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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A double update because I couldn't contain myself!! Let me know what ya'll think! I love reading all of your comments on certain parts of the chapter! <3
Reyna flipped through the book of poetry by John Keats she'd been skimming through since finishing Northanger Abbey.
After she'd stumbled upon that book of John Keats' letters, Phillip had insisted she read some of his poetry so she'd picked the first volume she could find on the shelf and had been reading it on and off for weeks. It was something she picked up when she finished a book and didn't feel like starting another.
She read the words scrolled at the top of the page. The poem was entitled,"To Fanny." She continued reading.
"I cry your mercy—pity—love!—ay, love! Merciful love that tantalises not One-thoughted, never-wandering, guileless love, Unmask'd, and being seen—without a blot! O! let me have thee whole,—all—all—be mine!That shape, that fairness, that sweet minor zest Of love, your kiss,—those hands, those eyes divine That warm, white, lucent, million-pleasured breast Yourself—your soul—in pity give me all Withhold no atom's atom or I die Or living on, perhaps, your wretched thrall Forget, in the mist of idle misery Life's purposes,—the palate of my mind Losing its gust, and my ambition blind!"
She looked up at the clock. It was nearly half past ten. Closing the book, she set it aside and stood up. She looked at Phillip, who was so enthralled with For Whom the Bell Tolls, the latest Hemingway recommendation she'd given him, he hadn't noticed her standing in front of him.
Placing a finger against the binding of the book, she tilted it down out of his line of sight. He blinked, looking up at her. "Enjoying yourself?" She smirked.
"I can't believe I've never read this," He said in reply. Closing the book, he allowed her to take his hand and pull him to his feet.
"The real tragedy is that you've owned it for years and never once taken it off that shelf," She teased, wrapping her arms around his neck. Standing on her tip toes, she pecked a kiss against his lips.
He chuckled, looping his arms around her waist. "Well lucky for me, you're here to remedy that."
"Lucky indeed," She smiled. "It's getting late," She commented, glancing to the clock on the wall.
"Before you go, I have something for you," He said, releasing her waist. She watched as he made his way to his desk and opened the top drawer, returning moments later with a smile on his face, a small dark blue box with a white satin ribbon tied around it in a bow in his hand.
"What's this?" She furrowed her brow at the box he was now extending out to her.
"Just think of it as a late birthday present," He said, his smile widening.
"My birthday was nearly a month ago," She cocked a brow, her lips curving into a smile of their own.
He chuckled. "Just open it," He pressed the box into her hand.
Pulling on the end of the ribbon, she untied the bow, the white satin falling away from the box. Lifting the lid, she peered inside. A necklace rested against the velvet interior, a single teardrop pearl encircled with sapphires. She blinked, recognizing it immediately.
"Is this?" She looked up, meeting Phillip's gaze. The smile on his face was answer enough. "How?" She blinked again, looking back at the box in her hands.
"There are records kept of everything confiscated during intake," He explained. "It took some digging through a couple files, and a few trips out to the sorting sheds but I finally tracked it down."
"Is that what you've been reading through every night?" He'd hardly picked up his book at all the past week, spending the majority of their time each evening meticulously combing through paperwork. She'd thought it had been part of the usual work he completed each night, albeit more than was usually on his plate.
He shrugged, brushing it off with another smile. "It sounded important to you."
She shook her head, letting out an incredulous laugh. She couldn't believe he'd found her necklace. Couldn't believe he'd gone to all that trouble just for her.
"You have no idea how much this means," She shook her head again, staring down at the box in her hands. Running a finger across the smooth surface of the pearl, she smiled.
"Do you want me to put it on for you?" He asked. She looked up at him, a stupid grin plastered across her face, and nodded. Handing the box back to him, she turned around. A second later, she felt his hand push her hair to the side.
Reaching over her, he placed the necklace around her neck, his fingers brushing against her skin as he clasped it. Her breath caught in her throat as his lips pressed a kiss against the spot where her neck and shoulder met.
"Thank you," She said, tilting her head to the side - a silent request for his lips to keep doing what they were doing.
"You don't have to thank me," He said against her skin. "It was yours to begin with."
She closed her eyes, her heart skipping a beat at the feel of his breath against her skin. But it was gone as quickly as it had come. Opening her eyes, she turned around to face him. He was looking at her, a small smile turning up the corner of his mouth. She swallowed. She didn't want to leave. Didn't want to say goodnight - not yet.
She rested a hand against his chest, peering up at him through her lashes. He stared back at her, silence filling the room. A million thoughts swam through her head, none of which she could find the words to say out loud. So she just stood there, gazing up at him, praying he would somehow see, in her eyes, all the things she left unsaid.
Reaching up, he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before leaning in and pressing a gentle kiss on her lips. "Goodnight," He said softly against her lips.
Say it. Say something.
She sucked in a breath, trying to un-jumble her thoughts. She met his gaze again and blinked, averting her eyes as she realized she'd let a few too many beats of silence pass between them.
"Goodnight," She breathed.
Something flashed in his eyes - there and gone in an instant too quick for her to register what it meant. Grasping the hand that still rested against his chest, he squeezed it. She squeezed back, giving him a nervous smile as she did.
"I'll see you tomorrow," He said, his hand lingering on her's - an unspoken invitation that said she didn't have to go - that she could stay if she wanted to. She swallowed again.
Say something. Say yes. Or don't say anything at all - just stay. Just stay.
A few more beats of silence passed between them, sweeping away any ounce of nerve she'd dug up from within herself.
"See you tomorrow," She repeated his words back to him. Giving his hand one last squeeze, she released it, disappearing through the door on legs that threatened to give way.
—————————————————— Let me know what you guys think!! <3
Also, I have a little poll for you guys (for future chapters to come (; ) In the past, I've written all intimate scenes as "fade to black." Would y'all be interested in seeing something a little more (for lack of a better word I'll use some booktok slang, lol) spicy when it comes time for those scenes? Honestly curious what you guys are interested in seeing! :)
