Page 12 of Stained Protector

“Don’t worry about it.” Levi hovers his hand over mine shortly, sincerity branding my white knuckles as he covers them.

“You must be tired,” he says after a moment of stilled silence, “I’ll leave you to rest. Dinner will be brought to you soon.”

My stomach churns in protest. I nod while keeping my eyes locked on his pants. It would be impolite to turn down his generous offer, even though my throat is fighting back an acidic retch, and the thought of homemade meals hits me square in the belly.

A bite or two should show appreciation for his care.

“It’ll be in the fridge, and you can heat it when you’re hungry,” he compromises, far too generously, and skims a finger to tuck the hair behind my ears.

“See you tomorrow,” he whispers and gives a feathery pat on top of my head.

I flinch as his hand falls to his side. My eyes fix even harder on the ground, impulsively counting the rug’s microscopic threads.

“Goodnight, pretty baby.”

The entrance door closing didn’t mute his voice. It was clear, almost too deliberately soft, so my ears were forced to grasp onto them.

I shuffle to switch off the lights; darkness broadens my spatial awareness and unexpectedly builds a wall of bravery within me. I recall the placement of the couch and the folded blanket next to it.

After bundling the thick fabric into my arms, I stumble to the corner where Levi loves to work from. He may not be here, but the memory of his thick chest and flexed muscles rip apart my fear.

“Goodnight,” I whisper into the dark.

Stupidly, I hoped and prayed there would be a low, guttural chuckle following my name. Then, he’d look at me with eyes stolen from the ocean, and the badgering helplessness would escape my veins like receding tides.

Folding the edges of my blanket, I curl into a ball and chant a childish belief that monsters can’t hurt me.

Chapter Four

Levi

It’s the seventh day she’s been living in my work studio.

I insisted on her living here until the dust settled. Anya struggled to navigate the place for sleep and work, but she got more comfortable after some time. When I returned to the studio the morning after, she was sleeping on the ground.

My fault for not being specific. The bedroom down the hall was hers to use, but she thought she had been intruding enough. She refused to take the room, and she had the determination of a vast starry sky—bright and steadfast.

The couch is not bad, and she fits on it well. She’ll sleep in the bedroom when the back pain catches up to her, so I leave her to the stubborn pride.

I sit on the arm of the couch and watch her sleep. Seven o’clock sunlight wins the spot as the film of dull haze withdraws with nightfall.

She had let me into the studio at five o'clock to finalize the last details of a project. She passed out the moment she sat back down on the couch.

She mumbles in her sleep and nuzzles my finger stroking her cheek. Such a small, innocuous act of trust, yet I gain great joy in training her body to cherish my touch. My knuckles graze the side of her skull, nodding with prideful triumph that she healed impeccably in my care.

“See, this is what happens when I don’t look after you,” I murmur, her soft strands swirling tantalizingly around my fingers.

Anya stirs, her lashes flutter as a distressed noise knicks my heart. I untangle her hair and leave the couch, pretending I’m merely a respectable boss she sees me as. My tongue presses on the aching sharp tooth and tuts quietly, the label inscribing a curse into my chest as it scorches with emptiness.

It’s not enough, and it’llneverbe enough.

I ignore the urge to palm the growing thickness in my pants and swallow the rest of the bitter coffee that’s been diluted by melted ice. I have no extravagant taste for caffeine, but sugar is banned from my cup.

“What are you doing here?” she mumbles, confused.

Anya blinks, heat coloring her cheeks as she scrambles to sit upright while brushing her fingers through her tangled hair. As she glances through her terrified eyes, the smooth column of her throat bobs.

“I-I mean—”

---