Reyna Feldman, a twenty year old Jewish girl from the tiniest of villages in France, is on the run. Captured by German soldiers while trying to escape over the border, she's taken to an internment camp in Freiburg, Germany, where she meets SS Philli...
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Happy Wednesday!! Here's another short chapter for you all! I hope you're enjoying the story so far! Please let me know what you think!
Reyna climbed the stairs of the cellar, dusting off the dirt that had accumulated on her hands.
"I hope I didn't work you too hard," Luca called, not far behind her.
"Not at all," She smiled over her shoulder.
"Ooh, hold on. You got something right..." He trailed off, licking his thumb. "There," He finished, wiping a smudge of dirt from her forehead.
"Gross!" She shoved him, screwing up her face in a look of mock disgust.
"I think you mean thank you," He smirked.
She rolled her eyes, but couldn't suppress the smile on her face. She would've never thought spending the afternoon in a grimey cellar with Luca and potatoes would have lifted her spirits, but it had. She'd missed this. Missed the lighthearted banter they shared. Missed feeling normal.
"The Stubaf wants to see you dear," A voice called from the doorway. Reyna turned and looked up, her eyes falling on Mrs. Aberman. Giving her a nod, she turned back to Luca.
"Thanks again for letting me tag along today," She said, smiling down at him.
"Of course," He nodded, returning her smile. "Do you want me to walk you upstairs?"
"No, no," She shook her head. "That's okay." Turning on her heel, she climbed the few remaining steps and made her way down the hallway. Ascending the stairs to the second floor, she stopped short of Phillip's door, a knot forming in her stomach. She hadn't been back in the study since that night. Swallowing, she drew in a breath, exhaling it after a few seconds. She could do this. She had to do this.
Inhaling and exhaling another deep breath, she stepped forward, knocking on the door.
"Come in," Phillip's voice called from the other side. Turning the knob, the door clicked open, and she stepped inside.
"Hello," Phillip greeted her. He was leaning against his desk, propped up on the palms of his hands.
"Hello," She replied.
"Please," He pushed himself off the desk, gesturing to her usual seat. "Sit."
She nodded, making her way to the armchairs that sat opposite his desk.
"How are you?" He asked, taking a seat beside her in the opposite chair.
"Fine," She nodded. He was looking at her, doing his best to keep his expression neutral ... he was doing a poor job. The suffocated feeling she'd had before her afternoon with Luca had returned in full force, and she hated that it had been brought on by Phillip. She shifted in her seat awkwardly.
"I'm so sorry," He said, breaking the silence that had been hanging in the air.
"For what?" She looked up at him, her brow furrowed in confusion.
"For not protecting you properly," He replied as though what he was apologizing for was obvious.
"Phillip..." She shook her head.
"Our meetings ... Having you here every night..." He paused, trying to find the words. "It put a target on your back. One I should've taken better care to recognize." He was rambling now. "I should've made arrangements for you while I was away. I should've..."
"Phillip," She said again, grasping his hand in her's. His eyes traveled up from their clasped hands, meeting her gaze. For the first time, she saw the pain in his eyes. Saw just how much what happened had affected him. "It's okay," She nodded, her lips turning up into a small, sympathetic smile.
"I want you to move in to the house," He said. Slipping his hand out of her grasp, he placed it on top of her's.
"Move in?"
"Yes," He nodded. "Becoming a member of the staff would afford you certain protections I couldn't guarantee otherwise," He explained. "You could continue staying in the room you're in now."
"What would you have me do?"
"Anything you like," He shrugged, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "My days are fairly busy, but you're more than welcome to read," He gestured to the bookshelves. "Or help Luca if he needs a hand."
"No more sorting sheds?" She asked, her brow knitting together in a look of skepticism.
"No more sorting sheds," He said emphatically. She looked away, giving his proposition some thought.
"That hardly seems fair," She said finally, her eyes falling back on him. He didn't seem surprised by the comment, his gaze staying thoughtfully trained on her instead of glancing away as he did when she said something that caught him off guard.
"Does any of this seem fair?" His brow arched slightly. "Everything that's happened to you?"
She looked away again. He was right. Nothing about any of this was fair. Why was she even considering not agreeing to his offer? Was it pride? She stole a glance at him. He was still looking at her, his eyes filled with the same thing everyone else's were - pity.
"I'll agree," She began, inhaling sharply. "On one condition."
"Anything."
"You stop looking at me like that," She began, locking her eyes with his. "Like I'm some sick puppy in need of rescuing ... Because I'm not," She breathed out, tilting her chin up proudly.
"No," He shook his head. "You're not."
"It's settled then," She gave him a nod.
"It's settled," He nodded in agreement, a small smile flickering across his face.
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