze became deeper, as if he was trying to study my face for something. "Let's just say Joe isn't the type that lets go of things without a fight." I continued.

His eye's narrowed in confusion.

"I tried to walk away but then he started hurting the people I love the most and it just wasn't worth it. I would prefer for him to hurt me than to hurt the most important people in my life just to get to me. Works out easier and safer for everyone."

"Apart from you." He added.

I inhaled deeply. "Yeah, apart from me."

"Do you love him?"

I was a bit taken back by that question. Nobody had ever asked me that before not even myself. "I did." I answered. Why did I feel like I had to tell him this? "Now? No because if he loved me he wouldn't show me the way he does. I know you are thinking that I am a complete nut case for staying with him but I don't think I could live with myself if a person I loved got hurt because of me." And for the first time, he looked like he understood what I was saying. His face suddenly flooded with remorse.

"I know exactly what you mean. I just don't get how anybody could hurt someone so beautiful." He said softly, it was almost a whisper. My heart started doing double flips in my chest as my breath suddenly became heavier escaping my through mouth. His eye's lowered to my lips. Whoa, bad sign, bad sign!

"I thought you were suppose to ask me questions about my injuries." I whispered, lost in his gaze. I couldn't think of anything else. I was trying to get out of looking at him for much longer in fear I might collapse and that was the only thing I could think of to distract him.

"So did I." He agreed, so quiet I could just about hear him. My distraction techniques were not working.

"All set?" I jumped as Jodie's high pitched voice filled the small room. I turned around and nodded. I closed my eye's and took three deep in my best attempts to get my breathing back to normal. They opened to the sound of a soft chuckle.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"Nothing." He laughed again. I could feel my lips curving up into a smile. I bit down on my lip - a habit I have when I am confused or trying to figure something out.

"Well, stop laughing then, people will think your crazy. Not a good sign when you start laughing at nothing" I pointed out and smiled.

"Too late I have already gone crazy."

"Great. I am in a room with a crazy man. And I thought my worries had calmed down slightly." I said sarcastically.

"Oh believe me your worries have only just begun." He said sounding somewhat serious.

"Eleni, there is an x-ray room ready for you just down the corridor." Doctor Cullen interrupted. I smiled and slipped my body off of the bed.

"See you tomorrow, Eleni." Edward said softly just before I left.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow." I agreed.

And for once, I started to look forward to tomorrow.