Sanctity

Chapter 24

The first thing I saw was Michael standing in the corner facing the opposite wall.

He glanced over, "Ah, there you are," he smiled and took a step towards me. I sat up, stretched and welcomed his arms as he swept me off the bed.

"Where are we?" I studied the room.

He put me down, "Home, my home, well, sometimes anyway."

The memories of the previous night were coming back to me. Michael could see the expressions slipping across my face as I wondered about all that had happened. Tears of shame and sorrow for all that I had done welled in my eyes.

Michael took my hand, "You can't let yourself take the blame for everything that has happened, Elayna, we've all played our parts" he kissed my tears away, "Come, we don't need to stay here anymore."

I was somewhat surprised to find that it was completely dark outside. We must have spent the whole day in, "it's a panic room, or at least it was once," he explained. "I had it modified years ago, when I moved here to be close to you."

I shook my head, "Where exactly are we?"

"Near your house, the one you and your family moved to just before your 9th birthday."

"Oh, Victor, he told me...but that was you, then. You sold the house to my parents. I never knew. Did my parents?"

"No. I kept it from them. I wanted you to have a good life; I wanted to make you happy. I listed it as a foreclosure, well below its value and made sure the agent knew that it was not to be sold to anyone else under any circumstances."

"And you lived in the same neighborhood?"

"Not right away but yes, when this house came on the market I bought it so I could be near, so I could watch over you and your family."

"There's so much you've kept from me," I shook my head wonderingly.

"I wanted to keep you safe, Elayna, you've always meant the world to me. I never wanted this life for you. In my heart I had always hoped we would be together, at least for a little while or that I would find a way other than this. I'm so sorry for what I have done to you...you must be...disappointed."

Michael took me to the living room and after I sat down he settled himself beside me. He took my legs and tucked them over his, turning me sideways so that I was looking at him while we spoke.

"I am disappointed Michael," I knew it would take a very long time to reconcile myself to what I had become. I also knew that I would have given up much more, so much more to be with Michael, "yes, I am, disappointed but not at all in the way you would imagine. Michael, the best moments of my life were the moments I spent with you and all I have ever wanted was to share my life with you. I'm scared, terrified, but, oh, so very happy that we can finally be together. I have always loved you."

"I'll take care of you, teach you everything that I've learned, it will never be for you the way it was for me. You...we...we have nothing to be afraid of anymore."

I kissed him and for a split second I could see that he was wondering about Charlie and the life we shared together. "I loved him, too," I said, "but it was...different. I loved him because I needed someone, something to hold onto. I thought you were gone, that there was nothing left for me. I lost you; I thought I had lost you forever. I felt broken and Charlie, somehow he put me back together, held me together. I loved him for that."