UNTAMED

Part Forty One

He did not say anything but touched her cheek with his mouth. She felt something all over her body and it was not a bad feeling.
"That's a kiss. You can sleep now."
"No that's not a kiss, it's a peck."
"I thought you don't know what kisses means" he said releasing his hold on her and looking at her. There was something about his eyes.
"I do now. I saw it on TV. The girl gave a peck then later a kiss" she answered.
He was looking at her somehow.
"We can't do that kind of kiss Halima."
"But I have to do it."
"I don't want it."
"I have to do, I must do it."
"Halima, for someone like you, it's gonna be repulsive because of what you've been through."
"What's that?"
"I mean you won't like it."
"But I still want to give you."
"It's also not a good idea for me Halima."
"I don't understand."
"Right now staying close to you is difficult for me. I am a man Halima. It can lead to other things. I may hurt you."
"But Cindy said you will never hurt me. Sleep" he said pulling her to him and making her back rest on his stomach.
She held her message to her stomach and tried to sleep but she could not. His hold was not tight. After some time, she pulled herself from him. She turned to face him, his eyes were closed and she could see the fall and rise of his chest. She moved her face closer. She placed lips on his closed lips expecting to feel gross and bad but felt the opposite. Before she could understand what she was feeling, he suddenly pulled her close and opened his eyes making her gasp.
"I warned you Halima. I told you, you won't like it. I think I really need to show you so you will stop disturbing me" he said placing his palms on both her cheeks and pulling her face close.
He first touched her lips with his, then covered her mouth with his. There was nothing gross about it. He was very powerful but he was so gently. The only thing that was slightly rough was his strong lips. He was touching her with his mouth but she felt it all over her body down to her stomach. She wanted to feel more, it was not enough. She pushed herself closer and opened her mouth more for him. He made a deep sound that she felt like a shock on her skin. He pulled her closer and pushed his mouth further inside. One of his hand started rubbing her back, then her shoulder, her neck, her ear, her hair. She felt hot at any place his hand touched. She pushed herself closer.
Her message dropped from her hand and she held his shoulder, she wanted to touch him, to know if it would feel better but he suddenly stopped. He gently withdrew from her and sat up.
"No! why did you stop? I don't want you to stop" she said standing up to meet him.
"Halima you surprise me for someone who had been sexually abused for more than fourteen years. This is totally different from what I've read" he said facing her.
"Fourteen years?" she asked.
"You don't know? That clay pot have been with me for fourteen years" he answered.
She shook her head in disbelief, it was not possible, that was too long.
"You look shocked. I thought you knew."
She could not hold back her tears. How was it possible she had been in the dark room for fourteen years.
"No, Halima don't. I can't stand your tears" he said pulling her close.
"Fourteen years. I have been there for three years before he locked me in that room, that is seventeen years" she sobbed.
He became stiff again, and he was breathing fast like he was angry but she was not afraid, he was not angry at her.
"How old were you when Chief took you?" he asked after some time.
"I don't really remember maybe nine."
He did not say anything, he just held her.
"What is sexually abused?" she asked raising her head to look at him.
"That's what you've been calling touching."
Cindy had said the same thing.
"It was not fourteen years. He did it before I was locked up, it was so painful."
Her body shook from the memory. He did not say anything but she knew he was very angry.
"I am going to kill him" he said after some time.
For the first time she was not bothered if Chief was killed.
"Halima, you can sleep here, I need to leave" he said but she held his shirt.
"No I want to sleep with you."
"Do you know what that means?" he asked looking at her.
"I just want to sleep in your arms."
"No that will no longer be possible Halima" he said trying to pull her hands away but she hugged his back.
His breathing changed, it was fast.
"Halima you are resurrecting things that are better left dead and I am not capable of holding it in."
There was something different in his voice, it sounded deeper.
"I don't understand what you are saying, but can I get another kiss?"
He turned and pulled her to face him, his lips were close and she felt hot again.
"Halima if I kiss you again, I won't stop there, I will sleep with you."
She looked at him. He was serious. Was that what Cindy was talking about?
"I don't care. As long as you won't hurt me."
"I care Halima. It will have a lot of meaning to you but not to me. It's just my body that wants you but I don't love you and it's wrong. I will be taking advantage of your ignorance which can be seen as abuse."
"I don't understand."
"I am saying I don't love you Halima, it's just my body that wants you. You will feel hurt later."
Cindy had said something like that.
"If you love me, will you...."
"That's not gonna happen Halima. Abigail will remain the woman I will forever love, so let's stop here, no more kisses or hugs" he said.
Why did she feel a slight pain on her chest at his words?
He tried standing up but she threw herself on him, she did not want him to leave her, she liked being with him. He pulled her closer, then started putting pressure at the hole in her neck and her wrist.
"What are you doing?" she asked feeling dizzy.
"Making you sleep."
She tried to fight the sleep that was overwhelming her but failed.
She opened her eyes to sunlight. She was back in her room and on her bed. Beast had done that thing he did to her when he had rescued her and she had slept off. She went to the mirror to check herself. She was not happy with what she was seeing. She was too dark, too short and too skinny. She went to both windows but did not see anybody. Beast was not in his room. She climbed down and saw him sitting on one of the chairs in the parlor. He had what Chief had called a laptop on his lap. Something flashed through her mind. She moved gently and cautiously towards Beast. She covered his eyes with her palms as soon as she got close.
"This is a child's play" Beast said.
He was not even shocked, it was as if he already knew she was around.
"Guess who it is?"
"Halima I'm seriously busy. Can you free my eyes?"
"No you have not guessed."
He sighed making her laugh.
"You are Halima."
She rested her head on his shoulder without removing her hands from his eyes.
"I don't feel like removing my hand."
He placed the laptop far from him and suddenly flipped her over.. He was very fast and took the breath from her. She was on his lap.
"I guess you want to sleep again" he said placing his hands on her shoulder.
"No not that, don't do that again. I don't like it" she said jumping down.
He did not say anything but carried his laptop. Her eyes sighted an artifact by the side of the laptop.
"Why do you have that?"
"It's a laptop, I'm looking at files."
"I know that is a laptop, I'm asking about that artifact" she said pointing at it.
"This is not an artifact, it's called a flash drive."
"But Chief had many of it and called his special artifacts."
He dropped the laptop and held her hands.
"Do you know where they are?"
"Yes, he used to put them in my gown, he said nobody will ever find it."
"Shit."
He looked frustrated.
"What is wrong?"
"I would have loved to get them but the whole damn house was burnt to the ground, no wonder he said only his most expensive artifact was missing."
"No it's not, you are not getting me" she said.
"Halima they are all burnt."
"See listen to me. After Chief is done touching me, I'm supposed to wear my clothes but I must not wear the gown he hates to see me wear, he only make me wear it if he is not happy with me and he wants all his special artifacts in one place. I have never disobeyed but I have not worn my clothes when you came. You made me wear the grown. I thought that was what Chief wanted to make me wear. The gown has a pocket inside where he puts it" she said feeling bad in her body. She hated talking or remembering Chief's touch.
"Where is the gown?" he asked holding her hands.
"In my room" she answered.
He did not let her finish before running upstairs. She followed him and by the time she got to her room, he had scattered her clothes including those she had hanged.
"What are you doing?"
"Where is the gown?"
"I thought you said you don't ever want to see it?"
"Halima I'm serious."
"I kept it here" she said opening the small bag inside the box.
He took it from her and started ripping it off.
"Not like that, give me" she said taking the gown from him.
She turned to the back of the gown and opened the zip, then brought out three flash drives as Beast called it. She gave it to him. He started leaving the room.
"Wait, there is another one" she said bringing out the last one.
He took it and ran downstairs. He was just acting like a beast.
She started rearranging her clothes. She went downstairs when she was through.
"Jason come here immediately, a miracle just happened." Beast was talking on the phone.
As she got close to him, she gasped.
There was a woman and two kids sitting on the floor in Beast's laptop. The woman was bleeding from her head. Chief was pointing a gun at her. He was going to kill her. Chief pushed the gun closer to her head. She screamed making Beast turn. He dropped the laptop on the chair and rushed to her. The door opened and Jason and Cindy came inside. He pulled her close. Jason walked straight to the laptop while Cindy moved towards them.
"Cindy please take Halima with you" Beast said leaving her to join Jason.
Cindy looked at Jason same time he looked at her. Jason nodded at Cindy and she pulled her towards the door. As the door opened, Cindy looked at Jason again, he was also looking at her. No words were said but there was something in their look that was special, like they were holding each other even when they were not close. Beast was looking at the laptop but Jason was still looking at Cindy as she pulled her outside.
"He is going to kill her" she said.
"Who?" Cindy asked.
"I gave Beast Chief's flash drives and he put it in his laptop. The woman was there, Chief is going to shoot her" she cried.
Cindy pulled her to her.
"I'm so sorry you have to see that Halima, but I'm happy. Thank you Jesus. Halima you just saved everybody. You are safe now. Chief is going to be punished. It's okay Halima. Thank you" Cindy said.
She was crying too.
"Come let's do some exercises" Cindy said pulling her towards the stuffs she used every morning.
As she followed Cindy, she thought about love, she thought about how Jason loved Cindy. That was why Cindy was always happy. She was sad because Beast did not love her.