Tethered Souls | Books 1, 2, and 3

47 | Shattered

━━━─── • ───━━━

• Amir •

As the first tear ran down Luna's cheek and came out of her mouth with a hoarse sob, Amir's heart pounded.

While she cried, he held her and comforted her. She wailed silently. He didn't know what to do. Her tears did the rest of the talking.

"It's okay," he told her. "I feel you. God, baby, I feel it too," he continued, quivering with her in his arms.

Why did I say that? That could make it worse.

She was too upset to notice. Her tears flashed like lasers as they flowed down her face.

He grabbed her and hugged her. He put her down on the bed while smoothing out the sheet with his palm.

As she adjusted to her confined space, he brought the soft blanket and laid next to her. Her delicate body burrowed into his, her fingers gripping his shoulders. He couldn't prevent her tears.

It broke his heart and soul to think about how her life was at the facility before he came to America. He wanted to fix it so she didn't have to relive every emotional scene, but he didn't know how.

Luna was a strong woman. She had to be. Her fragile body endured much in the facility. Amir knew her experience deeply affected her. Realizing that these scars were emotional rather than physical crushed his heart. Even if he had a memory serum to erase everything she saw and felt, it wouldn't matter. She wouldn't be complete. He couldn't fix what festered underneath her soul and all the emotions she'd been dealing with.

He had no idea how much time had passed since she had rested. She calmed down and stopped crying once she settled down. Crying herself to sleep tired her. Minutes? Hours? He forgot how long he held her. He clung to her while she finally relaxed.

Amir ultimately dozed off. He didn't intend to and wanted to stay up longer, but their escape from the hospital had exhausted them. After a few hours of sleep, sunlight began to stream through the blinds.

When he opened his eyes, he discovered she was no longer lying next to him.

He rubbed his eyes and looked around on one elbow. Luna sat at the window in the shirt and underwear he had given her the night before. Her hair was wavy and low, fluttering over her hips. They bounced as she turned her frame in his direction, raising one knee to rest her chin.

"Did I wake you?"

"No." Still sleepy, Amir cleared his throat and glanced outside. The timezone difference was a killer. "How long have you been up?"

She shrugged. "Not long. It's after ten."

"Wow. It's late. For me." Sitting up, Amir brushed his hair. Despite his morning prayers, he cared about her and what she wanted.

Luna smiled down at her flip-flops. He assumed she loved the pair he selected. "Sorry about last night."

"Don't apologize," he said, reaching her. He touched the top of her knee and stroked her smooth skin. "I needed another shower. It felt better than the first one."

She laughed. "My breakdown was a huge mood killer."

"You can't ruin my mood. I adore my beautiful, bright moon." She smiled at Amir's compliment. "Are you okay?"

"Relaxed," she said. Luna had cried her eyes out. "I had to vent. I never unleashed my pent-up anger. Until now."

"I know. Do you feel like talking about it?"