Page 19 of A Twisted Gift

My back hits the wall, and I realize I’ve been stumbling away from the man advancing toward me. I brace myself, squeezing my eyes closed, wondering if it’ll be quick. Wondering if the stories I’ve read about an afterlife are true, or if there’s nothing, like Marissa said she hopes.

When Erik touches me, I wince on instinct, expecting the sting of pain that comes from Father’s blows. But his touch is gentle.He wraps his arms around me and pulls me into his lap, and I realize I must’ve sunk to the ground.

I push against him, barely aware of the terrified noise I let out, but he locks me in his embrace.

“Please. Let me help you.”

At the pain in his voice, I stop. His hand comes to rest on my back as I heave in a breath between sobs.

“You’re safe,” he tells me. “I promise you, Raina. As long as I’m with you, you’ll always be safe.”

My head spins. “I d-don’t understand.”

One second, he was so angry, and the next, he has me gathered up in his arms, practically surrounding me with his body. It’s almost like he’s acting as a shield.

“Take a deep breath,” he tells me. “In through your nose if you can, out through your mouth.”

I try, my bottom lip trembling at how gentle his voice is. He whispers commands to me, telling me when to inhale and when to exhale, his hand running up and down my back the entire time.

Slowly, I find myself relaxing into him. There’s something comforting about the way he’s holding me. His arms are around me so tight that I can barely move, but instead of worsening my panic, it eases it.

“Now, tell me why you’re upset,” Erik says once my tears have dried.

I sniffle, trying to piece together my thoughts. “Aren’t you angry with me?”

“What? No, Raina. I wasn’t mad at you.” He cups my chin and tilts it upward so I’m looking at him, his face mere inches from mine. “Never at you.”

“But you swore,” I whisper. “Father only does that when he’s really angry.”

He looks at me for a second with so much pain in his eyes that it makes my heart squeeze. “Were you worried I was going to hurt you?”

I nod.

“Never.” He kisses my forehead, something Lydia did to my half-siblings but never to me. “I’ll never hurt you, Raina.”

“I didn’t do something wrong?”

“No, and I wouldn’t hurt you even if you did.” He kisses me again, this time on each of my cheeks.

“But—but youwereangry.” The panic comes back, making my voice waver. “I saw it on your face. Heard it in your voice.”

“I was upset at Charles,” he says soothingly. “For how he’s treated you. For how long it took me to save you.”

“Oh,” I whisper. It’s so strange, seeing someone angry over what Father has done to me. The staff just looks the other way whenever Father hurts me. Marissa tried to help me when we were younger, but eventually, she got used to it, too.

But of course Erik cares. I remember him asking about Father, always narrowing his eyes in suspicion when I didn’t answer directly. Even when he couldn’t protect me, I know he still wanted to.

“Now please, let me feed you,” Erik says softly.

I nod, and he stands, pulling me up with him and not letting go until I’m steady on my own feet. He hands me an apple, and I tentatively bite into it while he rummages around the kitchen. Soon, he has something heating on the stove, and the savory scent fills the air.

“It’s just leftovers,” he tells me apologetically. “I’d make you something from scratch, but I don’t want to make you wait that long.”

Minutes later, he’s pushing me into a seat at the table and setting a bowl of potato soup in front of me. It’s creamy and haschunks of ham in it, and the steam heats my face as I lean over and inhale deeply.

“Eat,” he says, lowering himself into the chair next to me, “and I’ll explain what I can.”

The light catches his scar, and I study him for a moment, wondering where he got it from. Was it an accident? Done intentionally? Maybe his father hurt him the way mine does to me.

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