"Don't wake her." I heard Vidal's voice say as I felt my consciousness return to me. I wasn't in a familiar place, it wasn't warm here like Vidal's little house.

"You expect me to disregard the fact that you brought a girl here with bruises and lash marks all over her, and I'm supposed to shut my mouth about it?!" An angry man yelled.

"Shut up, you'll wake her up." Vidal said, but I could hear the hurt tone in his voice.

I pretended to be asleep, not wanting to announce the fact that I was conscious just yet.

"Wow. Are you seriously ignoring what I just said?" The angry man asked.

"I already told everybody that I didn't do anything to her. What do you want from me?" Vidal asked.

Vidal was going to cry, I could hear it in his voice.

"Theo, can you just take a second to breath?" Another man said to the angry one.

"No, Evan! I can't! Look at the state she's in!" The angry man said.

Evan didn't say anything else.

"So that's it? She's always scared and she's beaten up and I'm responsible? I did this to her?!" Vidal asked.

"No. You didn't do that to her, but... you're the one who's being secretive, insisting she was legally your responsibility and that she was yours. What am I supposed to believe?" Theo, the angry man, said. "This isn't about you hurting her! You wouldn't do that. Just... tell me what's going on?"

"Listen. I'm here because I run this place with you. I'm here because I have a responsibility. You think I'm a monster, fine. Just let me do my job in peace." Vidal said.

I wanted to give him a big, warm hug. I wanted him to know it was ok to be sad and I would be there for him like he was for me. I knew all of the drama was caused by me, and I felt bad. I knew now that he wouldn't hurt me, ever. He had proven that to me and he deserved my trust.

"Your job is to put the pills in the food for the wolves. Go feed them too, while you're at it." Theo growled.

"Will do." Vidal said. "Evan get away from her! How many times do I have to tell you people to stay away from her?!"

He was officially crying. I could hear it all in his voice.

"Come on, Evan. Let's just go." Theo said.

I heard the door close and then I heard heavy breathing and a soft banging. I opened my eyes and saw Vidal with one hand over his eyes, clearly he was sobbing and the other hand was lightly pounding the counter in front of him.

I got up and I walked over to him, hugging him from behind and feeling him relax in my arms.

"You know I wouldn't take advantage of you, right?" He asked.

But the man didn't even say he did. He said he knew that Vidal wouldn't hurt me. Maybe Vidal was just extra sensitive right now. Sometimes I'm sensitive too. I understand.

"Mhm... you're kind." I whispered and he smiled, turning and kissing my forehead lightly. That was my favourite thing, kisses on my head from Vidal.

"I'd never in a million years even think about hurting you in any way... even the tiniest bit." He sighed.

"I know." I whispered, feeling very comfortable with him.

I'd seen him cry over me being hurt. He was sad about the idea of me hurting. I just knew when I saw him cry, that he wasn't evil. He was nice and he cared about me. He wasn't going to hurt me. I still needed to build more trust with him, but this was enough for now.

He smiled and kissed my forehead again. Then he pulled me into a hug, sniffling and wiping away his tears.

"You're so sweet, baby." He told me.

I shivered into his warm body. It was really quite cold here.

"Wanna go see the wolves with me?" He asked me.

I nodded vigorously, I wanted to see the puppies.

"They're kind of scary, Kiwi. Are you sure?" He asked me.

"Puppies." I whispered.

"Puppies? They're kind of big to be puppies." Vidal laughed.

I pouted and he gave in, deciding to call them puppies as well.

Interesting... If I just pout, he gives in to what I want. Very interesting.

I watched Vidal put the pills in the meat they were gonna feed the wolves and then he took my hand and led me to an enclosure. He went in and a whole pack of wolves swarmed him. He fed each one a piece of meat with a pill in it and then he threw a whole bunch of other meat into the enclosure. He let them eat in peace and then when they were done he returned and he played with them.

He came out looking much happier than when he went in, but that all changed when the same angry man from before, Theo, came up to us.

"You don't have to stay with him... Do you want to be with him?" The guy asked me.

I was shaking now, hiding behind Vidal. This angry man was confusing. Why didn't he think I wanted to be with Vidal. Sure, I didn't choose it, but I was happy with Vidal now.

"I told you not to get near her. You're scaring her." Vidal growled.

It was clear to me that Vidal had tolerated all he could and now he was fed up. I took his hand with my shaking one and he turned to me.

"You ok?" He asked me.

I contemplated lying, just to calm him down, but I was scared, terrified. Theo was really scaring me. So, I shook my head and his eyes softened. He picked me up bridal style and held me to his chest, making it all better.

"How about now?" He asked me and I nodded, snuggling into his muscular body.

"Dude, let her go. She doesn't get it, clearly. But this is wrong. She may like that you're sweet to her, but being with her in this state like that... it's not right. Just... stop parading her around. Let her go." Theo said to Vidal.

I wished I could pack up the courage to say something. Clearly, these people all had my best interest in mind, but my brain wasn't seeing it that way. My traumatized mind was too afraid to speak in fear of someone lashing out at me. I wanted to defend Vidal, he deserved that much, but I couldn't spit it out.

"Is it alright if we head home now?" Vidal asked me, completely ignoring Theo.

I nodded and he smiled down at me, his eyes full of hurt. He carried me to his car. We both got in. When he got in beside me, he had teary eyes.

"V-Vidal." I said softly and he turned to me.

"What, Kiwi?" He asked me.

I leaned towards him and kissed him on his cheek. He smiled down at me and a tear fell from his eyes. I wiped away the stray tear and I hugged him tightly.

"I'm sorry. I just... he has always been my closest friend, my brother. Everyone jokes about him being my twin. But now, no matter how many times I say I didn't use you, he still thinks I'm doing something wrong." Vidal explained to me. "I know I've made mistakes and I'm sorry, but that doesn't mean I'm a monster."

"You're not a monster." I assured him, my voice still reluctant, quiet.

He nodded and he squeezed me tighter before letting me go and fixing the thing that restrained me in the chair.

"You don't like seatbelts, do you?" He asked me.

I shook my head.

"Do they make you feel like you're being restrained?" He asked.

I nodded my head, confirming his prediction.

He took my hand and pressed down on the little red button. That took the restraint off me.

"See, it just takes one click for you to be free. But when I'm driving, you need to have it on. It'll protect you if we crash, which I will make sure doesn't happen." He told me.

I nodded and he smiled at me, his pain partially forgotten now. He put my seatbelt back on me and he put his on as well.

We drove to a big building and he stopped.

"We're not at the island." I suddenly said, realizing this was the city we started off in.

"Yeah, I brought us back here because being on the island is a little inconvenient for us. We're going to stay here for the next little while. We're gonna go back to the big house I first brought you to, my family is going to come have dinner and I'm going to explain everything to them, then we can go to our own apartment." He explained.

"Ok.... But, I-I don't—" I started.

"You don't have to have dinner with us. You can stay in my room, baby." He said, kissing my forehead.

"And what about here? Why are we here?" I asked.

"I... My brother works here, Kiwi. Is it alright if we go in there?" Vidal asked cautiously.

I nodded and he smiled gratefully at me.

"Put this on for me." He said, handing me his sweater.

I threw the sweater on, effectively hiding the bruises all over my body. I followed him into the building, his hand holding mine tightly. I think he was nervous for his brother to think the same way as everyone else.