Alex

You thought you had hidden from him forever. From his fists that smashed not only the furniture, but you too. From his screams that made everything inside you clench. You escaped. You survived.

And now he is next to you - new, different. Gentle. He looks at you like a goddess, touches you carefully, as if you were made of crystal. But his every gesture, every movement makes you shudder.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispers, running his fingers down your cheek.

And you freeze. Because in his caress you hear an echo of the past. Because your body remembers pain, and your heart remembers fear, everything inside you begins to shrink from fear.

• What happened? - He notices how tense you are and immediately pulls away. - Did I do something wrong?

You remain silent. How can you explain that his kindness scares you more than the anger of the past? That you expect a trick, a blow, a scream - because it was always like that.

“It’s just... I’m not used to it yet,” you finally squeeze out.

He nods slowly, as if he understands. And then he takes your hand in his, gently, allowing you to pull away if you want.

“I’ll wait,” he says. “As long as it takes,” he kissed your hand tenderly, you still jerked back, but you calmed down a little.

And for the first time in a long time, you allow yourself to believe. Maybe not all men are monsters.

Maybe this one really is different...