Page 165 of Love Me in the Dark
Bram turned to me. I refused to look at him as he spoke. “I started to when you first fought me. But it took days of you being there.”
“Why didn’t you say something when you realized? I mean except saying come?”
“I wanted to, but I hadn’t spoken much in a long time. You’re lucky I was asking for your consent.”
Finally, I turned to him. “Lucky… that you didn’t rape me? You seem to talk just fine, now. Lots of words... And how did you know I wasn’t just scared into submitting? I mean if I had sex with you under false pretenses how was it not rape?”
“Rape?” Bram shouted, like it was ridiculous. “You wanted it. That much was clear. And I wasn’t even sure you were real…” Then he hung his head in his hands. “I practiced speaking every day when I left the cave. I listened to you ramble on every night and something clicked. Once I got it right, I didn’t know how to tell you. When to tell you.”
“You lied to me.”
He huffed. “You assumed.”
“I had sex with you,” I barked.
“You loved it as much as I did.”
“No. I didn’t,” I lied. “I would’ve never let you do anal.”
“You really think it’s that easy?” Bram muttered, not quite meeting my eyes.
“I think you’re a liar.”
“Maybe I am. Maybe I’ve been lying to myself. Because if I wanted to be found, Jayne, I would’ve found a way out by now.”
I stared at him, heart dropping. “You lied to me.”
“No,” he said too quickly. “Maybe I just… didn’t want to leave. Not once I had you.”
We slept apart for the first time in weeks.
I laid there staring at the dark sky, thinking about air conditioning and toothbrushes and iced coffee. But the thought didn’t excite me. I didn’t want to answer questions. I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I didn’t want to go back to being invisible. With Bram, I was everything. Desired. Needed. Claimed. Maybe captivity wasn’t a cage after all. Maybe it was the first place I’d ever belonged.
The next morning, we didn’t talk about our fight. Bram found the tire tracks. We spent a few hours following them until we spotted the remote resort.
“Fancy,” Bram remarked. “I wonder if Chris is waiting for you. Are you just going to go back to him?”
I wondered too.
10
Aguard stopped Bram and I at the gates. He didn’t recognize me. I must’ve looked a fright after weeks in the jungle. I gave him my name and hut number, then explained we’d been lost.
“Should I notify the authorities?”
Before I could answer him, I spotted Chris in front of the main office. I yelled for him. He rushed our way, holding two coffees.
“Jayne, are you okay?” He looked Bram up and down.
Taking a coffee, I explained that Bram had rescued me.
“Thanks for taking care of my fiancée,” Chris said before he swept me toward our hut.
Looking back, I saw Bram pull out his wallet like he was trying to get a room of his own.
Chris got my attention. “I’m sure you want to shower.”
“Yes, and food.” I’d check on Bram later.
