Beauty and the Beast

I woke to the sound of Andy’s steady heartbeat. His breathing was deep, almost a snore, but not quite there. My head was still laying on his chest, my hand rested on his bare skin. He had gotten under the sheets sometime in the night. His head was turned toward me, his left arm held my close to him. With mw in only my panties and a tank top I felt a little awkward. But it was nice to have someone to comfort me.

I sat up slightly, the sun light barely shown through. He was so peaceful. His black hair fell across his face. I took my hand and gently pushed his hair back, to see his face fully. He took a deep breath and made a small stretch. I pulled my hand back fast when he opened his eyes into slits and smiled.

“Morning.” He said in a groggy voice.

I smiled at him and sat up fully. He stayed laying down, rubbing his eyes and stretching his arms. He yawned deeply and finally sat up next to me. “Thank you.” I whispered.

He looked to me confused, shifting his body weight to turn toward me slightly. “For what?”

“For rescuing me last night.” I stared at my hands, which were intertwined in my lap.

I could see out of the corner of my eye that his smile had turned weak. “Nobody deserves that…” A pause fell over us. “Especially you.”

I sniffed a little, feeling my eyes water. “I don’t want to feel any more pain.” When I spoke I began crying softly.

“Hey, hey,” Andy pulled me close to his chest. I had bruises on my wrists and upper arms from being held down. And I could feel bruises on my cheeks and some small cuts. I wiped my face, trying not to let any tears fall onto Andy’s skin. “I’m never going to let anyone hurt you, okay?” He said, stroking my hair. He heled me tighter.

For a moment, I was happy that I was imprisoned in this wretched place. My whole life I wanted something more, I wanted magic, and beauty. And I had everything I had ever wished for right here. Besides all the pain I had felt.

I sniffed again, my sobs dying down. Andy kissed the top of my head softly. A gesture of comfort, I assumed. Andy pulled me away from him. His smile was small, but sincere. “How about I take you to a place that is neither in the dark forest, or one of the villages?” He kept both of his hands on my shoulders. When he saw my look of concern he stroked the right side of my cheek gently. His smile faded some, but then popped right back when he looked at my eyes. “It’s the most peaceful place I’ve ever been. It goes on for miles and miles. And there are so many interesting things.”

“I kind of want to stay here?” I meant staying in this bed, with Andy right where he was.

He shook his head a little, his smile growing. “It’s beautiful, something you’ve never even dreamed of.” When my face held concern still, he pulled me onto his lap and held me close. “I won’t let anything hurt you. You have my word.” I looked into his eyes, seeing more than what I wanted. Maybe what I needed was a day away from everyone, especially Jake. Maybe I needed a day to find myself again. I slowly nodded and Andy gave a big smile. “Good.”

Notes