Stella’s P. O. V.
“Can we have the same sandwich we had last time, please?” I ask as he opens my door and I step out.
“No.” He denies it, shutting the door close.
I look at him in shock. “Why?”
He lets out a laugh, tapping my nose. “I was just kidding, Stella. Of course, we can have that sandwich. Today, whatever you want, we’ll do. It’s your day, my love.”
“Who could’ve thought that the Mr Grumpy would get so sweet one day.” I pull his cheeks, causing him to chuckle.
“Now I’m yours Mr NMG.” He leans in and pecks on my cheek, making me grin.
Then we head inside and eat sandwiches from the stall. My birthday is already going so amazingly. First, I woke up to my room decorated with so many gifts-it felt like a dream. And now, these delicious sandwiches! Wow!
As we finish our sandwiches, Alex takes my hand and guides me towards the ice rink. When we enter, I notice something unusual-the entire rink is completely empty. My face falls as I glance around, thinking that the rink might be closed.
It means no Ice skating today. I was so excited.
“Oh no,” I pout, “I think your plan flopped, Alex. It looks like the rink is closed for today.”
He laughs, shaking his head. “It’s not that.” Brushing a strand of hair from my face, he tells me, “I reserved the whole rink just for us. Today you can learn without the audience. Fall as much as you want, and no one will be here to watch.”
My eyes widen in amazement. “You’re unbelievable, you know that?”
He grins and shrugs, his eyes sparkling with a mix of pride and affection. “Only for you.”
As we get ready, pulling on skates and jackets, I feel an overwhelming warmth in my chest. Just knowing he’d go to such great lengths for me makes me feel so… special.
Like the first time, as he laces up my skates, kneeling before me, I glance at him nervously. “Alex, I don’t want to fall this time.”
He stands up and holds out his hand to me. As I take it and stand up, he reassures me, giving my hand a gentle squeeze. “It’s okay, I’m here for you.”
I just smile at him. This man makes me fall for him more with every passing second.
We step onto the ice, my legs wobbling just a little as I find my balance. I grip Alex’s hand, and slowly, I take my first glide. With him beside me, the fear of falling fades, and I’m able to just focus on the fun of it. I can feel the cool air brushing against my cheeks and the sound of our skates scraping across the ice.
Soon, we’re gliding side by side, laughing. He holds me steady whenever I stumble, and it’s so easy to laugh at my missteps because he’s right there to catch me. At one point, he spins me around, and I let out a surprised squeal, gripping him tighter.
“You’re actually getting pretty good at this,” he teases, his eyes glinting with pride.
“Oh, please,” I laugh, rolling my eyes. “It’s all you keeping me upright.”
But truthfully, it doesn’t matter if I’m good or not. Right now, I feel like I’m floating, like nothing else matters. And as we skate hand-in-hand across the empty rink, I know this is a moment I’ll cherish forever.
As we continue skating, laughing and stumbling together, suddenly, Alex yanks me closer by slipping his hands into my jeans pockets, causing my eyes to widen. I forget everything as his lips capture mine in a deep kiss. I respond to him with equal intensity, encircling my arms around his neck and clutching his hair. God, my body burns with desire every time our lips meet.
When we finally break apart, he’s grinning, his face inches from mine. His breath brushes against my lips as he whispers, “You know, last time, I was controlling my urge to do this with you.”
My cheeks flush, and he chuckles, pulling me even closer by squeezing my buttocks from inside the pockets. “But now, you’re mine,” he murmurs with a smirk. “I don’t have to hold back anymore.”
Without warning, he lets out a gleeful laugh, scoops me up in his arms, and begins to skate, gliding effortlessly across the ice.
“You’re crazy!” I laugh, clutching him as he spins us around. I gaze up at him, captivated by the sparkle of joy in his eyes, which shines brightly through his smile. It’s a blessing to see him so happy.
I pray he remains happy like this always.
“You drive me crazy, Flower.” He leans in, and his lips meet mine once more. I feel myself melt into him.
After a while, we collapse onto the ice, lying beside each other, our breaths mingling in the chilly air. I turn my head, and his gaze is already fixed on me, his eyes filled with profound love.
In that moment, there’s no need for words. There is complete silence between us, except for the steady rhythm of our breaths. Our hands find each other, fingers lacing together, and we lie there, completely lost in each other’s eyes.
***
“You stay here. I’ll be just right back. I have to pick up a few things.” I say when he stops the car in front of our house.
He pulls me closer by grabbing the back of my neck before kissing me hard. The sudden, rough kiss sends a shiver through my body, and I kiss him back, running my fingers through his hair.
When he breaks the kiss, he whispers against my lips as I pant, catching my breath. “Don’t take too long to come back, because I can’t wait to be inside you.”
“I won’t,” I respond, gently pushing him away before he does anything else that might lead us to something wild right here in the car like yesterday.
I step out and head inside, throwing one last glance over my shoulder at him before entering the house.
As I reach my room, I hurriedly gather everything I need and stuff it into my handbag. I’m so excited to see his reaction when I’ll confess my love. He’ll get so happy.
When I step out of the room, holding the bag, a sudden scream echoes from downstairs.
I freeze and my blood runs cold as I recognise the voice-it’s my mother’s.
My heart pounds as I rush down the hallway, following the sounds that grow louder with every step. I stop in front of her room and find the door slightly ajar. As I peek inside, my eyes widen in horror and the bag slips from my hand to the floor.
There, on the bed, my mother is bound, her wrists and ankles tied as she struggles against the ropes. My stepfather stands in front of her, striking her with his belt as she sobs and begs him to stop, but he ignores her pleas.
Tears slip down my cheeks as I watch her in so much pain. Memories of the past start flooding back to me-the way my biological father used to beat her and me.
I never thought that mom would be going through that nightmare again.
Why does my mother always have to suffer? Why does she only find pain in her marriages? Why did she marry him? Why did she never tell me?
However, this time, I won’t let it continue. I’ll save her from this monster.
I won’t let anybody hurt my mom any longer.
I pick up the heavy vase from the table just outside the door. My heart races as I tighten my grip around it. I won’t fall weak this time. I step into the room, my footsteps masked by the sound of my mother’s muffled cries.
“Yeah, cry more-” he sneers, muttering something filthy, but I don’t let him finish. I swing the vase down onto his head with all my strength. It shatters into countless pieces, and blood begins to trickle down his face as he screams in pain, clutching his head.
He turns around, eyes blazing, to see who dared to strike him. Before he can grab me, I shove his already weakened body hard to the side. He stumbles backwards, crashing on the glass table behind him, which shatters under his weight. Glass digs into his skin, and blood begins to seep from multiple cuts across his body.
I don’t feel any regret-not even a shred of pity. Instead, a deep sense of satisfaction settles over me. This monster finally got what he deserved.
I wipe the tears from my face with the back of my hand, glaring at his bloodied form. “I won’t let you hurt my mother anymore.”
I turn back to look at mom, and she’s staring at me with deep pain and vulnerability in her eyes. She quickly looks away, but I rush over to her. As I undo the ropes around her wrists and ankles as fast as I can, tears constantly trickle down my cheeks.
I grab a blanket and cover her almost naked body before pulling her into my arms. As she begins to sob, her body trembles, and hearing her cries, I can’t stop myself from crying with her.
Why did she keep this from me? Why didn’t she tell me that Mr. Blackwood is a monster? If I had known, I would never have let her suffer like this.
“You’re safe now, Mom. I won’t let him hurt you anymore,” I reassure her, crying, my whole body shaking with shock and pain from seeing her in so much agony.