Misconceptions by yolo mama (best contemporary novels .txt) 📖

to me, he could do it. “You’ll be okay once you eat,” he whispered. “I can carry you up the stairs, but you need to let me help you, okay? Don’t hurt yourself by trying to be strong, because right now you aren’t.” I slowly nodded my head, closing my eyes to clear the tears that had gathered. I reluctantly put my arm around his neck and he picked me up effortlessly. “That a girl; just relax.”
He walked through the door, exiting the room I woke up in. I did not see much of where we went because my head was tucked into his chest. My neck ached so much, and the only position that was comfortable was the one putting my head closest to his. I could feel us ascending a staircase and enter another room because of the new streams of light that poured through. A few moments passed and I felt myself being set down gently on a soft surface, a couch. He knelt next to me, and I could feel his gaze on my face, on all of me. I then remembered what clothes I had on: shorts almost too short for modesty, and a shirt that hung low in the front. I turned away from him, trying to hide myself from this stranger. “Oh… wow, I didn’t notice that earlier,” he said. He moved my hair away from the side of my neck, and I winced as a pulse of pain shot through me. “Sorry darling, I didn’t mean for that to hurt. You have a cut here that needs some attention. Don’t go anywhere,” he said as he stood up and went towards a cabinet. He returned moments later with a damp cloth and ointment. As he kneeled down beside the couch, he lifted my head, turning the cut to face him. I flinched at his touch. “I’m just going to clean it with some water, okay? Try not to pull away, I know it hurts.” He gently touched my neck, stroking the skin around the cut. I flinched again as he got closer to the wound, but his hand on the other side of my face held me still. Water from the cloth trickled down the rest of my neck, onto my shoulder and found its way to my collarbone. He gently wiped those places where the water had spread before removing his hands from my face. “This may hurt just a little. I need to apply some ointment to keep it clean, okay? It will only take a second.” I nodded, expecting the sting that came when I felt the ointment touch my neck. “See, that wasn’t too bad,” he said with a smile. With that, he rose and went into the next room, the kitchen, and brought back some food. It was nothing fancy, some crackers, fruit, and water. “Eat this, you need it.”
I just looked at it. I was hungry, but I couldn’t show that weakness too. Who was this person that carried me out of a cell and tended my wound? Did he do this to me in the first place? I did not know much, but I did know that I did not trust him. “I’m not hungry,” I said, my voice cracking a little. Those were the first words I had spoken since I woke up. He looked up at me with a surprised look, a smirk on his face. “And she speaks,” he said softly. “Darling, you have to eat. Just a little, to get something inside of you.” I nodded my head no, not looking at him or the food. “All right, then,” he said with a hint of irritation. “Just tell me when you want to.” He stayed there, kneeling next to the couch. I felt his gaze on me again, which made me uncomfortable but unable to keep myself from looking back at him. Our eyes met. I could not tell what kind of eyes I was looking into. Whether they were caring or destructive, safe or dangerous… I had no idea. I knew exactly what eyes he was looking into, though: scared, confused, tired, hurt. He shifted positions, leaning towards me. “It’s okay to be afraid of me. I know that you’re really scared right now, but I promise that I won’t hurt you.” He took my hand in his, giving it a light squeeze. “I won’t,” he repeated.
I kept his gaze. Something about it was irresistible. The dark eyes were such a contrast to his light skin... a very attractive contrast. My heart beat slowed to a normal rate as we sat there. He must have noticed because he gave my hand another light squeeze as he stood up and walked away. I remained on the couch, too weak to move. I still did not want to eat the food he had left me. My mind started to wonder... what was his name? why was there a jail-like cell in the basement of this mansion? would he really not hurt me? Part of me wanted to thank him for helping me, and the other part wanted to escape as soon as possible. As my mind wandered, a door opened close by and I heard a somewhat familiar voice calling for someone named Ben. The voice got closer until its owner stood in the doorway to the room I was in. It was Frank. My eyes widened with surprise and hope. "Frank? Please help me; i need your help, i'm too weak to get up. Is Gina okay..." I pleaded. Frank just stood there with a frustrated look on his face. "She's fine," he said before walking away. I called his name to come back, but he did not return.
Then, I heard voices arguing:
"How could you let her out, Ben? Are you an idiot? We don't know how dangerous she is until..."
"She's fine," Ben replied. "There's nothing she can do to us, and besides... she doesn't even know."
"What do you mean 'she doesn't know'? She's a Tallon. They all know. I'm putting her back downstairs... I still can't believe you let her out."
"I didn't just 'let her out', Frank. She tried to fight when I touched her, but not like the other Tallons. She fought like any normal person would... no tricks. And I never found any hidden weapons on her after you chained her up either."
"I'm still not convinced," complained Frank.
"Then leave. I think I have things under control. If something happens, I know how to kill her. I've done it before."
"Fine, Ben. Just stay focused, please."
With that, the conversation ended. I stayed frozen on the couch. Did "Ben" say he was going to kill me? I tried to put together the parts of the conversation that I heard. What didn't I know?... and why was me being a Tallon important to these men? My thoughts were interrupted as he came into the room. He walked towards the couch where I sat. He must have noticed the new grown fear and tears in my eyes because he stopped a few feet in front of me, eyeing me.
"Are you okay, hon?" he asked
"Ben?" I said, my voice quivering.
"Yes, Nora?"
"Why did... are you going to kill me?" My voice broke out into a soft sob at the last words of my sentence. I buried my face in my hands. I couldn't look at him.
"You could hear," he said sighing. "Nora, I need you to pay very close attention to me. I know you're scared, but you don't need to cry. Just calm down a bit and let me talk to you." As he said these words, he got closer and closer to me. By the end, he was practically whispering in my ear. A shiver traveled through me, partly because I did not know if he was dangerous and partly because of his warm breath on my skin. After a few minutes, I was able to gain control of my emotions and sit quietly.
"Nora, I am not going to hurt you. I said so earlier and I mean it. I'm sorry you had to overhear me and Frank. He's someone who is just looking out for himself and his family. The truth is, when Frank found you and told me there was a Tallon in town, our original plan was to kill you. That's why you were brought here. The Tallon's and my...relatives... haven't had an easy past together. But I was here watching you and realized that you weren't a threat to us, so I didn't see a point in keeping you down there. Damn, none of this probably makes sense to you, does it?"
I took a deep breath. Confusion boiled inside me. "Why would I be a threat to you? If I'm not, then why am I still here? Can I please go?... please," I begged.
"You have to stay here for a bit, it's not safe for us to let you go right now. I know you don't understand, but you have to trust me."
"Trust you?" I whispered. The words sounded strange coming out of my mouth. "I have no idea who you are, other than someone holding me hostage. I just found out you wanted to kill me. I woke up in chains. I..." As I recalled everything that had happened, tears returned to my eyes.
"Nora, Nora, shhhh," Ben whispered, cupping my face in his palms. I tried to pull away but his grip was strong. "Nora, you don't have to trust me, but it would be easier on both of us if you did, okay?" I shook my head, no.
"Please, just let me go. Let me be alone, at least." With that, Ben released my face and took a step back from me.
"You'll be alright, Nora. I promise." He walked away from me into another room.
I sat on the couch by myself for a few hours. I could barely move because I was so weak. My stomach growled ferociously but I had no interest in eating, even if Ben couldn't see me. I felt my head getting heavy, my vision getting groggy. I had chills running through me. My eyes would close for a minute, but my head would fill with flashbacks of being in chains. I had different dreams about Frank and Ben coming at me with knives, trying to kill me. I would wake up every time, right before they got to me. This went on for a few hours until I wasn't sure what was reality. I was delusional. I lay on the couch, one hand hanging off the side. I softly asked for help, even though no one was there. Out of no where, a figure appeared, made blurry by my weakened vision. The figure reached its hands out for me, wrapping them around me waist and pulling me up. I had no control over my body, I couldn't hold up any part of me, not even my head.
"Nora! Hold on, darling. I'm going to help you," a voice said. All I could do was breathe and try to stay awake. Something cold touched my lips. Water. I tried to get more, but I didn't know how.
"Sip slowly, if you can," the voice said. I listened; there was nothing else I could do. I felt the cold water run through my mouth, down my throat and into my core. After a few minutes, I was able to chew a