[ARTEMY]
I eased myself onto the edge of the seat, settling Rebecca gently onto my lap. “Just take a deep breath. You’re safe now. Don’t rush it. Breathe slowly. That’s it, Angel. In and out.”
Rebecca rested her head against my shoulder, her breathing falling into the rhythm I’d suggested. Gradually, her breaths grew steady, and as her tense breaths gave way, I could hear soft sobs escaping her.
I held her tenderly, my arms wrapped around her, an unbreakable shield. Rebecca didn’t pull away, instead, she held onto my arms as if her life depended on it.
Her tears tugged at my heartstrings, evoking an intricate blend of emotions within me. A mixture of pain and relief intertwined, leaving me uncertain of which to embrace.
So, I merely cradled her, allowing her to find solace in me, just as I did in her.
As her tears subsided, I shifted her gently onto the bed. Her eyes were shut, yet her face was marked by traces of her emotional release – a rosy puffiness from her cries. These tears, not a consequence of her past captivity, but an outpouring of feelings for me.
In that very instant, I realized that my efforts hadn’t been in vain. She saw me. Deep within her, she felt the connection.
I resolved to hold onto this belief in us, the certainty that we could find our way through.
Preparing to rise, I felt a sudden pull on my wrist. My gaze darted downward, and there was Rebecca, her grip on my sleeve, her eyes open, holding me back from leaving.
Meeting her gaze, we locked eyes, sharing breaths in harmony. Rebecca swallowed, her attention shifting between my hand and my eyes.
I waited. How long, I didn’t know. But I waited.
And then, her lips parted, and her voice, like a soothing melody, reached my ears. “Can you… please hold me?”
She spoke softly, her words punctuated by a slight stutter, but her gaze never wavered from mine.
Joy surged within me, and with my heart racing, I nodded. “I’ll hold you, Angel. For as long as you need.” Leaning in until our noses brushed, I added, “And even when you think you don’t need me to hold you anymore, I won’t let go.”
Her cheeks flushed a deeper shade of red. I brushed a kiss on her nose before settling beside her.
Before I could adjust, Rebecca turned towards me, nestling into my chest. A smile tugged at my lips as I wrapped my arms around her, maneuvering around her slightly protruding stomach. Holding her securely against me, I pressed a gentle kiss on her cheek.
She sighed, her arms tightening around me. An overwhelming sense of contentment filled the silence that enveloped us.
I was on the cusp of drifting into slumber when the stillness was shattered by her voice.
Her words were an unexpected intrusion, a jolt to my senses. Frankly, her voice hit me like a lightning bolt; its resonance was utterly startling. It hadn’t crossed my mind that she would speak again, but she did.
And in that moment, her utterance took me by surprise once more, far more profoundly than before.
Softly, almost as a breath, she murmured against my chest, “You are my savior.”
Her arms held me in a firm, unwavering embrace. It was a role I had played before, a role I found myself in again.
Emotions surged, a tingling sensation pricking at my nose. The weight of it all threatened to overwhelm me, and I could only begin to fathom the torrent of feelings within Rebecca.
Again, she whispered, “You are my savior,” her voice an ethereal presence. “Not hers.”
A sudden realization dawned, causing my eyes to widen. I comprehended her trajectory now. Her words dripped with innocence, her voice bearing the timbre of a child, tinged with a hint of fear.
“You are not hers,” she persisted, her voice fracturing, stealing my breath.
With a tender movement, I lifted her chin, my finger delicately touching her skin as I tilted her gaze upward. Tearfully, she stared into my eyes, a moment reminiscent of our initial encounter, when her eyes had shone with a similar luminosity.
“You won’t abandon me?” she implored, her voice a gentle plea.
I shook my head and brought our foreheads together, a gentle affirmation. “No. Never. Rebecca, I will stand by you.”
“She won’t… wrest you away from me?” Her countenance bore the marks of fracture and torment, her vulnerability palpable.
I drew her closer, our bodies melding into one. “No, Rebecca. I am never leaving your side. I pledged that to you once, and I stand by it. She won’t take me from you.”
Our lips brushed together, a fragile connection. “You are my Angel.”
Rebecca shut her eyes, the tension in her frame gradually dissolving.
“When I was in the grasp of the Devil, you were my salvation. You are not meant for her. She can’t claim you,” Rebecca’s voice trembled, shattering my heart further.
“Hush… I belong to no one but you, Angel. Always have, always will. Just as you are mine,” my breath lingered by her ear, a testament for the times to come.
“And just as I am your savior, you are my exquisite Angel.”
A murmur emanated from her against my chest, her eyes sealed shut, surrendering to slumber’s embrace.
Smiling, I beheld the splendor cradled in my arms.
I will endure, Angel, for eternity. This is my unbreakable pledge to you.
***
“Please turn around,” I whispered with gentle authority. Rebecca complied, her back now facing me.
“Is the water comfortable?” I inquired, as I worked soap along her spine.
“It’s fine,” came her soft reply.
Her answer brought a smile to my lips as I continued to cleanse her skin. My hands moved down her legs, and then I turned her to face me. Dispensing shampoo into my palm, I massaged it into her hair.
Rebecca closed her eyes and leaned closer. A chuckle escaped me as I swiftly rinsed off the shampoo. “All done,” I declared.
Opening her eyes, Rebecca regarded me with an emotionless gaze. “Thank you.”
I planted a tender kiss on her lips before assisting her out of the shower. We enveloped ourselves in towels, and I gently dried her hair.
She let out a dreamy sigh and leaned against my chest. “Does that feel nice?”
“Yes,” she nodded.
“Would you like me to brush your hair?”
Again, she nodded. “Please.”
Moving into the bedroom, she settled onto the bed. I positioned myself behind her and began to comb her hair until it gleamed and flowed smoothly.
“Finished,” I murmured, placing a kiss on her shoulder. “You look radiant, my Angel.”
A faint hint of a smile graced her lips, filling me with joy at our progress.
“Absolutely exquisite,” I teased playfully. “And what about me?”
Stepping away from the bed, I stood before her. Rebecca gazed up at me, her mouth slightly agape. I knew I was pushing the boundaries here. Rebecca seldom uttered more than a few words.
Yes. No. Okay. Please. Thank you.
Only occasionally would she string together a sentence, reserved for moments when she truly wanted to convey something. But those instances were rare.
And when she spoke, it was exclusively to me.
This selective silence drove Lynda to frustration Rebecca’s refusal to communicate with her was a constant source of bewilderment.
Rebecca predominantly existed in quiet observation.
Emotion, when it surfaced, usually emerged as a response to my actions that inadvertently echoed the past. She had yet to play a single note on the piano.
Yet, I knew that room granted her solace. Like the babbling creek, it held a calming influence on her. Each time she entered it, a serene expression enveloped her features.
Her eyes would twinkle ever so slightly, betraying the glimmers of happiness she experienced in those stolen moments.
Rebecca cleared her throat, drawing me from my reverie. Nervously nibbling her lip, she directed her gaze downward.
“It’s alright,” I reassured swiftly.
Gently lifting her chin, I smiled. “You’re under no obligation to say anything you’re not ready for.”
Pressing a kiss to her forehead, I pulled away. “I should change.”
“You’re beautiful.”
My mouth fell open, abruptly snapping shut. I struggled to catch my breath, swallowing several times to regain my composure.
The words tumbled from her lips with such swiftness, and in the aftermath, her gaze flitted away, evading my own.
A gentle smile graced my lips in response. Her vulnerability was a precious sight to behold.
A playful glint danced in my eyes as I rejoined, unable to suppress a smirk. “Thank you, my Angel. Although I wouldn’t have minded if you’d referred to me as sinfully and irresistibly sexy. It might have provided a substantial boost to my already sizable ego.”
Caught off guard, she inhaled sharply, her eyes widening in surprise. “You remember that too?” I mused.
With no verbal reply forthcoming, I sealed our silence with a kiss, pulling away only to utter, “I have a few matters to attend to. Feel free to rest, and when I return, we shall adjourn to the piano room.”
Rebecca nodded, her response wordless, as I withdrew into the closet. Adorning myself, I emerged to find her already nestled in bed. With a lingering glance, I made my exit.
In the gym, Brayden awaited my arrival. “Rebecca spoke for the first time when she saw me injured,” I began.
Brayden’s reaction oscillated between surprise and amusement, culminating in a mischievous grin. “Oh, this promises to be entertaining.”
My retort was a low growl. Fists collided with the punching bag, my knuckles bare and swiftly succumbing to abrasions.
“Not interested, sorry. I have a preference for a different type of enthusiasm,” Brayden chuckled, rolling up his sleeves.
Each punch against the bag carried an increasingly frenzied fervor, my knuckles raw and bleeding.
He drew nearer, his query laced with a challenging edge. “How badly do you want a taste of defeat?”
Mockingly, I countered, “Weren’t you more inclined toward other tastes?”
A proposal of using a spiral knife followed, met with my immediate refusal. “No,” I snapped.
An exasperated sigh escaped Brayden’s lips. “Very well.”
Swift as a shadow, his punch landed before I could deflect it, agony echoing through my ribcage. A primal groan echoed, punctuated by my retort, “You’re courting death.”
“You beckoned for it.”
“Fool. She merely needs to witness a fleeting hurt in me, a catalyst for her memories.”
“Ah, that crucial piece of information would’ve been handy earlier,” Brayden conceded nonchalantly.
His lackadaisical attitude was met with a searing glare and an aggressive kick to his knee. He crumbled. “You maniacal lunatic!”
A casual shrug punctuated my actions. “Lesson one: Eternal vigilance.”