CHAPTER 109: SAFETY NET

"It’s all right now. You’re safe. As long as you’re with me, you’ll always be safe," Raphael whispered reassuring words to me over and over again.

I had no idea how long I was wrapped up in this arms like a helpless child, but slowly I did start to feel better. His reassuring words made me feel safe and the dark memories began to recede. Slowly, Raphael let me go and held my shoulders so that he could get a good look at my face.

"You’re safe now," he repeated slowly.

I nodded my head and acknowledgment of his words, and to tell him that I did believe him. However, along with the relief that I felt came tears. It felt like the dam suddenly burst and tears wouldn’t stop falling from my eyes. I crumpled forward, pressing my face into his chest again as sobs wrecked to my body. Raphael comforted me instantly, wrapping his arms around me like a shield that would protect me from anything and anyone. The warmth of his body was overwhelming and it felt like his strength was seeping into my skin.

"Cry all you need to. You’ll emerge much stronger," Raphael said with conviction.

It felt like his words gave me permission to cry, and cry I did. I cried until it felt like I could no longer cry anymore and Raphael just patiently held me in his arms all throughout the ride back to the mansion.

"Thank you. Thank you for helping me. Thank you for being there for me," I whispered with my voice hoarse and barely audible.

The sound of my voice reminded me that my face must have been in an extremely unpresentable state, and Raphael had seen it all. Certainly my self-consciousness took over it, and I quickly turned away from him to hide my tears stained face from his sight even though I knew that it was already too late.

"You don’t have to thank me, and you don’t have to hide your face. I promise that I will always keep you safe," Raphael said as he placed his hand firmly on my shoulder.

Slowly, I turned to face him again. His face looked a little unclear through my vision blurred with my own tears. When he placed his large hand on the side of my face, I relished in its warmth. Gently, he wiped a tear away from my face with a pad of his thumb. His face was inches from mine, as his eyes stared directly into mine. That was clearly a look of concern in his gaze, yet there was something more that made my chest tighten. Time seemed to stop around us, and the next thing I knew our lips met in a kiss that started off soft and tender at first, to the point that it was almost hesitant. It felt as if he was giving me the choice and the opportunity to pull away if I wasn’t ready, but I was ready.

His lips on mine felt like exactly what I needed at that moment. There was suddenly a thirst inside of me that needed to be quenched. I wanted to feel his warmth, his reassurance, and to dive deeply in the safety net that I knew that he was. My lips moved fervently against his, kissing him back as a spark grew and burned between us.

The soft and gentle kiss quickly transformed into something deeper and more intense. Each time our lips brushed, a hunger grew inside of me. His hand slid to the back of my neck and pulled me closer as our tongues entangled in a passionate dance that made me feel warm inside. My hands moved as if it had a will of its own, exploring the contours of his body through his clothes, gripping the front of his shirt with need. When our lips finally parted, I was breathless. Raphael didn’t let me go, instead he rested his forehead against mine.

"I’m here for you, Gail..." he whispered as his fingers captured a loose lock of my hair and tucking it neatly behind my ear.

I was so touched by his words that I suddenly became speechless. Not knowing how to respond to him in words, I simply nodded my head before throwing my arms around his neck to keep him close to me. Raphael hugged me and urged me to rest my body against his. He held me like a child and we stayed that way all throughout the ride until we finally arrived back at the mansion.

...

The mansion loomed in the distance as the limousine drove along its driveway. Usually, the site of the grand house would make me feel insecure, but tonight it felt different. It felt like I was truly returning home from a tiring journey, and I was ready to get some rest. Raphael was the one who stepped out first, before offering me a hand to help me out of the limousine. I didn’t hesitate when I took his hand and let him support me out of the car.

The moment that the front doors opened, we were Immediately greeted with my excited-looking mother with Bennett standing right by her side. The way they both stood right at the front door made it feel like they were anxiously awaiting our return. The look of surprise and anticipation on their faces quickly turned into a look of worry when they saw the condition that I was in. It must have been obvious that I had been crying, and that made my mother’s eyes widened with shock as she took in the disheveled state of my dress and my red tear-streaked face.

"Abigail!" she exclaimed as she rushed forward and took my hands into hers.

"What happened? " she asked, as her eyes frantically looked me up and down for any visible injuries.

"I’m fine," I replied quickly, although my voice trembled slightly. "Really, it’s nothing," I continued, as if my words would have to convince my mother.

"What do you mean you’re fine? There’s no way that you can be ’fine’. You’ve been crying and look at your dress," my mother cut me off and her tone was sharp with concern.

–To be continued...