Page 30 of Bound by Affliction
* * *
Iblockthe doorway to the bathroom and hand Leah the piece of paper. “Read it.” Breaking Leah out of her shell isn’t going to be easy, but I’m damn well going totry.
“What isthis?”
“Leah, readit.”
She gives me a once over trying to figure it out but opensit.
“My beautiful, Leah,”—she looks up at me. “You wrote me aletter?”
I only nod as shecontinues.
“My beautiful Leah,
I was told once that relationships were complicated. While they take patience and work, they’re only as complicated as you allow them to be. Keep it simple. We connected over the little things. Go back with me, Leah. Remember a time before when you were safe. I promise nothing will touch you again. I’m your safe place to fall, Leah. You are strong, but you are not alone. Find you again, hold onto the woman you were before, and know that I still stand here for her and for the woman you are today. Just don’t giveup.
Like working on a car, sometimes life gets tricky. When a part doesn’t slide right back into place, you have to loosen things up, grease them, and gently get the engine running again. You are wound too tight, Leah. Gently allow yourself to loosen up and know that I’m a patient man who’s not going anywhere. I need you to see, to know, to feel you are strong, beautiful, and absolutely amazing. Need you present with me,babe.
Ty”
“Going back to where it started,”I explain. “With words down on paper, we built a bond. You’re beautiful and smart. I need you to come back tome.”
She gasps, “Green.”
“I’m takin’ youout.”
Her wide eyes and open mouth shocked expression shouldn’t make me want to laugh. But it’s like I asked her to go Mars and have dinner with the alien queen in her hut of fireballs. She hasn’t been out of the house since we got here and she needs to, but tonight isn’t that night. Therefore, I brought the outside in forher.
Sidestepping her, her hand goes to her mouth, her other arm protectively going around her midsection as she looks to where I’m standing. “You didthis?”
Her shower took ages. I could’ve had a turkey in the oven for as long as she was in there. But bringing that up, because she thinks she’s dirty, isn’t going to happen. She’s beautiful the way she is. Yes, there are some scars on her face and her hair is lightly coming back in, but she pulls it back gently and ties it at the nape of her neck. Therefore, the patches are somewhat covered. She could be completely bald and she’d be just as beautiful asever.
“Nope, had some elves come in and work theirmagic.”
This earns me a small smile opening my worldwide. I’ve missed her and with each ticking second that goes by, when she doesn’t talk to me or when she goes into the bathroom for long periods of time, everything makes me miss her more. This right here. Makes it all worth it. Yes, Bristyl got a small laugh out of her, but I got the smile and damn if it doesn’t make me want to get Bristyl here to crack Leah open withme.
Her voice is soft. “Well the magic elves are welcomehere.”
“Comesit.”
She sits and stares at the table in amazement, when in reality it’s nothing huge. Definitely not enough of what she deserves, but I’m working with what I’ve got here. “The table has a candle,Green.”
“It does? How the hell did that get there?” Making my way over to the stove, I load up her plate with pasta, sauce, and bread then make my way over to her, sitting the food on thetable.
Her shoulders visibly fall, but not in defeat—the opposite, telling me I’m doing the right thing. These little reassurances are what keep me going. “This looksgreat.”
Going back to fill my plate, I say, “It’s not fancy, but it gets the job done.” Moving to the table, I take the seat across from her. I can’t stop myself from watching her as she eats. The line that’s always between her eyes when she squints is loose and relaxed. She appears lighter in a way, and it’s a great look onher.
“Well, it’s delicious.” She pulls in another bite, chews, and swallows. “I didn’t realize I was sohungry.”
“That’s because you live on less food than arabbit.”
“I do not. I just haven’t been hungry.” She trudges on the territory where I do not want this night to go. Yes, I still want her to talk to me, but tonight the goal is to remind her of who she was before this happened. I’m just making this shit up as I go along. Hell, I’ve never been with a woman long enough to have to deal with something as horrible as what she went through, let alone cared enough to make itbetter.
Or damn welltry.
Leah sets her fork down. “I don’t know how to do this,Green.”
“Do what?Eat?”
“Ha, ha. I don’t know.” She flicks a hand between us. “This. Whatever this is. You being here when you don’t have to be. Why did you stay at the hospital for that long? My parents were there. I know you have a life, and it’s not here in Florida. And why won’t you leave now?” She pushes again even after the letter. I know she’s scared, but she has to know I’ll catch her if shefalls.
“Eat,” I order, pointing my fork in her direction and motioning to her plate. “And I’ll talk. You’ll listen, and we’ll get some things ironedout.”
After too long of a damn pause, she resumes eating all the while looking warily. Everything comes at me in a flash. Go hard. Go slow. Be gentle. Be hard. In my head it’s bundled up but, I sort it all outquickly.
“I stayed because I wanted to. You remember the letter I wrote you about doing what I want, when I want?” She blots her mouth with a napkin, nodding. “That’s what this is, Leah. I want to be here, so I’m here. No way in hell I was leaving you after what Isaw.”
Something flashes over her eyes and a wall comes down hard like cement, blocking her from me. I have no idea what I said that made her shut down, but she has and I’m pissed at myself forit.
