Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 35767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 179(@200wpm)___ 143(@250wpm)___ 119(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 179(@200wpm)___ 143(@250wpm)___ 119(@300wpm)
He watched her walk toward the edge.
She stared into the water.
“You know what gets me? Everyone says we’re supposed to love and care for family. I get it. They’re the people who share blood. Who you are born to. But, those same people can steal, lie, hurt, rape, abuse, and if your own family can do that to you, do you expect their victims to feel pain at the passing of the person that hurt them?”
She turned to look at him, and he saw the real pain in her eyes.
“I wasn’t raped or beaten or abused. I was ignored. I was a disappointment. My mother told me I ruined her life. That if I wasn’t born, she’d be better off. She’d be happier. I don’t care that my parents died. I’m tired of being told that the tears will come and the pain. I don’t care. I really don’t. I’m hurt. When they told me they died, they came to the boarding school, where I’d been for over a year without seeing them. How can I mourn people I never knew?”
He moved up behind her, gripping her shoulders. He pulled her back against him and wrapped his arms around her body, holding her. Giving her comfort.
“I’m sorry.”
“You don’t need to be sorry for me. Just don’t ask me to be sorry for the passing of two people I don’t even know.” She put her hands on top of his.
He kissed the top of her head and stared down into the water.
His scar was visible as he’d pulled his hair back into a ponytail.
Every other time he saw his reflection, he’d flinch away, hating what he saw. This time, he stared down and didn’t try to run and hide.
He didn’t need to.
Mavis looked so young, so beautiful and innocent, and he looked like the hungry wolf. He tightened his hold around her.
“I care about you. When you enter a room, I know you exist. I can feel you, Mavis. I won’t ever ignore you or push you aside.” He kissed the top of her head. “I know you.”
She closed her eyes and sank against him, holding him. “Thank you.”
She wasn’t used to having anyone that cared, but he did.
He’d not wanted her in his life, but now he wouldn’t give her back. He’d fight anyone who came and tried to take her away from him.
They’d had their chance with her.
Everyone had missed the beauty in his arms, but he knew when he found a rare and precious gift. Mavis had been given to him, and he wasn’t going to let her go.
He’d make sure she never felt loneliness or fear again.
Staring down into the lake, he felt something turn within him.
The scar wasn’t so bad. It wasn’t ugly or repulsive. It was part of him, and instead of pulling more hair over his face or trying to hide, he didn’t.
This was him, and he wasn’t going anywhere else.
****
Staring up at the ceiling, Mavis held onto the blanket as the first wave of thunder filled the sky. She hated the sound of thunder, and also lightning. The other night when Luca had chased her, she’d not cared as she’d been distracted enough not to.
Now she did care.
The house seemed to shake as the sound pierced through. The bed she lay in was too big and lonely. Closing her eyes, she tried to count sheep, to think of a million other things that would distract her from the noise.
She opened her eyes just as a flash of lightning lit up her window, followed by the crashing waves of thunder, and it was too much.
Throwing off the blankets, she rushed toward the door, being careful not to run because that last spanking session had really smarted. Her ass still held a red tinge of bruises from her punishment.
She went straight to Luca’s room and hesitated. She’d gone to bed early tonight. After her revelation about her parents, she’d not felt comfortable sitting in silence with him. Fear of judgment sent her to her room to sleep.
Now though, she felt utterly ridiculous. Before she could stop herself, she knocked and let herself into the room.
There was a light on by his bedside and she saw he was awake.
Her body shook a little.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, putting the book down that he’d been reading.
“Erm, are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” He pulled the blanket back, and she saw he was in a pair of boxer briefs. She was too freaked out to be disappointed. If he’d slept naked that would have been so much fun.
Biting her lip, she looked around his room.
“What’s wrong?” he asked again.
“Would you believe me if I told you that I have a fear of really loud noises?”
“You’re afraid of the thunder and lightning?”
“A little bit.” She held her finger and thumb together. “It’s completely irrational and stupid, I know, but I can’t help it.”