Freya smiled ...and dove in headfirst.
Chapter Fifteen
By the end of the day, Freya was still smiling.It had been a fantastic day.They laughed, played, and swam, stopping only to snack on some sandwiches.She couldn’t remember the last time she had laughed so much, felt so ...free.Relaxed.There were no miracles; she had felt tense whenever one of the twins approached, but inexplicably, she relaxed as soon as she felt the light touch of their fingers.And by then, she had already realized that they were men of touch.Either on the lower back, the shoulders, or the arms.Always gentle, always preceded by an, “Is this okay?”
She felt comfortable around them.More comfortable than she ever felt before.
After a pizza dinner, they put on a movie.Freya became completely absorbed by the movie, probably the only one.Tanya and Tara exchanged glances, waiting for their cousins’ signal.They brought popcorn, nachos, and gummy bears.The feast of gluttony lasted until the two sisters silently rose and walked away, leaving a bowl of popcorn at Declan’s feet and another of nachos at Ciaran’s feet.
Absorbed in the film, it took her a while to realize that the twins were taking turns feeding her.
“What are you doing?”she whispered, without taking her eyes from the TV.
“Eating.”
“Watching Vin Diesel kick ass.”
“Watching you eating.”
“Watching you watching Vin Diesel kick ass.”
She couldn’t contain herself and began to laugh.Looking to her side, however, she realized she was alone with the twins, who were standing beside her.Their posture was relaxed, and she felt good.She closed her eyes, searching for the truth within herself.She had lived with fear and anxiety for so long that discovering herself without it was liberating.
“Little one?”one of them asked.She wasn’t sure which one, but suddenly she could feel their eyes on her.Watching.Anticipating, but not in a predatory way.Not like...
“Talk to us, angel,” he whispered.Ciaran?Declan?She didn’t know.
“We can’t...I can’t...”
“We can.You can.Whatever it is you want.”
“I’m not...”taking a deep breath, she mustered her courage and fired rapidly “Ihavesomeissues...”
“Slow down, baby.Machine guns are slower than you were just now.”Ciaran’s voice was gentle, but firm.Her eyes were firmly closed, her hands closed in fists.With slow, gentle gestures, Declan lightly touched her chin and murmured, “Words, little one.We need to know how you feel, what’s inside that pretty head of yours.”
She took several deep breaths, her eyes tightly closed.She didn’t have the courage to look at them, not if she wanted to get this off her chest.Ciaran grasped her hand, squeezing her fingers lightly.Declan grabbed her other hand, his fingers sliding smoothly between hers.
