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“Rest a bit. We can walk later this afternoon.” He pushes me softly back onto the bed. I stand up again, brushing his hand away, and walk slowly towards the door, feeling the muscles beneath where my stitches were pulling and complaining. I lean against the doorframe for a moment.
“Little rabbit, I said rest.” He walks over to me and lifts me into his arms, cradling me against his chest. His expression is tight and determined. He places me carefully back onto the bed and pulls the blankets over me.
I sigh in frustration and bite at my lip. Why does he have to treat me like a child?
I get it. He has been here every single day, and with the doctor’s help, he has been taking care of me like no one has ever taken care of me before. I don’t even think he has left the house since I arrived. Why would he do that?
Why would he act like he cares so much?
Do I represent some kind of big investment to him? Does he have some rich client he wants to sell me off to once I am healed?
I take a deep breath and fight tears. I fight against the exhaustion and the pain in my body, which seems to be deep inside my bones at this point.
“Please, will you just rest?”
I lean back against the pillows that he pulls up behind my back and close my eyes.
I kind of have to rest. I am getting better, but I am not strong enough yet.
He sits down in the chair and when I glance in his direction, I see that he is watching me.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he tells me. “I’m right here. I will look after you.”
I fight the urge to roll my eyes.
Then I find myself staring at him. Trying to figure him out. He is so strange.
I know nothing about him even though I have spent every day with him for weeks now. He has been at my side, seeing to my every need, and I still know nothing about him.
I guess I know as much about him as he knows about me.
We are strangers in this weird dance, and I don’t know where it all leads.
His eyes are piercing into me. His dark gaze is locked with mine and I am fighting the urge to look away as it begins to grow more intense and intimate.
My breath catches in my chest and for no reason that I can understand, I am fighting tears again.
He moves to sit on the edge of the bed and tentatively pulls me into his arms.
“You’ve been through so much, little rabbit. You are so strong.”
I want to fight him and push him away, but I don’t. Just the feeling of someone holding me is somehow easing the pain in my heart. Even though my body is healing, my emotions are still a wreck. I am still having nightmares; I still wake up crying and fighting against invisible things.
I lean into him, and I feel him holding his breath.
Why does he treat me like a child? Why does he think I need to be pampered like a baby every moment of every day? He wants to control everything. Absolutely everything.
I breathe evenly as my tears settle to nothing. I just need to get stronger and then I can escape. Once I am walking around, I will be able to see where I am and make a plan.
For now, I will just have to take it slowly.
I pull away from him and settle back down into the bed, lying on my side.
I close my eyes and fall asleep quickly.
***
When I wake up later that afternoon, I cannot hear Kiril in the office opposite my room. I carefully move to the side of the bed. The house is quiet.
