and empty inside and still be alive? Serena wanted to push herself away from him but there was no strength left to draw from. She couldn’t even cry.
“Why?” s he finally managed say.
There was a short pause before Will replied. “I’m not sure I understand what you’re asking.”
He was holding her so close she could hear the steady beat of his heart beneath her cheek , but for reasons Serena couldn’t even being to explain, she wasn’t afraid. Cradled in Will’s arms, she felt safe…protected. Which only proved how emotionally unstable she was, didn’t it? Was she so desperate for his love that she was willing to absolve him for the violent assault he’d participated in? Could she honestly forgive him after all the years she’d spent living in fear? No, she firmly told herself, she would not forgive him.
Serena drew in a stilted breath. “Why did you do it, Will? How could you…h-hurt me that way? How could you stand by and let your friends do it? I trusted you. I trusted you, but you betrayed me , and I…I have a right to know why.”
“No…Serena , what are you saying? You don’t think…”
A low moan vibrated in the back of his throat; the anguished sound of it ripping an even bigger hole in Serena’s heart. She’d heard that sound before, heard it echo off the walls of the cave as Will draped his jacket around her shoulders and gently lifted her into his arms. The warmth of his body had enveloped her and when he’d lowered his head and pressed his cheek to hers, she’d felt the moisture if his tears against her own damp skin.
I’m so sorry. Forgive me…
“Will, I…I’m so confused right now I can’t think straight. I remember you were there…I remember you leaning over me and saying you were sorry, but the rest is so hazy…like a dream that keeps fading in and out.”
“Serena…” Will cleared his throat, but his voice was so thick with emotion it still came out sounding hoarse. “Serena, you have to remember; I couldn’t stand it if you didn’t. You can do this, sweetheart, I know you can. Just close your eyes and concentrate…”
Serena’s insides started to shake. “I can’t! Please don’t ask me to do this. I don’t want to remember.”
“Shhh, it’s okay, I don’t want you to remember that far back. What I need you to concentrate on is what happened afterwards…after they left and you were alone.” Will pressed a soft kiss to her temple. “I know this is difficult, but it’s important that you recall everything from that point on. Think , Serena…how did you get out of there?”
She closed her eyes and let the sound of his voice calm the mounting panic. “I…couldn’t move,” she spoke slowly. “I was too afraid…even when I couldn’t hear them laughing or walking around anymore. I just wanted to stay in the dark by myself and let it…hide me.”
“You were in there a long time,” Will coaxed softly, “were you aware of that?”
“In a way , I guess I was. Sometimes it felt as if they had just left and I was afraid they would turn around and come back so pretend ed I was unconscious. My mind would start to drift…to my family and friends…and you.”
Serena was surprised by her own revelation that she had thought of Will. Was it because she hadn’t recognized him as one of her attackers or that she didn’t want to believe he’d had any part of it? Had she known…somewhere deep inside, that he was the one who had whispered an apology when it was over ? And why wasn’t she afraid of him now? After hearing from his own lips that he’d been there, why wasn’t she cowering from him instead of remaining passively cocooned in his arms?
“You said you pretended to be unconscious,” Will continued talking her through it, “so you must have been aware, at least on some level, when help finally arrived.”
“When
“Why?” s he finally managed say.
There was a short pause before Will replied. “I’m not sure I understand what you’re asking.”
He was holding her so close she could hear the steady beat of his heart beneath her cheek , but for reasons Serena couldn’t even being to explain, she wasn’t afraid. Cradled in Will’s arms, she felt safe…protected. Which only proved how emotionally unstable she was, didn’t it? Was she so desperate for his love that she was willing to absolve him for the violent assault he’d participated in? Could she honestly forgive him after all the years she’d spent living in fear? No, she firmly told herself, she would not forgive him.
Serena drew in a stilted breath. “Why did you do it, Will? How could you…h-hurt me that way? How could you stand by and let your friends do it? I trusted you. I trusted you, but you betrayed me , and I…I have a right to know why.”
“No…Serena , what are you saying? You don’t think…”
A low moan vibrated in the back of his throat; the anguished sound of it ripping an even bigger hole in Serena’s heart. She’d heard that sound before, heard it echo off the walls of the cave as Will draped his jacket around her shoulders and gently lifted her into his arms. The warmth of his body had enveloped her and when he’d lowered his head and pressed his cheek to hers, she’d felt the moisture if his tears against her own damp skin.
I’m so sorry. Forgive me…
“Will, I…I’m so confused right now I can’t think straight. I remember you were there…I remember you leaning over me and saying you were sorry, but the rest is so hazy…like a dream that keeps fading in and out.”
“Serena…” Will cleared his throat, but his voice was so thick with emotion it still came out sounding hoarse. “Serena, you have to remember; I couldn’t stand it if you didn’t. You can do this, sweetheart, I know you can. Just close your eyes and concentrate…”
Serena’s insides started to shake. “I can’t! Please don’t ask me to do this. I don’t want to remember.”
“Shhh, it’s okay, I don’t want you to remember that far back. What I need you to concentrate on is what happened afterwards…after they left and you were alone.” Will pressed a soft kiss to her temple. “I know this is difficult, but it’s important that you recall everything from that point on. Think , Serena…how did you get out of there?”
She closed her eyes and let the sound of his voice calm the mounting panic. “I…couldn’t move,” she spoke slowly. “I was too afraid…even when I couldn’t hear them laughing or walking around anymore. I just wanted to stay in the dark by myself and let it…hide me.”
“You were in there a long time,” Will coaxed softly, “were you aware of that?”
“In a way , I guess I was. Sometimes it felt as if they had just left and I was afraid they would turn around and come back so pretend ed I was unconscious. My mind would start to drift…to my family and friends…and you.”
Serena was surprised by her own revelation that she had thought of Will. Was it because she hadn’t recognized him as one of her attackers or that she didn’t want to believe he’d had any part of it? Had she known…somewhere deep inside, that he was the one who had whispered an apology when it was over ? And why wasn’t she afraid of him now? After hearing from his own lips that he’d been there, why wasn’t she cowering from him instead of remaining passively cocooned in his arms?
“You said you pretended to be unconscious,” Will continued talking her through it, “so you must have been aware, at least on some level, when help finally arrived.”
“When
Similar Books
