Tainted Innocence

Chapter XXV

Here it is: Chapter XXV for you. 

Enjoy reading. :) 

Chapter XXV

Lynn had begun to paint as a pastime.

She wasn't very good at it, but it helped to fight the boredom of her daily routine. Since the occasional visits to her parents had begun to make her feel uncomfortable due to her mother's apparent dislike for her relationship with Jeremiah, the number of people she could spend time with had decreased severely. Truth be told, it was almost non-existent.

Jeremiah liked to work from morning to night, so except for Ecco (who apparently didn't want to talk to her) and Rembrandt (who wasn't much of a conversationalist either, mind you) there was no one there to distract her from the forlornness that came with being kept inside the golden cage Jeremiah had built.

Somewhere in the back of her head Lynn had realized with growing distress that she had become what she'd never wanted to be: A prisoner. Thanks to Jeremiah's overwhelming fear of one of them getting killed by Jeromes' followers. Alas, she didn't dare to complain. The last time she'd tried to reason with him he'd almost broken up with her.

She couldn't risk losing him for good. She was too much in love with the pale ginger to endure that kind of heartbreak.

Since she didn't have any other choice she had to swallow the bitter pill made from loneliness and boredom.

Her only ray of hope was Jeremiah himself. Day after day she lived for the few hours in which they were together and able to enjoy each others company without being interrupted by his work.

Time and time again, however, she found herself thinking that if she had a child to take care of her life would have some sense of meaning. The thought was usually followed by another, more depressing one reminding her that Jeremiah didn't want to have children.

Slowly, but gradually Lynn lost her contentment which ultimately resulted in her becoming more and more listless until it got to a point where even Jeremiah couldn't turn a blind eye to the situation at hand anymore.

Realising that taking care of a pet just didn't do the trick of helping his girlfriend adjust to the situation he made a desperate decision that one day would prove to be momentous.

With introducing female bodyguard Carol Tate into their lives he'd unwittingly laid the foundation for their fates...

*

"Carol will be your Ecco, love.", Jeremiah said, gesturing for the bulky woman to come forward.

"Mam.", the bodyguard greeted, her steel-coloured eyes seemingly looking directly through Lynn's body.

"She'll accompany you outside whenever you wish for it.", Jeremiah added.

Lynn whose facial expression had been the epitome of the word confusion blinked twice before she beamed at her boyfriend.

"Y-you aren't kidding? I- I'm allowed to go outside?"

Jeremiah sighed, slightly annoyed by her pointless question.

"You are.", he grunted.

Lynn let out a happy squeal. Wrapping her arms around his torso, she captured his lips in a passionate kiss. Jeremiah stifled a moan as the sensation of her tongue meeting his seemed to shoot right through his loins, urgently reminding him of the fact that they hadn't had sex for the past two weeks. Jeremiah broke the kiss.