Black Romance Chapter 52

Jessie

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I didn't sleep alone . For the first time in my life, I had someone else beside me .

The heat off his body was warm as he curled himself around me unknowingly while he slept . His arm draped over my shoulder, face snuggled up into my hair, leg thrown over my calf .

AdvertisementA small smile sat on my lips as I watched bright streams of light stretch between the cracks in the blinds . I was afraid to move, afraid to wake him up and have all of this end .

The night before I was angry, too caught up in how I ended up in his hands, unable to see the genuine gift he had given me .

I was out of the Canary . Not forever, but long enough to enjoy the pleasures of this strange world .

Taking in a deep breath, even the air smelled different . It was fresh and light, filled with subtle notes of perfume and laundry detergent . The bedding was clean and soft, the walls were crisp and clean, decorated with ocean scenery .

Memories of going to the beach with my family when I was a little girl rushed into my head . I could remember the salty air and the way the sand stuck to your skin, making it feel rough .

A single tear trickled down my cheek as my father's face sat in my mind, his smile bold and gleaming as we built sand castles and splashed in the cold water .

Moving my eyes to the table beside the bed, the thick glossy lacquer was like a mirror . Running my fingers across the surface, I gently touched the thin edge of the lamp, feeling the coarse material .

The need to explore and touch and smell everything in the room had started to come over me . This was the only chance I had to regenerate memories of normalcy . Things that most took for granted .

A soft bed, a fluffy pillow, the way the fabric felt against my skin . I was trying to make mental notes so I'd be able to revisit this memory in the future .

Salt stirred, rolling onto his back, . Glancing over my shoulder, his eyes were still closed, and his breathing was heavy as he snored lightly .

Giggling, I laid my head back down, allowing myself to have that moment . One where there was no pressure on me to perform, or feet stalking by my door like I was a dangerous criminal who might escape .

Pulling the blanket up higher, the feather filled pillow cradled my skull like a delicate egg . I wanted this to last forever . I wanted to live this life . I wanted nothing more than to wake up every day to the sun as my alarm clock .

Salt grunted, mumbling something to himself as he rolled further to the other side of the king sized bed . Twisting my body, I turned so I was facing him, and watched him while his dreams seemed to take him places .

Every few seconds his face would contort and his lips would move as he spoke unrecognizable sentences to an unseen person . Lifting his arm up over his head, his muscles rippled, drawing my eyes to his bare chest .

Thick black lines decorated his ribs, swirling and looping as they followed the defined muscles down his side, disappearing into the seam of his boxers . Reaching out, I let the tips of my fingers hover over the tattoo .

I wanted to trace it, follow the lines and see exactly where they went . The pads of my fingers inched closer, my hand shaking slightly as I tried to be as gentle as possible so I didn't wake him up .

He looked like a sleeping God, one that was dropped from above by mistake . Salt didn't belong mixed up in this shit . For all the bad things he'd probably done in his life, there was something about him that screamed savior .

From the corner of my eye a red flash blinked, catching my attention . Lifting up on my arm, I spotted a phone on the table on Salt's side . The small light kept bursting like a tiny firework, but the phone wasn't making a sound .

A phone . I could call for help . . .

Chapter end