So do not stay away from me...

So do not stay away from me...
Leon sat at the edge of the bed, watching Carissa sleep beside him. She lay on her right side, breathing softly, her flat stomach rising and falling under his hand. Without thinking, a faint smile touched his face. When she slept like this, the look that usually annoyed him disappeared. In its place was something soft and innocent, almost like a child.

His hand moved slowly over her stomach, gentle, careful. Then it stopped. He went quiet, like he was thinking about something he could not quite decide on. Even with doubt sitting in his chest, he leaned forward, lowering his head toward her.

His lips touched her stomach.

The kiss was soft, slow, and full of something he did not try to name. He stayed there for a moment, feeling the smooth warmth of her skin against his mouth before pulling back. After that, he tugged her oversized shirt down to cover her properly again.

That was all he did. Just that. Even though it took everything in him not to let his hand wander somewhere else.

He glanced at his watch. Thirty minutes left before his afternoon class. His hand slipped into his black suit pocket, pulling out his phone. He typed a quick message to the academic staff, asking them to move his class to seven in the evening. He added an apology for the sudden change before sending it.

Once he was done, he stood up and removed his suit jacket, leaving only his grey shirt, the top two buttons open. He hung the jacket neatly, stretched his back a little, then dropped himself onto the bed beside her.

Turning his head, he looked at her again. Her side profile caught his attention instantly. He let out a quiet breath, taken in once more by how perfectly her features fit together. It was not just beauty. It was something deeper, something that held his eyes longer than it should.

His hand lifted and moved toward her face. He touched the bridge of her nose lightly, then traced down until his fingers reached her lips. Small. Naturally pink. He swallowed.

Something dark and restless began to build inside him as his fingers rested there, feeling the soft warmth of her mouth.

“Do not… please…”

Carissa’s voice broke through the moment. Leon pulled his hand back at once, his body going still. He looked at her quickly. Her eyes were still closed. She was not awake. Just talking in her sleep. But her brows pulled together, and her face showed fear like something was chasing her even in her dreams.

“Kak… stop…” her voice came out tight, her breathing turning fast. Sweat gathered on her forehead.

“Car!” Leon called, his hand moving to her shoulder. He shook her gently. “Car, wake up.”

His voice grew more urgent as he shook her again.

Carissa’s eyes flew open. Her face looked tense, like she had been dragged out of something terrible. Leon reached for the glass of water on the bedside table and handed it to her.

“Drink.”

She did.

“What happened? Bad dream?” he asked, his free hand moving to her back, rubbing slowly like he always did when trying to calm her.

Carissa handed the empty glass back but did not answer right away. She sat there, still shaken. That dream had come again. Even if it was only a dream, the fear felt just as real as the day it actually happened.

Her head dropped slightly. She took a deep breath. A tear slipped down her cheek.

Leon did not say anything. He pulled her into his arms, holding her close. His thoughts drifted back to something Angelina once told him. That Carissa carried a deep fear from something that was done to her when she was younger. Back then, he thought it was a joke.

Now, he did not. People at campus called her the untouchable girl. That alone had made him question things. Then there was Jovan, the man who came to apologize to Carissa, blaming himself for not listening to Alvero, who had warned him to stay away from her.

That meant Alvero knew. And earlier today, in the infirmary, Carissa had broken down just because a guy touched her hand. Just that simple touch had made her shake.

There was something else he should have noticed sooner. The day he fell asleep on her bed. When he woke up, she had been crying, struggling to breathe, even throwing up. He should have understood then.

“Carissa…”

She slowly pulled away from his arms and cleared her throat.

“Hm?”

Leon pressed his lips together. The question sat heavy inside him. He wanted to ask, but part of him hesitated.

His hand moved to her jaw, lifting her face so she would look at him.

“Is it true… that you have trauma?”

Carissa said nothing. Her eyes widened slightly before she turned her face away from him.

“It is okay. Just tell me,” he said again, his voice softer this time.

He could see it clearly now. The tension in her face. The struggle. He knew it was not easy for her to speak about something like this. Something that might feel shameful to her. But he needed to know. Carissa gave a small nod.

Something heavy pressed into Leon’s chest. Anger rose inside him, directed at the man who had done this to her. To someone like Carissa. Someone so gentle.

“Was it your stepbrother?” His voice turned hard without him meaning to. He watched her closely, hoping she would shake her head.

She did not. She nodded again. That was all it took. Leon pulled her into his arms once more, holding her tighter this time. Guilt filled him. He cursed himself in his head. He had wanted her. Thought about making her his. And all this time, she had been carrying something like this.

“Sorry, Car…” he said quietly, regret clear in his voice.

Carissa did not cry. Instead, she placed her hand on his back, gently moving it up and down. Then she paused.

Was that… him?

“Why are you saying sorry?” she asked, confused.

“Because I did not understand you sooner,” he replied, his voice low. “You must have been suffering being around me, right?”

He pulled away, sitting up. His face did not look right anymore.

“You feel uncomfortable when I am close, do not you? You feel sick?” he continued, moving back a little, creating space between them.

His mind was racing. What if his presence made everything worse for her? The breathing issues. The nausea. The nightmares.

Carissa let out a small laugh. Her hand reached out toward him. Leon stood there for a second, confused, but he still stepped forward and took her hand.

“I do have trouble being close to men,” she said softly. “But with you… I feel safe.”

She smiled. The kind of smile that made him forget to blink. Before he could even process her words, she stood up and moved closer, wrapping her arms around him. She was so much shorter, her head only reaching his chin.

“So do not stay away from me, okay… sir?”