I find some old slippers for Lucy and give her one of my sweatpants to wear. I can't believe I'm doing this... It's Alaska-cold, it's past one in the morning, and I'm taking the girl for a walk around the condominium. How far can compassion take a human being? I don't know, I'd never felt compassion before...
I open the door a little uncertainly, but where could she run? I can easily unleash my dogs and they'd find her in seconds... We walk along the sidewalk for a few minutes, reaching the other houses in the condominium. Lucy looks around with lost, lifeless eyes, her arms crossed and shoulders slumped. Poor girl...
"You know, I've already understood that my life is coming to an end. They'll never let me live after everything my father did... I just wanted to feel normal again, at least once, before I die."
I remain silent, because I don't know what to answer. I can suggest to Charles that he auction the girl off, but that's no guarantee of a happy life.
"I had a boyfriend, in college." She begins to say. "His name was Joseph. I was completely in love with him... I also had a best friend, Hanna, we were like two peas in a pod. Even my father was good, most of the time, but money was always more important to him. I spent almost four years in that cage, in the beginning my father always fed me, let me shower and change clothes, then it seems he started forgetting, getting used to seeing me as nothing, giving me just enough not to starve to death... And now, that someone finally got me out of there, I'll be killed as a consequence of that bastard's mistakes!" She stops walking and covers her face with her hands, crying and sobbing profusely.
"Don't cry, miss. Maybe there's a way for you to stay alive. I just can't guarantee it's a good idea." I say without thinking, trying to make her stop crying.
"How?" Swollen, wet green eyes stare at me.
"Maybe they can sell you as a wife to some mafia member, only important members can buy a wife..."
"And go from one cage to another? No, thank you. I prefer death, I'll have no guarantee in a forced marriage."
"It's the only way." I shrug.
"Thank you for trying to help me, but I don't want to marry a man who will most likely mistreat me."
"It's the only option. But if it's not an option, I think you'd better keep saying goodbye to life." I mutter irritably, sometimes I don't want to be so harsh, but it's inevitable.
Lucy doesn't answer, just keeps walking and I'm already impatient and dying to go back inside my house, lie in my bed and sleep peacefully, but I decided to let the girl say goodbye to this plane the way she prefers. After what seems like hours, but probably didn't last more than 40 minutes, Lucy decides to go back, motivated by the intense cold and the beginning of a snowstorm. When we arrive in front of my house she stops.
"Your house is very beautiful, very secluded, safe... I like it."
"Thank you."
"You're not much of a talker, are you?"
"I like silence. Shall we go in?" I extend my hand towards the door, guiding the girl.
"Tyler?" She calls as soon as we enter.
"What is it, Lucy?"
"Can I ask you something?"
"Girl, let me go to sleep." I say exasperated, doesn't she ever get tired? But when I look into her sad eyes, I regret it. "Ask, what do you want?"
"Can you give me a hug?"
"What kind of request is that?" When was the last time I hugged someone? More specifically a woman, without the intention of taking her to bed? "I'm not the hugging type, Lucy. I'm the killing type, the villain."
"Well, I'm practically dead already, aren't I? I just wanted to feel human warmth one more time..."
This situation is unbearable, as soon as she stops talking, Lucy approaches me and hugs me, tight, strong, resting her head on my chest and inhaling deeply. I remain motionless, I don't know what to do, I wish I could console her, but I'm the one who's going to take the poor girl to the slaughterhouse, offering comfort seems too hypocritical... Not satisfied, Lucy takes my arms and puts them around her fragile body, forcing me to reciprocate. This makes me realize how small she is, how unprotected and scared she is. But, what the fuck! I can't let them kill this girl, she still has so much life ahead of her. I tighten my arms around her shoulders and rest my chin on her head, inhaling the scent of shampoo from her freshly washed hair. I can't guarantee I'll protect her, this is far beyond my reach, but I can try to find a good buyer, a man who will at least be careful with her. That's it, the auction is the only way.
After many minutes of hugging, Lucy finally lets me go and I feel my t-shirt wet from the tears she shed. Although we've let go, Lucy still remains too close, which leaves me dazed and wanting to hug her again. I'm not sentimental, but everything about this girl gets to me, so much suffering and pain make me want to protect her and I hate feeling this, because it's completely out of my reach.
"Tyler." She lifts her face towards me and takes a step forward, practically pressing her body against mine, forcing me to look down to face her beautiful face. "I'm going to kiss you!" Before I can protest or even think of an answer, Lucy stands on her tiptoes and kisses me, holding my nape firmly and pulling me towards her.
Automatically, my hands grab her slim waist over the thick, warm robe, I return Lucy's desperate kiss, with the same level of desperation. I don't know what I'm doing and I also don't know why I'm so at her mercy, but this kiss awakened some sides of me that this girl should never know...
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