Nineteen
With All My Heart
Melanie
It was nearly morning when he came home.
The sun had just peeked over the horizon. It was a beautiful summer day, the dawn after the dark night. My things were moved into his bedroom, and the staff put everything back in place. The men had ransacked his suite, looking for me everywhere. But now, it looked exactly as it had before.
I couldn’t sleep, not until I knew he was home, not until I knew this was really over.
When he finally walked through the door, he was covered in blood again. He didn’t say a word to me as he pulled his shirt over his head and undressed, putting his clothes in a big plastic bag, as if there were a procedure for this sort of thing. He took a quick shower before he emerged in a pair of black boxers.
I sat on the edge of the bed, my racing heart slowing down as he came closer, bringing me peace.
He joined me on the bed. “It’s done.”
I nodded. “So…it’s over?”
“Yes. They won’t return.”
“Why…why did they do this?”
His arms rested on his knees, and he stared at the floor as he considered the question. “They wanted to do business with me. I said no. So, they decided to eliminate me and take it over themselves.” He turned back to look at me, his dark eyes giving me a look that said more than his words ever could.
Our fight never happened.
It was irrelevant now.
His hand moved into my hair, cupping my cheek, his thumb brushing my bottom lip slightly. The stare was endless, going on and on, and his expression slowly began to change. A slight shine moved to the surface of his eyes, a subtle redness, a tightness to his face. “If something happened to you…I wouldn’t have gone on.” He brought his face to mine and rested his forehead against mine. “Je t’aime, chérie. Je t’aime de tout mon cœur et de toute mon âme.” I love you, sweetheart. I love you with my heart, my soul, my everything. He inhaled a deep breath and closed his eyes, gaining control of his emotions. “Je ne te quitterai plus jamais. Je te protègerai. Toujours.” I will never leave you again. I will protect you. Always.
It was the first time we went to bed together but didn’t make love.
We got under the sheets in the dark, my body on top of his, his thick arm wrapped around me, keeping me close. His lips rested against my hairline, and his deep and slow breaths became less frequent once he drifted off.
It only took a few minutes.
Like there was no hesitation anymore.
I was awake longer, the memories still so fresh, but knowing he was there helped me drift off too.
When my eyes opened the next day, it wasn’t morning.
It was two in the afternoon.
Fender wasn’t there.
I showered and got ready for what was left of the day before I went in search of him.
The staff had restored the palace to its former glory, cleaning the blood and dirt that had stained the walls, rugs, and floors, and replacing the broken items that had been damaged beyond repair. There was a heavy solemnness to the house, rain clouds in every room, a sadness that hummed in every ear. Maids would break into tears unexpectedly, the rawness of the night before hitting them again and again.
A night of rest hadn’t dulled the pain for me either.
I was about to ask where Fender was when the front door opened and he walked inside. Dressed in all black with his customary boots, he shut the door behind himself then stilled when he spotted me.
I inhaled a breath of relief at the sight of him, feeling comforted by that look that no one else could give me.
He walked over to me, a solemn expression in his eyes. “I took Gilbert to the funeral home so they could prepare him for burial.”
My eyes filled with pain all over again.
“And I went to his parents to tell them what happened.”
“Oh my god…” My hand immediately went to his arm, knowing how painful that must have been.
His expression was hard and stony as if nothing had happened, because his true nature was so much deeper beneath the surface. Sometimes he looked like he didn’t care, but that wasn’t true. He just didn’t know how to express it.
“That must have been hard.”
“It was.” His eyes dropped for a moment, a quick replay happening in his mind. “I gave them enough money to be very wealthy for the rest of their lives, for several generations of their family.”
I knew they wanted their son—not the money.
“I’ve found a replacement. He starts today.”
My eyes watered—because Gilbert couldn’t be replaced.
He inhaled a deep breath at my reaction, the look paining him. “I know, chérie…”
I cupped my mouth to stifle the tears.