funny,” Tessa scoffed.
Merritt produced something from behind his
back.
“No, you can't be serious!” She tried not to
sound panicked.
In response, he reached around behind her,
sweeping the blindfold across her eyes and beginning to tie it
behind her head. She reached up to arrest his hands, dismayed at
the thought of giving up her power of sight.
Instantly, Merritt brought the blindfold back
down.
“What's wrong, Sweetheart?” he begged,
genuine-sounding warmth emitting from his voice.
“I just...” Tessa stuttered. “I don't...”
She could think of nothing to say without
bringing up the deception.
“I thought you would enjoy this. Remember in
high school when you blind-folded me for our prom dinner?” He
grinned so excitedly that Tessa couldn't quite resist his
enthusiasm, feigned or not.
“Please, let me do this,” he whispered.
“It'll be so much more fun this way, for both of us.”
As he spoke, he raised the blindfold back to
her eyes, brushing his lips against her neck.
“Fine,” she answered breathlessly. Strangely,
her uncertainty did not make Merritt more repulsive. On the
contrary, though she did not trust him, and she could not relax
around him, not since the moment that she walked down the aisle had
he affected her as intensely as at the moment his mouth caressed
her skin. Even as her reason cried “no,” her heart shouted a
resounding “yes” to Merritt's mysterious intentions. She found
that, even knowing he had deceived her, some part of her clung to
trust with every ounce of strength, a faith beyond reason.
When the solid feel of concrete had thudded
beneath her feet, a bit of security had accompanied the tangibility
of the earth. She could breath, if not deeply, at least steadily.
With the security came a confidence in her own ability to adapt.
Whatever Merritt did, she could handle.
Despite her bravado, chills erupted once
again on her skin when when Merritt returned his lips to the back
of her neck. “Just stay with me,” Merritt's deep voice insisted in
a soft purr.
As long as you stay with
me , she agreed silently, her heart pouring
every ounce of wishfulness into the thought.
“Like I have a choice,” she answered
aloud.
Merritt laughed, and Tessa chuckled nervously
in response.
“Do you trust me?” he chuckled.
Trying not to falter, Tessa responded, “Of
course,” in what she hoped was a light tone. Trust did not really
apply to what she felt about Merritt right now. She had learned
something about him on this flight to the unknown. Though she wore
a blind-fold as she left the plane, she felt as if someone had
lifted blinders off her eyes and had begun to reveal a whole new
reality to her. Tessa wished that she could return to her mundane
existence, but the possibility seemed infinitely remote. Now that
truth had unveiled her delusion, Tessa knew it was only a matter of
time before she began to live in the rough substance of the real
world. She would have given anything to have her illusion
again.
Chapter 6
The brisk air stung Tessa's cheeks as Merritt
led her gingerly away from the airplane. Though he held her waist
tightly, Tessa couldn't help but feel unsteady as she plodded
aimlessly into the emptiness before her. The jacket that Merritt
had slipped over Tessa's shoulders hung loosely about her allowing
the gentle but frigid breeze to weave under it and chilling the
skin on her arms and neck.
“Merritt, how much farther are we walking,”
Tessa complained. “I'm freezing.”
“Relax,” he crooned, pulling the jacket a
little tighter and securing his arms more closely around her.
“This really is ridiculous,” she murmured,
hoping Merritt would consider removing her blindfold.
“Just a little farther,” he urged. “Be
patient.” Only about a dozen paces later, his arms arrested her
movements. The quiet hum of a car motor greeted her heightened
sense of hearing. Relieved, she waited patiently while Merritt left
her side. He returned a
Merritt produced something from behind his
back.
“No, you can't be serious!” She tried not to
sound panicked.
In response, he reached around behind her,
sweeping the blindfold across her eyes and beginning to tie it
behind her head. She reached up to arrest his hands, dismayed at
the thought of giving up her power of sight.
Instantly, Merritt brought the blindfold back
down.
“What's wrong, Sweetheart?” he begged,
genuine-sounding warmth emitting from his voice.
“I just...” Tessa stuttered. “I don't...”
She could think of nothing to say without
bringing up the deception.
“I thought you would enjoy this. Remember in
high school when you blind-folded me for our prom dinner?” He
grinned so excitedly that Tessa couldn't quite resist his
enthusiasm, feigned or not.
“Please, let me do this,” he whispered.
“It'll be so much more fun this way, for both of us.”
As he spoke, he raised the blindfold back to
her eyes, brushing his lips against her neck.
“Fine,” she answered breathlessly. Strangely,
her uncertainty did not make Merritt more repulsive. On the
contrary, though she did not trust him, and she could not relax
around him, not since the moment that she walked down the aisle had
he affected her as intensely as at the moment his mouth caressed
her skin. Even as her reason cried “no,” her heart shouted a
resounding “yes” to Merritt's mysterious intentions. She found
that, even knowing he had deceived her, some part of her clung to
trust with every ounce of strength, a faith beyond reason.
When the solid feel of concrete had thudded
beneath her feet, a bit of security had accompanied the tangibility
of the earth. She could breath, if not deeply, at least steadily.
With the security came a confidence in her own ability to adapt.
Whatever Merritt did, she could handle.
Despite her bravado, chills erupted once
again on her skin when when Merritt returned his lips to the back
of her neck. “Just stay with me,” Merritt's deep voice insisted in
a soft purr.
As long as you stay with
me , she agreed silently, her heart pouring
every ounce of wishfulness into the thought.
“Like I have a choice,” she answered
aloud.
Merritt laughed, and Tessa chuckled nervously
in response.
“Do you trust me?” he chuckled.
Trying not to falter, Tessa responded, “Of
course,” in what she hoped was a light tone. Trust did not really
apply to what she felt about Merritt right now. She had learned
something about him on this flight to the unknown. Though she wore
a blind-fold as she left the plane, she felt as if someone had
lifted blinders off her eyes and had begun to reveal a whole new
reality to her. Tessa wished that she could return to her mundane
existence, but the possibility seemed infinitely remote. Now that
truth had unveiled her delusion, Tessa knew it was only a matter of
time before she began to live in the rough substance of the real
world. She would have given anything to have her illusion
again.
Chapter 6
The brisk air stung Tessa's cheeks as Merritt
led her gingerly away from the airplane. Though he held her waist
tightly, Tessa couldn't help but feel unsteady as she plodded
aimlessly into the emptiness before her. The jacket that Merritt
had slipped over Tessa's shoulders hung loosely about her allowing
the gentle but frigid breeze to weave under it and chilling the
skin on her arms and neck.
“Merritt, how much farther are we walking,”
Tessa complained. “I'm freezing.”
“Relax,” he crooned, pulling the jacket a
little tighter and securing his arms more closely around her.
“This really is ridiculous,” she murmured,
hoping Merritt would consider removing her blindfold.
“Just a little farther,” he urged. “Be
patient.” Only about a dozen paces later, his arms arrested her
movements. The quiet hum of a car motor greeted her heightened
sense of hearing. Relieved, she waited patiently while Merritt left
her side. He returned a
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