Reaping of the Wives

EMBARK ON YOUR JOURNEY

The day past by slow as I stayed in the reflecting room, thinking about the journal. The haunting words of a girl longing to be set free, and the darkness that surrounds each person here. How some hide the depths of it better than others. How some fake it to appear in shades darker than they truly are. There was so much deception amongst this family, they wouldn't know God's truth even if He struck them down with it.

I rolled over and my eyes fell upon the easel in the corner. A single thought suddenly stopped all the rest.

Was the journal even real?

What if it wasn't from another wife? What if it was a hoax? Something conjured up by Caleb with no purpose other than to upset me. I could absolutely see him orchestrating something devious like this, although it did seem too above his intellectual level to pull off. Maybe this was the work of their insane parents. Trying to force us to turn against one another so they'd be able to deem us unworthy.

I turned onto my back, rubbing my aching temples as I let out a forceful breath. Though I felt like I could think better than I'd been able to in a long time, doing so physically hurt.

Sorting through my thoughts was like sifting through shards of glass to find a diamond. Somewhere in the depths of my brain was clarity, but it was evading me, seemingly tethered to a kite blowing in erratic winds.

My hands fell with a slap onto the mattress.

Who was to blame didn't matter.

Their intentions didn't matter.

It wouldn't work.

Noah and I were a team and I wasn't going to let anything else distract me from that very important fact. If anything, the room had served to remind me of how much I really trusted him.

He was everything the journal said he was.

He was the only one I'd ever be safe with.

Noah knocking at my door made me sit up. He had an odd look on his face when he walked in with another tray of food and a hamper basket.

He set it down on the desk and as his eyes grazed over the one from this morning, he clicked his tongue in disapproval.

"You didn't eat."

I swung my legs over the side of the bed and crossed the room, stopping a few feet from him.

"I didn't have much of an appetite."

He raised an eyebrow but didn't comment, only nodded.

His silence set my nerves on fire. "Are.. are you mad at me?" I asked quietly.

Noah sighed and his lips turned up at the edges. In two strides, he was in front of me, looking down at me with loving, blue eyes. He reached up and brushed back the hair over my right shoulder, then cupped the side of my face.

"No, sweet girl. I'm not mad at you."

The relief was instantaneous as his words washed over me, taking away the anxiety. His words seemed to soften everything, leaving a warm haze within my mind.

I reached up and placed my hand over his. "I'm sorry. I-I just let what was written in that journal get to me. It stirred up a lot of questions."

He smiled a sad smile before leaning down to kiss me softly. "I'm glad you found it. Thank you, again."

I nodded, biting my lip. Wondering if I should ask whose it was. Wanting to so badly, but afraid of ruining the moment. Afraid of upsetting him.

"It was Sarah's."