"A Knock on the Door"

I was sitting on my couch, trying to calm myself down after the uncomfortable encounter with Max. I was still shaking and my mind was racing with thoughts of what could have happened if I hadn't escaped. I was so caught up in my own thoughts that I didn't even hear the knock at the door at first. But then it came again, louder and more insistent. I panicked, my heart racing with fear. I thought to myself, "What if it's Max? What if he found out where I live?" I slowly got up from the couch and made my way to the door. I peeked through the peephole, and my heart sank even further. But to my surprise, it wasn't Max standing outside my door. It was Rafael. I opened the door, still trying to process why he was here. Rafael's expression was concerned, and he took a step forward as soon as I opened the door. "Hey, what's going on?" he asked, his voice low and gentle. I tried to brush it off, but he could see right through me. He had known me for a while now, and he could sense when something was wrong. I shook my head, trying to hold back tears. But it was too late. A single tear rolled down my cheek, and Rafael's expression changed from concern to alarm. He took another step forward, and I felt like I was melting into his arms. He wrapped me in a warm hug, holding me tightly as I started to sob. As I cried, Rafael's world seemed to collapse around him. He had never seen me like this before, so broken and vulnerable. He held me tightly, whispering words of comfort in my ear. "It's okay, I'm here. You're safe now." I didn't know how long I cried, but Rafael held me through it all, never letting me go. He didn't ask me what was wrong or who had hurt me. He just held me, offering me a sense of safety and security that I desperately needed. As I finally started to calm down, Rafael led me back into my apartment, sitting me down on the couch. He got me a glass of water and sat down beside me, holding my hand in his. "You can tell me what happened," he said, his voice gentle. "I'm here for you." I looked at him, feeling a mix of emotions. I wanted to tell him everything, but I was also scared. What if he didn't believe me? What if he thought I was crazy? But as I looked into his eyes, I knew that I could trust him. He would do anything to protect me.