Four or Dead by G O A

Four or Dead

I look at him and...holy fuck. He is...lickable and fuckable. Did I just think that? I need a cold shower. Several cold showers. "No need to worry about me."

"I don't mind," he insists

"What about your wife?" I retort

He shows me his left ring finger. "I don't have one...but I hope that will change soon."

"So you have a girlfriend then?"

"That is why I came here," he says. "I heard that beautiful women live

eres "Good luck finding one." "T already did."

He is definitely not referring to me. I shrug and continue walking. I should have brought my bike so I would not have to deal with unwanted male attention

The man follows me. "You are stubborn," he huffs

"No, I am Sofia." Not entirely a lie, as this is the name I now use. It

wasn't my intention to tell him my name, but it's been a while since I have spoken to a man for more than two sentences. I mostly spend my time at home

He laughs. "I am Max."

"Well, Max, have fun in La Palma." I try to walk faster, and Max does the same. "Why are you following me?"

"T want to be sure you get home safely." "The island is very safe." "You never know," he keeps arguing

Using his logic against him, I say, "How can I be sure you won't hurt

me?" "Only cowards would harm a woman." "And what are you?"

"The one that wants to see all the cowards suffer. Will you let me carry your backpack now?"

I sigh, remove my backpack, and give it to him. "Do you like beef stew?"

What prompted me to ask that? Stupid, Angel, stupid. You know nothing about this person. He could be lying to me and be married

"Are you inviting me to lunch?"

"Are you really single?"

"T don't have a habit of telling lies to beautiful women." "What about ugly ones?"

Max thinks for a moment before saying, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

"That is bullshit, and you know it." "Women are not ugly, they are only not loved." I narrow my eyes. "What do you mean by that?"

"That men are stupid and don't see the worth of women. With patience and love, any stone can become a diamond."

I snort. "I don't think you are patient." Max chuckles. "I am not, but I love fiercely." Iam single, he is single. What can go wrong? I should not do this

We walk in silence until my house comes into sight. "I don't like eating alone. But I have to warn you, I am a terrible chef."

"How about I help you?"

I smile. "I would love that."

"You should smile more, it suits you."

"T haven't had a lot of reasons to smile in my life."

We reach my house and stop in front of the door. "Not even a man?"

"There was one, but he doesn't want me anymore." Three of them actually, but I don't say that out loud, not wanting to open a can of

worms

Max gently strokes my hair. It grew enough to have it pixie-styled. "He is a fool. If you were mine..." he murmurs

Why am I enjoying this conversation so much? "If I were yours?" I want to know

"T would not be a fool."

My breath catches in my throat. "We are strangers." "T want to know you. The real you."

A shiver runs down my spine. "I don't think I can." "Why?"

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"Tam scared."

"Trust me." My head starts to spin. "This is going too fast."

"We can take things slow. We start with lunch and see where it takes

us

"Tt's still early for lunch."

"Do you want me to return later?" "Yes. No." I sigh. "I don't know."

He chuckles softly. "How about we leave the backpack inside, and you show me around here?"

"This is a bad idea." "Why? We are two consenting adults."

But are we really? "How do I know you aren't lying? Men always do that and break women's hearts and kick them out of their homes."

"Men that do that are not worthy of being loved. They are worms that only deserve to die alone."

He sounds angry

"My heart was broken, my soul shattered," I say and unlock the door

I enter and Max follows me down the hallway. The house is not very big

It has only one bedroom, a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom, but for the past two months, it has been more than enough for me. But now, it feels so tiny. And there is this weird tension between Max and me, and I don't know what to make of it

I stop in front of the table in my small kitchen. Max stops behind me, his warm breath fanning the back of my neck, and puts the backpack on the table

"Do you want me to kill the one that hurt someone as precious as you?" Max offers

I shake my head. "I am not precious."

His hands grab my shoulders and turn me around. "Don't you ever doubt it. When I saw you walking on the streets of this beautiful village, a smile on your gorgeous face, I knew you were the one I had been looking for."

"You weren't looking specifically for me but for a new fling." He cups my cheek, making my heart race. "You are not a fling." I quirk an eyebrow. "And what am I?"

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He takes a step back and scrutinizes me from head to toe. The corners of his mouth twitch, and I feel he is mocking me. "You are wife material."

I swallow hard. "You don't have to lie to me. I know very well how I look."

Turning my back to him, I start taking out the groceries from my backpack. Max grabs my waist, pulling me to him. The dress I wear is too thin to protect me from him. "And what do you look like, Sofia?" he says into my ear

"Max," I breathe. "I can't do this."

"We aren't doing anything. Just talking."

"You are too close."

"T will let go of you once you answer my question."

My entire body feels like burning. "I need some fresh air."

"Are you scared of me?"

"T am scared of myself," I tell him the truth. "And I think I am ugly."

Before he lets go of my waist, he says, "You are so beautiful, everyone else is dull compared to you."

"There are videos of me where things are done to me. Terrible things

Do you still think I am wife material now? Or beautiful?"

"If you were raped, it wasn't your fault. If you are scared of "

"IT wasn't raped," I tell him. "But what was done to me still made me weary of a man's touch."Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

He makes me look at him. "Don't let him win." "How do you know it wasn't more than one that had hurt me?"

A vein ticks in his temple. "They will never see the sun again for what they did to you."

"T am not letting him win," I tell Max. "After all, I invited you into my home."

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