Stay with Me by Awesomekristii (jenna bush book club .TXT) 📖

DELILAH

My head buzzed and felt a little swaying when I opened my eyes to the dim light room. The scent of medicine, and disinfection hitting my nose sharp, and the white-washed walls told me exactly where I was.

I felt a weight on my right hand and turned to look there when I found him sleeping there peacefully. His cheeks pressed against the back of my palm, poking with his light scrub. It warmed my heart when I looked at him, sleeping there yet so uncomfortably. He would get a neck pain in the morning.

I turned my head in the front and stared at the white ceiling above before I drifted back to the memory lanes. My eyes closed, and what I saw made my body shiver, my breathing fast and my chest tightening.

The hands were all over me. The scratches, the pain, my pleadings, shouting, helplessness, and the sick disgusting smirk on his face. I could remember his eyes well now, and the scar he was hiding under his beard. He was one of them. One of them whom my father sold me.

I forced myself to haul out of there, and not to think back again. But whatever happened last night would bring just the exact things in front of my eyes, playing like a movie. Except it’s as real as I was lying on the hospital bed.

I looked back at him, and a warm tear escaped from the corner of my eyes. If he hadn’t come there I wouldn’t have survived, and neither had I the capability to go through the same thing again. And yet again, as I thought, I failed to protect myself alone. If he hadn’t come, I wouldn’t have been able to protect my dignity and it filled me with self-loath at my weakness and for not fighting back.

My inside tumbled more when I realized it was time I had to tell him all the secrets. How much tainted was my body, my di go, ty, and myself. Ruined. Battered soul.

But could I tell him? Would he be there after listening that he had protected me now but I had already faced and gone through the nightmare? I didn’t have an answer.

And suddenly, my fingers connected with the IV itched to rub the handprints away from my body, those dirty touches, eyes all over me, and all the disgusting things they did to me.

I felt him shift a little when he brought his right hand resting on the bed up and wrapped around mine, before placing his head over it, and back to sleep. My vision blurred and my throat tightened.

He shouldn’t touch me. It would only make him dirty and tarnished. The more he pressed his head all around my hand wrapped around with his, the more I felt the disgust in myself to enjoy the feeling of this. He shouldn’t touch me. He would be dirty.

My mind buzzed with the words again and again. And shutting my eyes closed I could only see the hands, coming towards me, the sick expressions and the evil laughter echoing mocking my weak self. And before I know I was sobbing hard. My breathing was short and rapid, and I tried to calm down myself but was in vain.

I wheeze out his name feeling something closing up my throat, cutting off the air supply to my lungs. “Da-mein.” I took in long breaths trying to stabilize but in vain. “I c-can't be “

And before I know it, I felt him rising and the next second beside me, grabbing me in his arms and rubbing my back.

•

DAMIEN

•

I saw her wheezing, her breaths coming out short and her body going a little limp. Fear gripped my heart as I called for the nurse and the doctor. I shouldn’t have slept. Shit! How much irresponsible could I be?

I continuously rubbed her back, “Take in deep breaths, Lilah. The doc will be here soon.” She nodded and clutched my pants legs tightly in between his fists, trying to do as I told her.

The doctor soon entered the room and I saw him walking toward her before asking the nurse for an inhaler. He pushed that gently in her mouth giving two pumps and asked her to take in deep breaths and try to stabilize herself.

The entire process made my heart thunder with fear and anxiety. Her ragged breathing and wheezing out my name made panic pool inside me. I saw her figure relaxing, breathing normal and eyes closed in relaxation. Before the doctor could rub her back to keep her inhaling well, I saw her backing away from him like lightning.

She pressed herself to the wall again and looked up at me once before dropping her gaze on the distance between us. I was quick to move towards her when I saw the doctor signaling me and wrapped my arms around her petite form. She snuggled into me, rubbing her face against my shirt.

I looked at the doctor and saw him nodding his head in understanding. He handed me the pump and advised me to not give to her more than one or two if she did that again. I could only nod at that, taking it from her hand and wishing I wouldn’t get it.

“When can we go back?” She whispered against my chest and I brushed the tiny hair away from her face, giving her more access to stare at. “Tomorrow itself.” I smiled at her which she didn’t see so just nodded.

I continued to hold her like that, feeling her breathing normal and stabilized. Her eyes drooped close and when I looked at my wrist watch it was just 2 at night. I made her lay on the bed and ran my fingers through her hair. It always helped, Grams used to do that whenever I had a bad nightmare and couldn’t sleep.

She seemed to like that when I felt her getting comfortable on the bed, her soft snoring and eyes closed. I unfastened my hold from her and get to go back to the couch this time when I felt her grabbing my hand.

Her eyes peeked open a little, as she spoke, “Can you lay beside me please?” I couldn’t deny her scared form and pleading tone. My inside tightened at that and I was quick to open my shoes when she shifted a little and made room for me. I laid beside her, the single bed wasn’t too good to accommodate us.