Rebeka – 14. chapter

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And then everything started happening too fast, one thing after another. Rebeka cried, and Erik couldn’t think of anything better than pouring her vodka. She kept crying until the phone finally rang, and Erik drove her to the hospital.

The blond guy whose features looked so much like Rebeka’s that it was impossible to miss was clearly fine. Erik exhaled in relief and expected Rebeka to throw her arms around him happily. Instead, without hesitation, she slapped him twice and properly tore into him. What shocked Erik quite a bit was that the man, obviously older than Rebeka, didn’t defend himself at all. He watched as she stopped hitting her brother and, probably from sheer relief, started crying a little again. The tall guy wrapped his arms around her and whispered apologies.

Robo, as the guy introduced himself with a firm handshake, showed a remarkable lack of judgment already in Erik’s car by inviting Rebeka for a drink, arguing with the funny excuse that he “wasn’t the driver anymore.” He narrowly escaped a slap.

“Man, I don’t know who you are,” Robo said at the bar when his sister ran off from the table, “but since Rebeka hasn’t eaten you alive yet and allowed you to be here… well, if you want her, you’re off to a good start.” He tossed back another shot.

“You have no idea how tightly your sister has me in her grip,” Erik admitted, embarrassed.

“That doesn’t surprise me,” Robo laughed.

Erik recalled Rebeka’s slaps, which he had just witnessed, and said hesitantly, “I think… I might actually want her to punish me for making her scared for me.”

Robo smiled like they were kindred spirits and clapped him on the shoulder.

“Buddy, you’re in deep!”

As soon as Rebeka woke up in Erik’s apartment and remembered how she’d ended up there, he appeared in the doorway with a mug in his hand.

“Good morning. Coffee?”

“Mm-hmm,” she nodded and sat up. The blanket slipped, revealing her bare breasts. Erik inhaled sharply but said nothing. Rebeka grabbed the blanket and covered herself.

“Your clothes are still in the dryer,” Erik said.

She remembered the drink that had spilled on her the night before. And how she’d undressed down to her underwear at Erik’s place. How she’d slowly, provocatively taken that off too, right in front of him. She remembered his lustful stare, his shallow, rapid breathing. His clenched fists and half-closed eyes when she confirmed what he had thought already. That he wasn’t allowed to touch her.

“Yes, I know,” she said, slightly embarrassed. She cleared her throat.

“I’m sorry.”

He smiled indulgently.

“It’s okay. You drank a lot. Do you feel sick?”

His voice was gentle, caring.

“A little,” she nodded with a frown and reached for the coffee.

“I’ll make you breakfast. That’ll help.” He stood up, smiled, and before leaving the room, placed one of his T-shirts on the bed.

Left alone, finishing her coffee, she realized nothing could have reproached her more for how she’d treated him than the way he was behaving now. Gentle. Caring. Ready to help. He’d been like that yesterday too. She tried to push the guilt aside, pulled on the T-shirt, and went to join him in the kitchen. When he saw her half dressed, he swallowed and couldn’t tear his gaze away.

“Erik,” she felt the need to be at least a little kind to him. “I’ll grant you any sexual wish you have. Just not today, please.”

He looked up at her in surprise.

“Rebeka, you don’t have to do this. You don’t owe me anything.”

“But I want to,” she said softly. “You helped me a lot yesterday.”

He nodded gently and set the plates on the table.