It was the end of twilight and the beginning of dawn. The sky was beginning to lighten, the sun still below the horizon. She heard waves crashing against the beach and the smell of the ocean filled her nostrils. Any other time it would be a heavenly experience but this morning she was filled with anguish and pain. She turned her gaze toward the beach, giving her eyes time to adjust between the twilight and the dawn. Her breath caught when her eyes fell on Sebastian. He was breathtaking in a white shirt and jeans. He was stretched full length on the sandy beach, hands behind his head.
She took the trail towards the steps and descended while pressing her lips together to keep her body from trembling. She stepped on the cool sand and walked slowly toward him, halting at by his side. She looked down at his face into those amazing emerald eyes and all she could see was despondency in the intensity of his gaze. His body was motionless and the cold stillness in the air made her reach up to her neck and grab her necklace. Her mind raced, as she felt a sharp pain in her chest and, taking a tight breath, whispered.
“Don’t you want to be with me anymore?” her voice was breaking her eyes were tearing. He turned and watched her carefully as the same dark shadow crossed his eyes, making it hard for her to understand what he was thinking.
“Hey, baby.” His lips curved to that awesome smile and she fell apart. She collapsed down on the sand next to him and, putting her hands over her face, began to sob. She wasn’t sure how long she sat there and suddenly she felt his hands pulling hers away from her face and as she looked up found him sitting upright across from her. His hands cupped her face and with his thumbs he wiped the tears away.
“Don’t cry, baby, I love you so much, it breaks my heart to see you sad.” He watched her closely, and lifting her head, pressed his lips softly on hers. She threw herself at him and wrapping her arms around him pulled him to her and kissed him with hunger, with desire, with want.
“I miss you,” she whispered without breaking the kiss, overwhelmed when Sebastian pressed her down in the sand and crushed her lips beneath his with passion that send scorching heat across her body. She was still savoring the taste of his immortal scent when he suddenly pulled back and drifted away again.
She’d found the old Sebastian and lost him again in a matter of seconds, leaving her completely out of breath and dazed. He’d never done that before, if anything she was the one trying to stop a scorching encounter on the beach. Something was wrong and she wasn’t moving an inch until she found out what was going on.
The more he pulled back the more obsessed she became with uncovering the truth. She sucked in a deep breath and putting her hand at his nape she held his gaze to hers. She opened her mouth and shut it again, trying to find the strength to continue with her thought and finally she came out with it. She started to talk without taking a breath and didn’t stop until she’d said all she wanted to say.
“Sebastian, you have to tell me what’s going on because I'm going out of my mind. Don’t tell me nothing's wrong, because I’m not a fool. I know you much better than you think I do. I’m in love with you, don’t you understand that?” she said in desperation. “We’re going to be married in another month. Does that mean anything to you? You and I are going to sit here until we clear the air.” Her voice quivered and tears streamed down her face, but she was determined to have it all out.
She saw a trace of torment in his emerald eyes and he exhaled slowly as if pleading with her to understand. She had absolutely no clue as to what he was about to say, so reaching out she touched his hand slightly and smiled softly.
“I love you, Sebastian,” she murmured. His eyes searched hers and she could see he was attempting to regain control of his thoughts. Suddenly he leaned in and spoke anxiously.
“Arielle, my life was shattered in just a few moments by that dreadful wicked entity of evil.”
Disillusionment engulfed him and she now knew that whatever he was about to say had something to do with Annabel. She wasn’t sure what to expect but the fact that Annabel was involved caused nausea to intensify inside of her and she tried hard to fight it back.
He regained his composure quickly and without hesitation added, “Our happiness is stained with smut,” he enunciated the word with clenched teeth.
She was at a loss with all the weird images in her head that seemed worse than dreams. She knew that her life had been set on a new and strange path two years ago when she’d set eyes on this beautiful man and fell irrevocably in love with him. She had to find out what happened between him and Annabel that was torturing him so severely. She took his hands in hers. They gazed in each other’s eyes and she could see they both feared these emotions were affecting them immeasurably.
“Please talk to me,” she whispered.
He started to say something and stopped again, looking almost uncomfortable to discuss whatever this nightmare was, but she waited patiently and suddenly he started to talk. The more he talked the more relaxed he became. He stopped several times and exhaled and every time Annabel’s name came up his face twisted in rage. Arielle’s eyes widened in shock as he delved deeper and deeper into the incident; she still couldn’t find one thing that would excuse his rejection.
It was a few moments later that things started to make sense for her; it was the point of the physical assault. Pain flashed across his face and she tasted bile, making her eyes burn and her body recoiled. Her mind whirled and she racked her brain, and finally she was transported to another place and time.
Mat’s face flashed before her eyes and memories rushed in, bringing back the hours she spent in the shower trying to scrub his filthy touch away from her skin. She recoiled at the thought of anyone touching her and remembered anxiety taking over her, knowing that if Sebastian were home she’d have pushed him away.
She was now leaning away from Sebastian, and she suddenly drew herself further back, pursing her lips against the bitter taste in her mouth. She winced and flinched, finally understanding why Sebastian had spent all that time in the shower and why he didn’t come to bed. Everything was becoming crystal clear. He was going through the same emotions she had with Mat. She shivered and pulled her jacket tighter around her. Suddenly she realized that he’d stopped talking and was watching her carefully. She looked at him, waiting for him to continue but he smiled bitterly and looked the opposite way.
“I can’t go on,” he murmured and his lips quivered. She could see that his mind was in turmoil. Her head was spinning; she’d never expected sexual assault and never even considered it to be a scenario in this whole event. She pursed her lips again and, reaching out, placed her hand on his. He turned and looked at her with warmth, with love and she fell apart.
“Sebastian, I’m here and I’ll remain by your side every step of the way,” she murmured. “I don’t care how long it takes, I’ll wait…” her voice trailed. She ran her finger gently over his lip line, making him smile softly.
“We’re not going to talk about this anymore, not now, not ever,” she said, firmly. She stopped talking and waited. He lay back on the sand, pulled her down and she laid her head on his shoulder. He held her tight against his body this time and she felt him relaxing.
“I’m sorry, Arielle,” he murmured, nuzzling her hair.
“For what? You’re not responsible for an evil woman being misled by her sick mind.” Her voice was warm and understanding. She lifted her eyes to meet his gaze. He was watching her with that amazing smile that made her love him even more.
“You have absolutely no clue as to how much I love you,” he whispered and she smiled with all the love she felt for this gorgeous man.
The gashes on Sebastian’s chest were almost gone and his body was returning to its perfect form. She ran her fingers over the lines that were barely visible now, kissing each of them. His emerald eyes rested on her face and his smile made her stomach flutter as if a thousand butterflies had invaded her body.
There were no more words spoken as they sat up and gazed across the ocean. H
is arms encircled her and she rested her head against his shoulder. The sight of the cloudless sky was breathtaking, weak sunlight from below the horizon announced the breaking dawn and the sky became a beautiful mix of oranges and yellows. They remained unmoved until the leading edge of the sun appeared above the horizon. Arielle gasped at the unspeakable beauty of the miracle transpiring right in front of her eyes.
They sat on the beach for a long time before finally deciding to head home. They walked holding each other in silence. He was now completely healed and there were no signs that he’d ever been wounded on the beautiful planes of his chest. He was back to the physically perfect specimen she’d fallen in love with.
Once in bed she was happy to be in his arms again. He pulled her tight against his body and they drifted to sleep.
Chapter 5
SEBASTIAN AND ARIELLE never discussed the unfortunate incident again. It’d been two weeks since their conversation on the beach and her emotions were pretty similar to a rollercoaster ride. Every morning she woke up wishing that some of the recent events were just a dream, but reality would kick in and she’d find herself heartbroken again. Sebastian spent most of his time with Troy at the office, while she spent most of her time helping Gabrielle, whose wedding day was fast approaching.
Arielle spent quality time with her parents and took long walks with her father in the garden. This was something they hadn’t done for a very long time and her father was delighted. Sebastian was warm and loving but he wouldn’t allow his affection to go any further than a soft kiss or a tight embrace. Each and every night he followed the same routine; stayed up quite late either reading a book or watching the telly, and wouldn’t go to bed until he thought Arielle was asleep, at which time he would slip quietly under the covers.
Arielle felt distraught and ashamed at pretending to be asleep, but she wasn’t going to bring it up. All she could do was remain quiet, her eyes filled with tears. In the morning he was gone before she woke, leaving freesia on her pillow and his usual note, Miss me.
Every day she rose with the same lingering frustration and the overwhelming desire to talk with Sebastian. She was determined to explain her madness, but instead would bury her head in her pillow and cry. She missed his warm embrace and she was having a hard time sleeping.
Gabrielle must’ve noticed that she didn’t have much interest in the wedding preparations and that her mind was somewhere else consistently. Arielle was sure Gabrielle had already heard every ghastly detail from Troy and she didn’t want to add any more fuel to the fire by discussing it with Arielle. Gabrielle was sweet and understanding, and Arielle’s best friend. She would wait until Arielle was good and ready to talk, and not a minute before that.
It’d been almost three weeks since the incident. Gabrielle and Arielle made plans to drive to the Lanes and do some shopping. Arielle didn’t know how to hold back her frustration any longer. She dreaded the subject, but had to get it out of her system...TODAY. Eva and Ian were coming home soon and she desperately needed to get her life back in order.
Gabrielle showed up around 11:00 to pick up Arielle. She slipped into the passenger seat and pretended to look nonchalant.
“Hey there,” Gabby greeted cheerfully.
“Hi, Gabby.” Tension dominated Arielle’s vocal cords. She tried to hide her nervousness, resisting the need to gaze toward Gabby.
“Are you all right?” Gabrielle asked, with a tentative smile. She knew her best friend was deeply troubled because Troy had discussed the miserable details about Sebastian’s incident. Arielle looked lost in her thoughts and Gabrielle felt a wave of compassion. She fumbled with the steering wheel, waiting for Arielle to say something.
“Gabby, I’m going out of my mind,” she finally mumbled.
“Do you want to talk?” Gabby’s green eyes assessed Arielle, giving her time to make a decision.
Arielle put her hands to her face and began to sob.
Gabrielle hesitated for a moment then pulled Arielle’s hand away from her face and turned her gently towards her.
“Arielle, I’m here, talk to me,” Gabby whispered.
Arielle pressed her lips together and wiped her eyes with the back of her hands. She dropped her hands to her lap and sighed, but remained silent. Gabrielle started the car and they drove to the mall in silence.
When they arrived at the Lanes, Gabrielle pulled into a remote parking spot and stopped. She didn’t have to wait long before Arielle unleashed her frustration.
“I—I’m miserable,” she said in a quivering voice, tears pouring down her face.
“What is it?” Gabby’s voice was warm and sympathetic.
“He doesn’t want to touch me anymore,” she whimpered, her voice breaking. “We haven’t made love in over three weeks. He’s tormenting me and he doesn’t have a clue as to how I feel.”
“What do you mean?” Gabby asked disbelievingly.
“Gabby, this is how it works almost every night. He comes to bed; he takes me in his arms and kisses me. He strokes my body through the kiss and spreads heat throughout every fiber of my existence. He then lets me run my hands over the planes of his back. I feel his hard muscles and caress his beautiful skin thinking that he might be coming back to me, and just about that moment without any warning he pulls back pushing me softly away. ‘I can’t,’ he says, completely out of breath.”
She gasped, in sheer exasperation. “He then kisses me softly, just before he gets out of bed and walks to the other room.”
Arielle started to sob again and Gabrielle put her arm around her shoulders trying to calm her. “Arielle, he’s going through a very difficult time,” Gabby said.
Arielle shook her head bitterly. She searched through the clatter in her mind in a futile attempt to find sensible words. “I understand what he’s going through,” she finally said.
“How could you possibly understand what he’s going through?” Gabrielle exclaimed making Arielle blink.
“Gabby, I do understand. Are you forgetting about Mat?” she asked, watching Gabrielle intensely. “Did you forget what I went through last year?” she asked.
“Oh—My—Gosh…are you serious?” Gabrielle’s tone startled her.
“What?” Arielle asked, incredulously.
“These two events are completely different,” she said. There was an edge to her voice and immediately her defiance went up.
“How do you mean?” Arielle demanded, trying keeping her expression inquisitive.
“I mean, you were almost violated, and if I remember right, it took a long time for you to get over that. He was actually violated while being unconscious. Can’t you see the difference here?” Gabrielle was watching her carefully.
Arielle’s heart sank, and she pursed her lips, realizing that Gabrielle was absolutely right.
“I know and I’ve been trying to understand the turmoil he’s going through, but, Gabrielle, I miss him terribly,” she swallowed back her misery, and groaned in defeat, overcome with guilt.
“I know. I do understand, but he did say something to Troy that might answer your questions.”
“What’s that?” Arielle lifted her eyes and met her friend’s gaze.
“He told Troy that he feels dirty and not worthy of you anymore.”
Arielle gazed at Gabby in astonishment.
The smile was gone from Gabby’s face.
“Where you eavesdropping?” Arielle asked.
“Yes.” She smiled, sounding rather sheepish.
“God,” Arielle sighed and shut her eyes, more confused now than before.
“Arielle, I think he just needs time to sort things out,” Gabrielle insisted.
Arielle gave Gabrielle a thoughtful look while she pressed on.
“Besides it’s hard to see his point of view if you've never had the same experience. He also did say to Troy that he couldn’t live if he couldn’t be with you. Knowing that alone should make you feel delighted.” Arielle was watching Gabrielle’s face and she was smiling ge
ntly, making her feel better and less anxious. Gabby was right and Arielle needed to suck it up and let things unravel like they should.
She knew Sebastian loved her and she also knew he was trying hard to resolve his nightmare. She nodded, smiling, and pushed the car door open. The air was warm but the sky was cloudy, it was a typical Brighton day. They made their way down the ancient winding narrow cobblestone streets. Shopping at the Lanes was like stepping back in time. The buildings were old and beautiful, not showing their 400-year-old age. They spend a good part of the day shopping until they got tired of walking and decided to head home.
***
Eva and Ian called on Sunday to let them know they were home.
“How about coming over, we’d love to see you.” Ian’s voice was happy and relaxed.
Sebastian and Arielle went over around 2:00 in the afternoon; Troy and Gabrielle were already there. Arielle was so pleased to see them back; she’d truly missed their friends.
Eva and Ian’s happiness illuminated their beautiful faces. Arielle gazed at them and marveled at their presence. She was sure she would never get over their flawless immortal splendor. She was sure that beauty was the empire in which all immortals dwelled. She smiled with wonder.
They’d brought wonderful gifts and the story behind them was even more incredible. Two wonderful, large, wooden bowls were called tanoa.
“They’re hand-carved from a single piece of Vesi (hardwood) called Yaqona,” Eva explained. “Yaqona comes from the root of a pepper tree. In times long gone, the Yaqona was prepared by the young girls (virgins) of a village, who chewed pieces of the root into a pulpy mass before adding water. After water was added the gritty pieces were strained through a bundle of vegetable fiber, usually the shredded bark of the Vau tree.” Eva finished her story, her eyes glimmering.
Arielle Immortal Resolve (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 8) Page 6
