Closer to him

I wake up in the morning, at least I think so that it's still morning. What made me wake up from my deep sleep? I glance around the bed and see that my phone is vibrating.

"Sorry, don't in a mood to answer," I mutter.

I switch it off without glancing, because now I have no intention to go back to my house. My head is still hurting and processing the events what happened at yesterday.

I sit up on the bed, brushing my messy hair. This house isn't mine, it's my Aunt Sicily's. When she went to Canada for a quite long time, she gave me her house keys and told me to look after it. I had almost forgotten about that until last night.

"Shit!" I wince in pain when I place my legs on the floor. Why didn't I feel the pain before? I thought a good night's sleep would reduce the hurt, but it didn't. How can I even move my legs after jumping from a three-storey ancient building? I think surprisingly. Then I look out the window in frustration, I can't make it to school today. It's my good luck that our principal hasn't expelled me yet.

What do I do now? Should I call someone? Or should I go back to sleep?

"Sam?" suddenly I hear a voice calling me from downstairs. "Sam, are you there?"

"I am here!" I call out loudly.

   Lynn storms in the bedroom, he's looking devastated. When he sees me, he lets out a sigh of relief and laughs, wiping the sweats from his forehead. 

"Why are you here?" I ask him.

He doesn't reply, slowly moving closer to me and kneels on the floor in front me and takes my hand into his.

"What happened? You seem angry," he says, his dark green eyes boring into mine. "You're not answering your phone since last night. Your parents are worried. I'll_ let them know that you're here and safe."

"I jumped from the Manor rooftop last night and sprained my ankles," I speak harshly. I can't help but feeling angry at him. Why?

He glances down at my legs, then looks up at me. "Shouldn't you go to a hospital? You sprained your both ankles."

"I don't want to, 'cause I'm fine," I reply.

"Wait here," he leaves the room.

I sigh, thinking about last night.

I remember his face. I remember it so clear, like it feels that he's here with me, watching me. I remember him pointing the gun at my head, his hands shaking. He was afraid, I know. And I was afraid, too.

Storm, my cousin. Why him?

  Lynn enters in the room with a first-aid box, then sits on the floor, slowly lifting my gown up to my knees. Oh, I hurt my knees, too. Now, they are red, bleeding slightly from the cuts.

He wets a piece of gauze pad into some alcohol, then carefully rubs it on my patella. I'm watching him, watching him clean my wounds, blowing them passionately.

"Aren't you going to ask me that why I jumped?" I suddenly question him, frowning.

"Don't crinkle too much," he points a finger at my forehead. "It will leave a mark in your skin."

"Are you joking with me, Lynn?"

"Of course not. But I get it that you're getting angry," he opens a tube of antibacterial cream. "What happened in the party? Tell me, I'm all here, listening to you."

"My cousin wanted to kill me," I utter.

He stiffs, then looks up at me worriedly.

"What? Which cousin? Did he hurt you?"

"Why do you care?" I blurt out, my anger rising. "You weren't even there with me! My own cousin pointed a gun at my head, when I thought I was most secured with my family! Where were you, huh? Where were you when I was dying? Is this what you call that you still care for me? Nobody was there with me," I push his hands from my legs, feeling my heart hurting. At times, emotional pain can be more awful than physical pain, maybe that's why I don't feel the pain on my legs.

I feel nothing. 

He sighs, moving up and sits beside me on the bed. "Sam, look at me," he pulls me gently to his side, brushing my hair.

"Go away," I mumble.

"Sam, please, just look at me. And tell me how do you feel. Let it out on me. Let it out all the rage, all the things you're feeling."

I breath out heavily, then turn to him. "When Storm gave me the bullet carved by my name, you know what I was thinking? All I was thinking, 'So this is how it's going to end, huh? This, my life?' "

    I sniff, shivering even think about that. Lynn tucks me into his arms, placing my head on his shoulder. "And I kept telling myself that I didn't need a savior to save my life, I could do it alone. I could save my life alone. Because when I looked at his eyes, I saw fear. I saw regret. I saw unwillingness in his eyes."

"I am sorry, Sam," he whispers into my ears, embracing me tightly. "I am so sorry that I wasn't there for you."

I don't embrace him back, I stay motionless and keep talking. "Though I knew that at last, he would shoot me. He would shoot me if I didn't jump from the railing. He said he had to do that. Storm said that Uncle Jason had to protect them all and I was one of the obstacles."

Lynn pulls back and kisses the side of my head. "No, Sam. Don't listen to his words. You never were an obstacle to anyone and you never will be."

"I wonder__ I wonder, what the hell have I done to make my own uncle to hate me that much?" I inhale his scent deeply.

"Sam, don't feel sad about it," he says softly. "Your uncle is a Protector of The Conditorem, a person in disguise. Trust me, from now on, I will be with your side and I won't let him do any harm to you," he wipes my tears with his thumb. "But I also understand, if you have some trust issues with me. And if you don't__ want me to stay with you," he adds.

"Trust issues?" I chuckle, looking into his dark eyes. "Then, tell me a secret that nobody knows. I mean_ there can't be a secret which nobody knows. Just tell me a secret which only a few people know."

"Fine. I'll search for a secret," Lynn laughs. "But at first let me wrap bandages in your legs, otherwise they will be pretty swollen."

I nod slightly, smiling. I can't deny that he always knows how to make my mood good. The way he talks, he smiles, are hard to stay angry at him sometimes.

"Wait," he opens a packet of sterile bandages, looking up at me. "If I tell you one, then you have to tell me why you're still wearing this necklace which I gifted you three years ago."

▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎

"You're good at it," I glance at my legs, the bandages are wrapped skillfully. 

"Don't worry, your ankles will get better early," he says. "You're missing too much of your classes. You can use clutches if you want to go tomorrow and if you don't want to, you can take a medical leave from school."

I stare at him, smiling in my mind.

"What?" he raises his beautiful eyebrows.

"Thank you very much for your treatment," I pull his arm to sit beside me. "But, you're not getting away from me without telling me a secret, Mr. Vanidestine."

His face darkens, shaking his head. "Don't call me Vandestine, Sam. It's not my name."

"What do you mean?"

He exhales miserably, matching my fingers with his. "You wanted to know a secret, Sam. So, here it is. Before my father died, it turned out that I was adopted, as he told that so. I just discovered that they weren't my real parents, after living twenty years with them. Hell, I had never even doubted anything about it. Never."

I press my hand to his, slightly regretting, I never knew about that. "I'm so sorry, Edwin. Did you ever think__ to find your real parents?"

He shakes his head no. "Doesn't matter anymore. Come on, Angel, let's not talk about this."

"Angel?" I repeat. "Am I still a kid?"

"No, now you're a beautiful woman," he flicks lightly on my forehead. "Damn, I forgot! You haven't had breakfast, have you? I will make some for you, I'm going to check the kitchen. See what's there," he moves up from the bed.

"Edwin," I grip his hand, stopping him.

"Hm-mm?" he turns to me.

"I don't want to eat breakfast."

"Why not? You're tired and sick, you need food. Are you afraid of my cooking? If you still recall, you know that I'm a great cook."

"That's not it. I just__ don't want to eat now, maybe a little later."

"So, there is a later?" he teases me.

"Sit beside me," I pats the space on the bed.

Edwin sits, staring at me. "And__ ?"

"Aren't you going to ask me why I'm still wearing this necklace?" I say slowly.

His eyes move down to my neck, "Why?"

I move closer to him, then brush some hairs away from his forehead. "I'm not sure," what am I doing? I ask myself. I suddenly feel a bit embarrassed and quickly move aside my hand.

"Don't," he catches my hand, then wraps it around his neck. "I like it when you touch me."

I can feel my pulse rising.

"Maybe the reason you still wearing this," he traces the skin of my collarbone, "Is that you still like me. You still care about me."

"I don't know," my nose touches his cheek.

"Yes, you do," he breathes out, his fingers running gently on my neck. I don't want to wait anymore, I don't want to. I grip his collars and press my lips to his.

His lips, they are soft, wet and gentle, but they become wild when I part my lips. My hands start to unbutton his shirt, my nails scratching his skin, the heat of his breath making me dizzy. He lifts up his shirt and place my head on the pillow, kissing me hard. I run fingers in his bare back, light moans escaping from my mouth, blending with his tongue. God, I have waited so long for his burning touch.

"Does your leg hurt?" he pulls back after a while, exhaling sharply, his dark eyes have darkened more.

"Not anymore," I can feel my whole face has turned red, I move aside my hand sheepishly from his waist.

"Don't," he stops me. "Like I said, I like it when you touch me," he whispers, I can feel his hand on my chest, just over my heart. He moves his another hands up on the bed, gripping his fingers with mine.

His lips go up, he gives a gentle kiss on my forehead, then stares down at me. I follow his gaze and what I see in his eyes, I will never forget that moment in my life.

"I love you, Angelina Valentine."

i wake up in the morning, at least i think so that it's still morning. what made me wake up from my deep sleep? i glance around the bed and see that my phone is vibrati

"sorry, don't in a mood to answer," i mutte

i switch it off without glancing, because now i have no intention to go back to my house. my head is still hurting and processing the events what happened at yesterda

i sit up on the bed, brushing my messy hair. this house isn't mine, it's my aunt sicily's. when she went to canada for a quite long time, she gave me her house keys and told me to look after it. i had almost forgotten about that until last nigh

"shit!" i wince in pain when i place my legs on the floor. why didn't i feel the pain before? i thought a good night's sleep would reduce the hurt, but it didn't. how can i even move my legs after jumping from a three-storey ancient building? i think surprisingly. then i look out the window in frustration, i can't make it to school today. it's my good luck that our principal hasn't expelled me ye

what do i do now? should i call someone? or should i go back to slee

"sam?" suddenly i hear a voice calling me from downstairs. "sam, are you there

"i am here!" i call out loudl

   lynn storms in the bedroom, he's looking devastated. when he sees me, he lets out a sigh of relief and laughs, wiping the sweats from his forehead

"why are you here?" i ask hi

he doesn't reply, slowly moving closer to me and kneels on the floor in front me and takes my hand into hi

"what happened? you seem angry," he says, his dark green eyes boring into mine. "you're not answering your phone since last night. your parents are worried. i'll_ let them know that you're here and safe

"i jumped from the manor rooftop last night and sprained my ankles," i speak harshly. i can't help but feeling angry at him. wh

he glances down at my legs, then looks up at me. "shouldn't you go to a hospital? you sprained your both ankles

"i don't want to, 'cause i'm fine," i repl

"wait here," he leaves the roo

i sigh, thinking about last nigh

i remember his face. i remember it so clear, like it feels that he's here with me, watching me. i remember him pointing the gun at my head, his hands shaking. he was afraid, i know. and i was afraid, to

storm, my cousin. why hi

  lynn enters in the room with a first-aid box, then sits on the floor, slowly lifting my gown up to my knees. oh, i hurt my knees, too. now, they are red, bleeding slightly from the cut

he wets a piece of gauze pad into some alcohol, then carefully rubs it on my patella. i'm watching him, watching him clean my wounds, blowing them passionatel

"aren't you going to ask me that why i jumped?" i suddenly question him, frownin

"don't crinkle too much," he points a finger at my forehead. "it will leave a mark in your skin

"are you joking with me, lynn

"of course not. but i get it that you're getting angry," he opens a tube of antibacterial cream. "what happened in the party? tell me, i'm all here, listening to you

"my cousin wanted to kill me," i utte

he stiffs, then looks up at me worriedl

"what? which cousin? did he hurt you

"why do you care?" i blurt out, my anger rising. "you weren't even there with me! my own cousin pointed a gun at my head, when i thought i was most secured with my family! where were you, huh? where were you when i was dying? is this what you call that you still care for me? nobody was there with me," i push his hands from my legs, feeling my heart hurting. at times, emotional pain can be more awful than physical pain, maybe that's why i don't feel the pain on my leg

i feel nothing

he sighs, moving up and sits beside me on the bed. "sam, look at me," he pulls me gently to his side, brushing my hai

"go away," i mumbl

"sam, please, just look at me. and tell me how do you feel. let it out on me. let it out all the rage, all the things you're feeling

i breath out heavily, then turn to him. "when storm gave me the bullet carved by my name, you know what i was thinking? all i was thinking, 'so this is how it's going to end, huh? this, my life?'

    i sniff, shivering even think about that. lynn tucks me into his arms, placing my head on his shoulder. "and i kept telling myself that i didn't need a savior to save my life, i could do it alone. i could save my life alone. because when i looked at his eyes, i saw fear. i saw regret. i saw unwillingness in his eyes

"i am sorry, sam," he whispers into my ears, embracing me tightly. "i am so sorry that i wasn't there for you

i don't embrace him back, i stay motionless and keep talking. "though i knew that at last, he would shoot me. he would shoot me if i didn't jump from the railing. he said he had to do that. storm said that uncle jason had to protect them all and i was one of the obstacles

lynn pulls back and kisses the side of my head. "no, sam. don't listen to his words. you never were an obstacle to anyone and you never will be

"i wonder__ i wonder, what the hell have i done to make my own uncle to hate me that much?" i inhale his scent deepl

"sam, don't feel sad about it," he says softly. "your uncle is a protector of the conditorem, a person in disguise. trust me, from now on, i will be with your side and i won't let him do any harm to you," he wipes my tears with his thumb. "but i also understand, if you have some trust issues with me. and if you don't__ want me to stay with you," he add

"trust issues?" i chuckle, looking into his dark eyes. "then, tell me a secret that nobody knows. i mean_ there can't be a secret which nobody knows. just tell me a secret which only a few people know

"fine. i'll search for a secret," lynn laughs. "but at first let me wrap bandages in your legs, otherwise they will be pretty swollen

i nod slightly, smiling. i can't deny that he always knows how to make my mood good. the way he talks, he smiles, are hard to stay angry at him sometime

"wait," he opens a packet of sterile bandages, looking up at me. "if i tell you one, then you have to tell me why you're still wearing this necklace which i gifted you three years ago

▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎

"you're good at it," i glance at my legs, the bandages are wrapped skillfully

"don't worry, your ankles will get better early," he says. "you're missing too much of your classes. you can use clutches if you want to go tomorrow and if you don't want to, you can take a medical leave from school

i stare at him, smiling in my min

"what?" he raises his beautiful eyebrow

"thank you very much for your treatment," i pull his arm to sit beside me. "but, you're not getting away from me without telling me a secret, mr. vanidestine

his face darkens, shaking his head. "don't call me vandestine, sam. it's not my name

"what do you mean

he exhales miserably, matching my fingers with his. "you wanted to know a secret, sam. so, here it is. before my father died, it turned out that i was adopted, as he told that so. i just discovered that they weren't my real parents, after living twenty years with them. hell, i had never even doubted anything about it. never

i press my hand to his, slightly regretting, i never knew about that. "i'm so sorry, edwin. did you ever think__ to find your real parents

he shakes his head no. "doesn't matter anymore. come on, angel, let's not talk about this

"angel?" i repeat. "am i still a kid

"no, now you're a beautiful woman," he flicks lightly on my forehead. "damn, i forgot! you haven't had breakfast, have you? i will make some for you, i'm going to check the kitchen. see what's there," he moves up from the be

"edwin," i grip his hand, stopping hi

"hm-mm?" he turns to m

"i don't want to eat breakfast

"why not? you're tired and sick, you need food. are you afraid of my cooking? if you still recall, you know that i'm a great cook

"that's not it. i just__ don't want to eat now, maybe a little later

"so, there is a later?" he teases m

"sit beside me," i pats the space on the be

edwin sits, staring at me. "and__ 

"aren't you going to ask me why i'm still wearing this necklace?" i say slowl

his eyes move down to my neck, "why

i move closer to him, then brush some hairs away from his forehead. "i'm not sure," what am i doing? i ask myself. i suddenly feel a bit embarrassed and quickly move aside my han

"don't," he catches my hand, then wraps it around his neck. "i like it when you touch me

i can feel my pulse risin

"maybe the reason you still wearing this," he traces the skin of my collarbone, "is that you still like me. you still care about me

"i don't know," my nose touches his chee

"yes, you do," he breathes out, his fingers running gently on my neck. i don't want to wait anymore, i don't want to. i grip his collars and press my lips to hi

his lips, they are soft, wet and gentle, but they become wild when i part my lips. my hands start to unbutton his shirt, my nails scratching his skin, the heat of his breath making me dizzy. he lifts up his shirt and place my head on the pillow, kissing me hard. i run fingers in his bare back, light moans escaping from my mouth, blending with his tongue. god, i have waited so long for his burning touc

"does your leg hurt?" he pulls back after a while, exhaling sharply, his dark eyes have darkened mor

"not anymore," i can feel my whole face has turned red, i move aside my hand sheepishly from his wais

"don't," he stops me. "like i said, i like it when you touch me," he whispers, i can feel his hand on my chest, just over my heart. he moves his another hands up on the bed, gripping his fingers with min

his lips go up, he gives a gentle kiss on my forehead, then stares down at me. i follow his gaze and what i see in his eyes, i will never forget that moment in my lif

"i love you, angelina valentine."e.e.t.e.h.s.k.."g.."d.?"y.?"d.e.."."."e.m.d.?"."?"."?"."."s.d..". ▪︎."s.."."s.y.."."."." "."e.r.. s.?"y.r.."?"."g.y.s.m?o.t.m.y.."y?."s.m.. y.?"p?t.t.y.r.ng.orehead, then stares down at me. I follow his gaze and what I see in his eyes, I will never forget that moment in my life.

"I love you, Angelina Valentine."