Melina tries to break free as James pushes her naked form onto the table. He tightens his hands around her neck and forces her down as he works his zipper. Melina didn’t have much energy left to fight. She’s exhausted from blood loss and has been screaming in pain over the past hours. James had wiped her back for hours on end.
“Look at me!” Someone in the room speaks to Melina. She lifts her head and locks her eyes with Thomas. He is tied to a chair with his blood all over the chair and floor. Melina could barely recognize him as they had beaten his face to disfigurement. His chest is exposed and filled with blade cuts. Fresh tears fill her eyes as she feels guilty about his condition. Thomas would never be in this position if he didn’t agree to switch places with her sister.
“I’m sorry,” Melina says hoarsely. Her throat is sore from screaming at James to stop beating Thomas to a pulp.
“It’s not your fault, principessa. Just focus on me and nothing else. Do you hear me?”
“Yes.”
“I will get us out of here, I promise.”
“You shouldn’t be making promises you can’t keep,” James says, fisting Melina’s hair and forcing her back to bend. She winces and shuts her eyes as her back curves into an uncomfortable position.
“Wait till I get out of this chair. You will fucking wish you’d never been born, you bastard,” Thomas snarls as he struggles with the ropes that bind his arm to the chair.
“While you’re doing that, watch me fuck her better than you,” James says as he forcefully penetrates Melina. She screams at the top of her lungs. As James violates her, Melina grabs the table’s edge and fists it firmly. Tears stream down her face as her skin scrapes the table with each in-and-out thrust he makes.
Melina, unable to bear the pain, tries to distract herself by thinking of something else. She turns to face Thomas after hearing someone call her name.
“Look at me, Melina, look at me,” Thomas commands. “Nobody is here, only you and I on a beach Repeat after me. Only you and I are here, lying together on a beach.”
“Only you and I are here, lying on a beach together.” Her heart swells with love for Thomas. She can’t believe he’s trying to distract her from what’s happening to her. She expected him to be disgusted and refuse to speak to her for the rest of his life because of it. She can’t believe he’s trying to comfort her, even with his hands tied.
“Alright, now look into my eyes and chant it again.”
“OK,” Melina says and follows his instructions.
The more she stares into his beautiful blue eyes, her brain slowly begins to form the image.
She feels his warm hard chest pressed against her back as they watch the sunrise together.
‘I love you,’ Thomas whispers in her ear and kisses it.
‘I love you, too,’ she says, smiling to face him. She stares into his gorgeous blue eyes, and she notices something. They have no life.
Melina blinks her eyes, and a scream escapes her as her heart splits into two. Her heart tightens in her chest, seeing his lifeless eyes staring at her.
“Thomas,” Melina says with panic in her voice.
“The idiot was ruining sex with you. I had to take him out,” James says behind her.
Melina has no idea when she gets up from the table, pushes James, and sprints towards Thomas until she feels his warm blood on her bare skin.
“No, Thomas, you can’t die,” Melina cries, holding his lifeless body in her hand.
“You can’t die,” Melina screams as more of Thomas’ blood drains from his head bullet injury. She pulls his body to her chest and hugs him tightly. His body feels cold against hers.
“Thomas!” Melina sobs, screaming into the room’s walls. She hears her name called as she holds him. Melina looks around the room for the person who is calling her but can’t find them. She pays attention and recognizes the voices as Thomas’. Her brows furrow, wondering how that’s possible. She looks down, and her eyes widen when she doesn’t see him on her lap.
“Thomas,” Melina says, rising from the floor and searching the now-dark room for him. She didn’t understand what was going on. She also can’t see James or the table where he violated her.
“Yes, it’s me. Wake up, principessa. I need you to wake up,” Thomas says, his voice laced with desperation.
“What?” Melina asks, confused.
“You’re having a nightmare. Close your eyes and open them back.”
“Okay,” Melina does as he instructs.
“Thomas,” Melina exclaims, seeing him as she opens her eyes. She jumps up and wraps her hand around him. She longs to feel the warmth of his hard-rock chest against hers to remind herself that he is truly here. Her racing heart slows down, hearing his beat against her ear.
“It’s okay, principessa, it was all a dream,” Thomas softly coos, stroking her hair.
“You died, Thomas, you died.” Melina sobs into his arms, recalling the dream as if it were real.
“I’m here, principessa, I’m fine.”
“Please don’t die because of me. I won’t be able to live without you.”
“I promise you, I won’t,” Thomas says as he lays a small kiss on her forehead, tightening his arm around her.