“Get away from me!” Marlena managed to stand up quickly, backing off to the door, her eyes filled with terror, rage. Only this morning she relived what he had done to her, seeing him again now, just made her want to hit him, yell, scream.

He got closer, not taking her demand seriously. Not really.

Her delicate hand swung up in the air and was about to land right on his left cheek when he grabbed her wrist, tightly in mid-air, clicking his tongue.

Her skin under his palm felt so soft, delicate. He inhaled deeply before speaking “haaa Marlena, Marlena, don’t be so feisty” smiling his pleased smile “I have missed you” he said finally, his eyelids heavy with lust.

She yanked her wrist from his strong grip, breathing raggedly “if you’ll come any closer,  I’ll scream so hard, the entire security squad would be here in a matter of seconds” her eyes grew wide with anger when she spoke, sending her hand behind her back on the search for the doorknob. When she finally found it, she opened it behind her “get the hell out” the sound came from between her teeth.

 

He simply stood there, smiling, like he didn’t hear her, “ I just wanted to come by, to see if you and Roman enjoyed my little gift. You are here, on a Saturday.. I guess you have” the smirk in his voice taunted her and she felt that if he won’t leave now, she’ll start crying with rage and it was not something she wanted to do in front of him, not anymore.

Taking a deep breath in, she repeated, this time making sure every word is heard  “Stefano. Get. The. Hell.out.Of.My office and stop calling me”.

What is she talking about? He thought while getting closer to, her pulse was wild as she began to move backward when he did, finally, she couldn’t move anymore.

A puzzled expression crossed her face, the door was open, why couldn’t she move? She felt something warm against her back.

Stefano opened his mouth to speak but then,

“ you’ve heard the lady” she heard a voice coming from behind her “leave”.

She turned her head. Kit.

He crossed her, his arm’s brushing her shoulder when he did. Now he was standing between her and Stefano.

“Kit” she started “ I can handle that, thank yo-” her voice was cold but it broke a little bit at the end. She didn’t want him to make the connection in his head, to not realize that this was the man she spoke of when she was under hypnosis.

“I was just leaving” Stefano spoke in his booming voice, all the while not taking his eyes away from Marlena’s eyes. “ goodbye my dear”. He passed her, inhaling her scent one last time before he left, she closed her eyes in disgust in response.

“Are you all right?” Kit turned around to look at her, she was shivering.

 

She walked back into her office. Not saying a word. He followed, closing the door behind him, watching her. Last time he did, she was engaging the most lustful lovemaking he has ever seen, coming hard against John’s hand, the memory quivered his muscles.

She paced the room. Her mind drifted back to the moment she has opened her eyes to see Stefano standing above her.

“What, what are you doing here Kit?” asking firmly, her hand’s in her smooth golden hair, fixing it, trying to regain her composure.

“ Oh yes, I’m sorry Marlena. I came over to ask for your forgiveness.. I never meant any harm. I was just intrigued.. I shouldn’t have don’t that. I was hoping you could find it in your heart to forgive me. I’m such a big fan of your work..” he sat down on the sofa. She never invited him to stay, looking at him now, she couldn’t even make sense of what he’s talking about. Her mind was elsewhere, it was with Roman, with John, with freakin’ Stefano..this wasn’t the time.

Moving towards him, she leaned against her desk

“Kit, I am sorry. This is not a good time to do this right now.. I mean, it’s a Saturday-“ she was trying to explain what she was doing there, but then she glanced at him, confused “how did you know to find me here?” Her hair moved to the back, he watched her. She was breathtaking, her bone structure, her silky hair, hazel eyes and those lips, my god, those lips.

“ I’m on duty today. I saw your car in the parking lot when I pulled in”

She smiled. Makes sense.

“Well, I’m sorry for wasting your time, but as I said It’s not a good time right no-“ her office’s phone ringing cut her off. Without even moving, she sent her long arm back to grab the device,“ Dr. Evans” her eyes were still on him.

“Doc, hey it’s John. Are you ok?” He sounded worried. He knew.

“John, hi, yes, I’m fine”

 

Here’s this name again, John. How many times did she gasped his name to the thin air last night? Too many.

 

“One second” she placed the phone on her chest

“ Kit, thank you for stopping by. I would have to think about it”  she thought she saw something breaking inside him when she said those words. He only nodded and left the office.

“Doc” she heard his low voice coming out of phone, “John, I’m fine mmmm could you do me a small favor though? Roman won’t be at the house for the next couple of hours, could you go and mmm take the tape? I don’t want any of the kids finding it” she turned to walk toward her chair.

“Sure Baby, I’ll bring it by later tonight. You’re gonna go to the penthouse?”

She hummed as a yes.

 

It was already dark outside when she pulled the car to the townhouse parking lot. She was tired. No, working today wasn’t part of the plan but when an emergency occurred, she had to step up.

The police brought in a rape victim, the woman was hysterical, her eyes wild with abandonment. She was curled up to a small ball, didn’t want no one to aid, touch or hold her. She wanted serenity. Marlena looked at her for a second, her mind filled with horrific memories herself.

 

How could I help this poor lady when I can’t even seem to help myself? Closing her eyes, drawing a long breathe in.

 

She just sat there, listened. Let her cry, scream, talk, when at last, there was quiet.

When there was, she simply held her.

She could have shared her own tragedy, she could cry with her..at times she did shed a tear, but the need to stay professional, to stay focus on someone’s else’s problems was bigger than her own pain.

And so, she was simply there, with her.

 

Walking into the penthouse, she felt better, somehow just being able to help someone, gave her strength, the strength she needed after today.

 

She took her high heels off, looking around the apartment, it’s been a while since last time she was there. It still was so clean and homely.

Her hand found the dimmer switch and she dimmed the light a bit. On her way to the couch, she took off her jacket, remaining with a fine black skirt suit. John will be there soon, she wanted to get the tape and end the day.

The knock on the door made her smile for the very first time today.

“I’m coming” raising from the soft fabric, quickly fixing her hair.

The door opened and he was there, smiling his gorgeous smile. “Hey baby” walking in, he gave her a small peck on the cheek, brushing his fingers against it.

John looked at her, she was beautiful as always, but she looked tired. The dim lighting captured shadows in her hair, she looked so good.

“Are you all right? You look so tired Doc” his palm sent to caress her cheek.

“I’m finde John, it was a long day, I’m just tired that’s all” sending her fingers to his nap to play with his hair, on her way there, her eyes locked on the bruises on his neck.

“John, what happened? What’s with the bruises?”

“Nothing Doc, it’s fine, it’ll be fine” he evaded. It was too late to have this conversation now.

“Don’t dismiss me” her eyes still staring at his marks “please” she added.

“Roman, he was at the loft earlier today.. “

Her hand flew to cover her mouth.

He stepped backward, passing her, going to stand in front of the big window.

“He was..he accused me of letting it happen. He was angry..I can understand that I would have reacted the same” not sure why he was trying to protect Roman, maybe because he has spent so many years, being Roman.

“Oh, no... John.. it wasn’t your fault, none of it”  following him, she placed her soft hands on his forearms and turned him to her “now you listen to me, I’m not proud of what I did. I know that..but.. this was my decision, mine alone. We were desperate” whom was she trying to convince? Herself?

“It shouldn’t have happened. Dammit, I should have stopped him!” The rage was evident in his eyes.

“John” her warm palms framing his face, she just looked into his eyes “I couldn’t have let him destroy your memory, I couldn’t” her forehead leaned against his, he opened his eyes to look at her, she did the same.

He pulled her to him, wrapping his strong arms around her petite figure.

Then she remembered “John, did you bring the tape?” He almost forgot. Pulling from her embrace was the hardest thing ever, but he needed to look her in the eyes while saying that

“ I’m sorry Doc when I arrived, it wasn’t there”