Page 26 of Demetri
Seven words. All it takes is for me to hear those seven words from Demetri's mouth, to put my mind and my heart at ease. I take a shuttered breath and try to control the crack in my voice but fail. "How do you do that, Demetri? How did you know what I needed to hear?"
"You already know the answer to that question, Glory. Now, let me hear you say it."
Allowing my vulnerability to show through is no easy task. Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath. "I'm your woman, and you'll always give me what I need."
"Good girl," Demetri's smooth voice rumbles through the phone. "Now go have fun with your friends, and I'll call you tonight." Demetri and I end our call a second time only this time I feel lighter. Doing what he said, I go see my girls.
Standing at the back patio door, I stare through the glass at my best friend who is sitting on a lounge chair laughing at something Bella said. Seeing Grace full of happiness and living her best life fills my heart with so much joy. The woman in front of me doesn't look like the same woman from two years ago. Two years ago, Grace was someone who was broken down and lost. I thank God every day for bringing Jake and The Kings into her life. And with The Kings came Demetri. A shiver runs down my spine, and I smile at the memory of the first time I met him after my attack; more specifically the memory of how he used to come into my room here at the clubhouse and watch me sleep after I was released from the hospital. Some might say what he did was creepy given we didn't know each other, but for some reason, I found his presence comforting. For two years, Demetri has been my protector. He is the reason I feel safe.
"Hey, you," Grace says, sliding the door open, bringing me back to the present. "What took you so long. There's a margarita with your name on it just sitting here."
I wave my hand as I step outside. "You know how your man is. He had to lay down the rules."
"He's just looking out for you." Grace's voice softens.
I pull my friend in for a hug. "I know he is. I'm trying to make light of the situation is all."
"Yeah, I know." Grace pokes me in the ribs. "Always a pain in the ass."
"I do try," I affirm, causing Grace and the rest of the women to giggle. Picking up a glass filled with frozen margarita off the table in front of me, I take a sip and moan. "I see you all left Bella in charge of the alcohol," I say smacking my lips. "Girl, you know how to do it right." I take a seat in a chair next to Grace and peer around my circle of friends. Grace, Bella, Alba, Mila, Emerson, and Sofia. "I sure do miss you bitches."
They all smile. "We miss you too, Glory," Bella replies.
Over the next several hours, the seven of us consume a copious amount of alcohol along with the tacos Bella made. Day has quickly turned into night, but us ladies are no closer to winding down. Jake came out thirty minutes ago to start a fire but quickly retreated back inside when our conversation turned to sex and the mention of Quinn's cock piercing. He muttered something about not needing to hear about his brother's dick and how us women are worse than men before he high tailed his butt into the clubhouse. It's true. Us women are worse than men when talking about sex.
"Okay, Glory. It's time to give us all the juicy details," Emerson jumps in. "You were very vague the last time you were here."
"Um, I can do without the details," Bella fake shutters. "Demetri is my father-in-law, so it's kind of weird."
"Well, you'll just have to plug your ears, because the rest of us want to know." This is coming from Mila. "I've heard it's the silent men who are all dominating and wild in bed." Mila turns to Alba and waggles her eyebrows. "Am I right, Alba?" Alba blushes with embarrassment and tries to hide her face. Alba is the soft-spoken, shy one of the bunch and married to Gabriel.
Taking a sip of my drink, I cock my head to the side and try to come up with the best words to describe Demetri. "Demetri is…" I pause. "He's intense."
"Intense?" Grace scoffs. "That's all we're going to get. He's intense?"
"And perfect. Demetri is perfect for me in every way. He is caring yet dominating. He pushes me out of my comfort zone because he knows that's what I need. He forces me to bare myself to him and show all the ugly hiding behind the facade. He loves me unconditionally and comforts me even when I didn't know he was doing it. And most of all, he makes me feel safe. With Demetri, I can be myself. With him, there is no hiding. With him, I am free.Thatis the kind of man Demetri is."
By the time I finished my spiel, I have six sets of eyes staring at me. Grace is the first to speak. "Do you feel like you can't be yourself with us; with me?" her voice sounds hurt.
I set my glass down on the table and turn to my best friend. "I wanted to," I tell her honestly. "I wanted to come to you so many times in the past couple of years and tell you the truth, but I couldn't. You're finally happy. You have the life you deserve, Grace. I knew that if I told you the truth, you would have blamed yourself." I shake my head. "If anyone in this world deserves to be happy, it's you. There is no way I was going to take that away. Not after the hell you endured." I try to choke back my tears but fail.
Grace lets her tears fall as she looks at me with confusion. "What truth, Glory? What have you been keeping from me?"
It's in this moment I know, I can no longer keep my secret. The secret I have only shared with Demetri — the nightmare that has haunted my dreams for two years. "Ronan," I choke out through my tears.
"Ronan, what? What happened, Glory?"
"The day he found me. The day he came looking for you and found me." I take a deep breath as I try to muster the courage to say these next words. "He didn't just beat me."
"Glory, no," Grace cries and covers her mouth with her hand.
"Ronan raped me, Grace." Collective gasps come from the other women, but I keep my focus on Grace.
"Oh, God. What have I done?" Grace covers her face with her hands and begins to rock back and forth in her chair. She is doing what I knew she would; she is blaming herself.
I'm about to go to her when Grace springs from her seat and drops to her knees in front of me. "I understand now. I understand why you didn't want to stay here. If you had stayed, then looking at me would be a constant reminder of what he did to you. I'm sorry, Glory," she sobs. "I'm sorry I made you sacrifice so much for me. If it hadn't been for me, that monster would have never put his hands on you."
I slide out of my chair and to the ground in front of the woman who has been like a sister to me for more years than I can count and take her hands in mine. "I helped you and Remi because I love you and I know you would have done the same for me. Ronan raping me was not your fault. It's not my fault either. I was wrong for keeping something like that from you, but I don't regret doing it. I meant it when I said you didn't deserve to carry the burden of my rape, Grace. Me telling you now is not for you, it's for me. Demetri has taught me it is time for me to stop hiding. It is time to show my truth. And he was right. For the first time in two years, I feel lighter. I feel like a weight has been lifted. I no longer feel chained down by what Ronan did to me." I pause for a second to allow my words to sink in before I speak again. "I don't want your guilt. I only want my best friend. I want your support and to know I no longer have to be afraid to confide in you."
