Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ School of Love ❯ Chapter Forty Three ( Chapter 43 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

"Yes. I figured that there was more to this than she was letting on. I just hope that she is able to let us help rather than bottling it all up."

Rio sighed. "She will let Gabe in...but not me and you," he said as he wiped down the counter. "She's already cried in his arms."

"It's only because we've grown up together. She feels safer with me than with anyone else."

"That's fine. Just as long as she opens up to someone about this." He wasn't about to play favorites or worry about who she was crying with. She'd been through something traumatizing. Even more so for someone like her who is always accustomed to being in control.

Leia walked in a few seconds later and slid back on the counter. Rio slid some more goodies to her as she turned on the kitchen TV. As soon as it was on, Vince's name popped up on the screen. Leia dropped her plate as she jumped and Gabe grabbed her hand while Rio got to work on the mess. Vince was talking to reporters while he was in a hospital bed about being attacked. He said no names and gave no description, however, he did say that it was in the honor of some young beauty in which his heart belongs to. Leia's jaw tightened as he said that he would one day find his way back to the young girl as soon as he was able.

Leia threw the remote at the TV, watching both the screen and remote shatter. Getting off the counter she started to her room.

"Leia..." Gabe said going after her.

"Just leave me the hell alone!" she yelled as she rushed up the stairs. Of course, Gabe still went after her.

"Should have hit him harder," Patrick muttered. Taking another sip of his drink, he followed Gabe and Leia. Whether she wanted company or not, she was going to get it.

Leia slammed her room door only to have it hit Gabe in the face. Rubbing his nose, Gabe opened the door as Leia sat on her bed. She was red in the face from anger and frustration. She didn't even look up at Gabe sat beside her.

"Want to talk about it?" Gabe asked.

"No."

"Want to cry?"

"Yes."

He looked at her but no tears came. "Are you going to cry?"

"No."

"He's playing the sympathy card to the press, but he won't get anywhere near you," Patrick promised, easing himself past the door as he stared into the angry glaring eyes of Leia.

She looked over at him. "You really need to learn to knock." It's not that she was mad at him, she just needed to let some steam off.

"I apologize for my intrusion," he said, his voice soft and his face showing no sign of hurt from her words. "Next time I will make certain to do as such." Anger was good. At least it was an appropriate reaction.

"Yes well, it is my room and I should at least have some say as to who comes in and out," she said harshly. Gabe stroked her hair but she slapped his hand away. "Stop it. I'm not a child."

"You said that I never needed to ask permission to come in," he said softly.

She crossed her arms. "Well I changed my mind. For now on, this is my room and my space and this is my house with my rules. I pay the bills so I should get a say." She laid back on her bed. "Now just leave me alone."

Gabe stood and walked over to Patrick. Slowly he pulled him out and shut the door. "She's not mad at you. She's just...mad. I'm thinking she's going on a control struggle with herself so she doesn't feel so powerless. We just have to work with her until it passes."

"Don't worry. I'm not upset...just worried. She's always been a bit of a control freak. Not so much in the way she acts; but just that she's accustomed to getting what she wants and being in control. Now she's tasted what it feels like to be completely helpless."

"Leia has been helpless most of her life. Which is why she is a control freak. She's helpless against her father which is why she spent all this money getting her own place. It's the only way to assure that she will be out of her father's reach, but now...with the rape...I'm afraid she will take the control to another level..." Gabe whispered.

Leia swung opened the door. "If you are going to talk about me, do it somewhere else damn it!" she yelled and slammed the door. Gabe sighed.

"Right. Perhaps we should have thought that over more carefully." He winded as the door slammed. Nodding to the hall, they started down it, Patrick cast glances back to the closed door wondering if it was the wisest of things to do to leave her there all by herself. "I've only known one person that was raped before, and it didn't end well for her...."

"So I've heard..." Gabe said.

Patrick's eyes traveled to Gabe. "I see. I didn't realize she had told you about my past as well."

"She didn't. Rio looked you up when Leia decided to leave with you."

He wasn't certain which he was more surprised about, the fact that Leia hadn't told him or the fact that Rio had gone through the trouble. Either way, he chuckled softly. "Of course he did."

The next day, Leia came out of her room. Rio and Gabe were staring out the window at the large trucks and workers parked outside. As she came down stairs, they tried to talk to her asking her what was going on, but she ignored them. Once again, she had dropped out of school so she had time on her hands. As she ignored the boys, she walked outside to the workers. The boss walked up to her with blue prints and she looked them over.

"This is perfect. It's exactly what I want. Get started," she said as the men started unloading bricks.

Gabe placed his hand on her shoulder and she pushed it off her. "Leia...are you adding to the house?"

"No, I'm adding a very larger, very strong fence. Nothing but bricks and metal. I'm about to make Samuel rich as hell."

Patrick nodded on the phone. "I'll see. You know I'll have to talk to Leia about it." After another few moments, he went outside to Leia. "Samuel just called. He needs helps with some project. Do you know..." He stopped when he saw all the material. "Oh. I see."

Leia snapped her head to him. "Are you saying you are going to work for him again?"

"Not entirely. It would just be for this project here. I wouldn't even have to go over to his house unless he needs me to."

That would mean she would have to play nice to Lilith. Her mother worked during the day and since school was out for winter break, Lilith would be over watching her father work and flirting with the workers. Leia groaned. "I need a caterer," she mumbled and started back in the house. There was no way in hell she would let Lilith say anything about her house or her servants. Lilith didn't have servants, but she always seemed to figure out a way to make it seem like she was superior to Leia. She criticized the food if it was too cold or the house if it was too warm. Everything would have to be perfect.

"No you don't. Rio and I can cook. Between the two of us we should be able to handle just about everything." He didn't want her worrying anymore than she had to. She was already on edge without having to deal with Lilith.

"No offense, but you will be cooking for all of the men here. You can't be the cook and the blacksmith, Mr. McClain," she said. She listened to the person talking on the phone. "No, I want a full time chief to work with the one that I already have employed."

Rio shifted next to Gabe. "Leia...can Gabe or I help with anything?"

"Duh, you'll be head chief and Gabe is in charge of helping me entertain the whore that's coming over." Rio's eyes widened at her words. "Well...go!" Nodding he rushed to the kitchen. Leia closed her phone. About that time, Samuel pulled out with Lilith. Leia stiffened as she watched Lilith's eyes lock on Patrick's.

Lilith smiled and calmly walked toward them. As soon as she got close enough she wrapped her arms around Patrick, nuzzling his neck and taking in his scent. "I've missed you!"

Patrick shifted out of her grasp awkwardly patting her on the back. "Yes, it has been awhile." He nodded to Samuel who was already getting out the tools. "Let me help you with that."

Lilith pouted as Patrick walked away, her eyes watching his rear end with a smug grin.

Leia's hands fisted and Gabe took her hand quickly. She loosened slightly, suppressing the urge to claw Lilith's eyes out. "How nice of you to come, Lilith. I hope you brought a swim suit for the indoor pool and jacuzzi."

Gabe patted her hand and slowly she pulled her hand from his.

"Of course," Lilith smiled. "Patrick, will you be joining us in the pool?"

"I'll be pretty busy with this." Though he didn't exactly want to admit, he wouldn't mind seeing Leia in a swimsuit right about now. Even though it was still cold, he was already working up a sweat carrying the large tools and supplies between the places. This would take at least three to four days of straight work to finish.

"He's my employee, not your toy, Lilith. Remember that. If he wants to keep his job, he will know his place," Leia said sharply then started inside. "Gabe?" Gabe was right on her heels.

Patrick looked back at her when she said this. He was her employee? When did that happen? She could have said that he was her boyfriend, but instead she chose employee; and that he'd be fired if he didn't do the work. He huffed, trying to shrug it off so that he could get back to work.

"I'd like him to be my toy," Lilith smirked, turning and following Leia inside.

Leia turned around and slapped Lilith watching her red curls fly across her face. Gabe was shocked. "Leia!" Grabbing Leia's hand, he kept her from striking Lilith again.

"You are on my land, and in my house. He is my boyfriend and you know that! Remember your place in this world, Lilith. There is first those with money and then there are blacksmith daughters. Don't ever forget that I could crush you and your family with the snap of my finger," she said bitterly and harshly like she was talking down to a servant.

Never before had Gabe ever seen such anger in Leia's eyes and never had he seen her hit someone just for saying something.

"Leia!" Samuel said in shock when he heard what she'd just said. Dropping his tools, he walked over to them, wrapping his arms protectively around his girl. "I think that it might be best if we wait. Perhaps ye should have someone else build your fence for you."

Lilith pushed from her father, shaking her head. "No dad. We need the money. After all, a poor blacksmith family needs all the help they can get."

Leia's eyes hardened. Gabe knew that look...it was a challenge. "Get out of my house," she said darkly.

"Leia...maybe some water-"

"Shut up, Gabe! God damn it! Why the hell is it so hard for people to just stay in their place!?" Gabe started speaking Russian to her, pleading for her to calm down and relax, that no one was trying to walk over her. Leia spoke back to him in Italian telling him to get them out of her house or she would throw them out. She snapped her head to Lilith. "There are many things in this world that isn't fair, Lilith. There are many people who will do things to you just to watch you crumble. And I'm warning you, if you so much as look at Mr. McClain with those eyes again, I will do everything in my power to ruin you." She glanced at Samuel for a moment. "And of all people...I thought you would be on my side. But instead...knowing that there are very little people I cherish in my life...you let your daughter fuck the one person in this world who I love! Burn in hell!"

Pulling harshly from Gabe and pushing him back, she threw her things and the ground and started up the stairs. In her rush, she bumped the table that held her mother's vase. It tipped over and Leia watched it shatter on the ground. Slowly, she picked up one of the many pieces. First tears clouded her eyes, then anger. Throwing the piece towards Lilith, she ran upstairs just as Gabe caught the glass only inches from Lilith's face.

"Go home," Patrick urged. "I'll call you later." He guided them back to their car, talking privately to Samuel in Irish. Once they had finished, he took the tools and kept them while Samuel drove off. He walked to the first set, not saying a word as he started to take care and build the fence. Even without Samuel's help, Leia was going to have her fence.

"Take care of her," he said, nodding to the boys. "Make certain she's okay."

Rio and Gabe nodded, rushing upstairs. They opened the door finding Leia on the sitting on her knees on the floor cradling herself. "It's gone...it's all gone...."

Gabe walked up to her as she cried, her tears making puddles on the ground. In his hand was the piece of glass from Leia's mother's vase. He opened his hand and she grabbed the piece of glass balling even harder. "Why is nothing right?" He pulled her to him while Rio rubbed her back.

Patrick's mind was spinning. That was saying a lot considering everything that had happened. He kept working, trying to think of how to make this right. He had an idea. It was a stretch, but it was all that he could do for her. Taking off his shirt, he wiped his sweat off his brow while putting the bricks up brick by brick. He had a plan, but for now he wanted her to feel safe. The fence was the easiest and first step.

Rio handed Leia some hot chocolate to sooth her. It was after dinner and she was calm but she hadn't said a thing about hitting Lilith or about breaking the vase. She sat on her couch in her room with Gabe and Rio close by.

"Thanks," she said softly as she sipped on the hot chocolate.

Rio nodded. Slowly, he pushed her hair from her face but she moved from his touch. He tried not to sigh. "You ok now?"

She nodded. Gabe pulled more blanket on her. "Whenever you want to talk..." She nodded again then took another sip.

By the time Patrick had finished a quarter of the wall, he was shivering from the cold air hitting his flesh. His hands were nicked here and there from the bricks and cement. He'd been working relentlessly, not bothering with breaks so that he could still finish the wall on time. By the time he was through it would be a fortress.