dinner. She had said she wasn’t really hungry, but she hadn’t been eating much since she got back. To be honest, she hadn’t eaten much while she was captive either. He had seen the way she pushed the food around her plate. In Colombia he could understand why. He wouldn’t have trusted that Diego hadn’t drugged the food either. But back home she should have been eating. She was already thin and she didn’t need to lose any more weight, but if she kept avoiding the food on her plate as if it were some dark plague, she was going to waste away.
He had an idea of what he could cook to get her to eat something. He cooked her his famous turkey pasta dish that everybody seemed to love. She had the turkey breast cutlets in the freezer, it just took thawing and dicing them so he could sauté them until it was cooked through, remove it and then cook the vegetables in the same pan before adding the turkey again. She actually ate a little more than he expected, and the rest she put in a bowl for leftovers.
She had been so silent that he wanted to do something to help her, but he knew he couldn’t do more than what he was already doing. The only thing he could do was be there for her but the healing process was something she was going to have to be willing to do, which meant she was going to have to willingly talk about things.
She had gone to her room early, but she hadn’t slept. He heard her crying so he went in to hold her. At first he wasn’t sure she wanted him there. She didn’t even acknowledge his presence until his weight shifted off the bed as he prepared to leave her room. She reached back and caught hold of his hand, “stay,” her voice was so tiny it broke his heart. He got back into bed with her. She was under the covers, while he lay on top, and he pulled her into his arms. He held her while she cried, but he didn’t speak. His presence was more comforting than any words could be right now. She needed to cry. She needed to let it out and not hold it in any longer.
He had stayed with her, even after she fell asleep. He had some insatiable need to hold her, to reaffirm that she was alive and safe at home. He thought about that distant look in her eyes during dinner. He had seen that look before. It was the look of a tortured soul in need of healing. If she kept fighting it she wouldn’t heal.
He was sound asleep when she bolted upright with a startled yell. It didn’t take much to wake him up. He sat up, pulled her back down into his arms and held her trembling body. “We’re going to talk,” he didn’t ask if she wanted to because he knew she would say no. He was demanding this conversation because he was sure something more happened to her than what she was telling them.
“I’m sorry. I just can’t get his face out of my head. Every time I close my eyes I can either see Kelly dying, or I see him. I feel the evil coming off of him and I just can’t expunge my mind of what he looked like, felt like, tasted like…” she let her words trail off. His grip tightened on her. She had told him he hadn’t forced himself on her.
“Natalia?”
“He…before dinner the first night he wanted a kiss. I didn’t want one, but that didn’t stop him from taking it. I can still taste the minty flavor of his mouth, mixed with something spicy like gingerroot.” She shivered. “I just wish I could forget.”
“It takes time to bounce back from something like this, Natalia and even then you’ll never forget.”
She sighed. “I was afraid you would say that.”
He had recovered from his moments of captivity, and from his moments of battle, but he would never forget even one detail of those moments. They would always be with him. And unfortunately for her, her memories of losing her friend and being held prisoner would always be with her too. “It will get easier, Natalia. It just takes time.”
She didn’t say anything; she just buried her fingers in
He had an idea of what he could cook to get her to eat something. He cooked her his famous turkey pasta dish that everybody seemed to love. She had the turkey breast cutlets in the freezer, it just took thawing and dicing them so he could sauté them until it was cooked through, remove it and then cook the vegetables in the same pan before adding the turkey again. She actually ate a little more than he expected, and the rest she put in a bowl for leftovers.
She had been so silent that he wanted to do something to help her, but he knew he couldn’t do more than what he was already doing. The only thing he could do was be there for her but the healing process was something she was going to have to be willing to do, which meant she was going to have to willingly talk about things.
She had gone to her room early, but she hadn’t slept. He heard her crying so he went in to hold her. At first he wasn’t sure she wanted him there. She didn’t even acknowledge his presence until his weight shifted off the bed as he prepared to leave her room. She reached back and caught hold of his hand, “stay,” her voice was so tiny it broke his heart. He got back into bed with her. She was under the covers, while he lay on top, and he pulled her into his arms. He held her while she cried, but he didn’t speak. His presence was more comforting than any words could be right now. She needed to cry. She needed to let it out and not hold it in any longer.
He had stayed with her, even after she fell asleep. He had some insatiable need to hold her, to reaffirm that she was alive and safe at home. He thought about that distant look in her eyes during dinner. He had seen that look before. It was the look of a tortured soul in need of healing. If she kept fighting it she wouldn’t heal.
He was sound asleep when she bolted upright with a startled yell. It didn’t take much to wake him up. He sat up, pulled her back down into his arms and held her trembling body. “We’re going to talk,” he didn’t ask if she wanted to because he knew she would say no. He was demanding this conversation because he was sure something more happened to her than what she was telling them.
“I’m sorry. I just can’t get his face out of my head. Every time I close my eyes I can either see Kelly dying, or I see him. I feel the evil coming off of him and I just can’t expunge my mind of what he looked like, felt like, tasted like…” she let her words trail off. His grip tightened on her. She had told him he hadn’t forced himself on her.
“Natalia?”
“He…before dinner the first night he wanted a kiss. I didn’t want one, but that didn’t stop him from taking it. I can still taste the minty flavor of his mouth, mixed with something spicy like gingerroot.” She shivered. “I just wish I could forget.”
“It takes time to bounce back from something like this, Natalia and even then you’ll never forget.”
She sighed. “I was afraid you would say that.”
He had recovered from his moments of captivity, and from his moments of battle, but he would never forget even one detail of those moments. They would always be with him. And unfortunately for her, her memories of losing her friend and being held prisoner would always be with her too. “It will get easier, Natalia. It just takes time.”
She didn’t say anything; she just buried her fingers in
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