Chapter 20

" We have about an hour before we need to head back. How about a walk?" 

I followed the stream to where it disappeared deeper into the woods, then I used my hand to gesture to the direction.

" Come on then, I'll show you where I bury my unlucky victims. " 

I was awarded with yet another gift. The enchanting sound of his laughter.

He taught me about the castellations, pointing out the shapes in the sky. And then I mentioned that I was into writing poetry and he pleaded with me to recite one for him.

" Another time, tomorrow maybe, " I said and he made me promise. So I did. And after some minutes we both grew silent.

The steps we took were slow and in tune with each other. There was no rush. I personally wanted to prolong the moment for as long as I could. It was close to ten by then, the darkness was almost tangible and the stars twinkled with majesty. But we were comfortable in the silence, walking side by side by the stream. With its silver gleam and continuous flow. The sound soothing to say the least. I turned to him even though the gesture wasn't returned.

I liked how he looked from that angle. 

I liked how he looked from all angles.

But there was something about his appearance when he was staring straight ahead. A remoteness. A mystery. Add that to his physical appeal and there was no way you could look away. I almost thought his mind had wandered off, but then there, in the dark, in the comfortable silence, he reached over and threaded his fingers with mine. 

Jerald's POV

I stood inside his doorway while he collected some things he would need, like his toothbrush and clothes for the following day. Then he placed them in a small duffel bag and we left. I was grateful for all the parties being thrown all over the place. It meant that no one gave much attention to us, and attention was something I did not want. It's why I liked that secluded part of the woods, a place only he and I visited. It gave us the privacy I wished for. And privacy equalled to comfort.

When we got to my quarters I let him in first, then I offered him some tea I had made with the spices my mother insisted on me carrying. He took the mug I offered then leaned against the small counter top.

" I'll go take a shower first, you can take yours after you've drank the tea, "

I began to walk to the washroom when he made this sound of approval from the back of his throat.

" Goodness gracious, what kind of tea is this?" 

I stopped to study him, he was eyeing me rather curiously and I almost feared that he didn't like it.

" Don't you like it?"

" Are you kidding me, just one sip yet I already fear that I might be addicted. "

I chuckled lightly, because I could tell he was being honest. And that look of fascination he wore undid me. 

" It's a secret recipe, perhaps I'll be driven into sharing it one of these days. "

" I see, and now I have another good reason to come by here more often. "

" What's the first reason?" I risked asking even though I knew the answer. I just wanted to hear him say it. He said things in this unique way, with this almost far away look in his eyes. 

" Nothing too major, just the main reason behind my sleepless nights and wandering thoughts. Someone so beautiful he makes me question my views on aesthetic perfection. "

That even and casual tone was one thing, but when he paired it with the intense look in his eyes it transformed into another thing entirely.

" You flatter me, " I said, turning my head to the side when the gaze became too heated to hold.

" I don't believe in flattery my J.R. I believe in honesty. "

He took another sip of the tea, eyeing me from underneath the brim. I decided to leave him to it, so I went and took my shower. 

When I returned to the room, I found him on the couch reading a book. Something related to history I think. He glanced up when I walked in. His eyes falling to the towel I had wrapped around my waist, remaining there for a moment before traveling up my form to meet my own pair. I busied myself with trying to dry my hair. 

He went back to reading and I noticed a frown on his face.

" Can you believe that some cultures bury the dead together with their wives? " he asked. Sounding mortified by the mere thought of it. 

I shrugged and told him that I had read about that some time back. Some communities which regarded their males as supreme, and who held strict thoughts on marriage followed the custom.

" It's so twisted, " he closed the book and placed it aside, as if he had read enough for the day and didn't want to touch it for a second more.

" So the wife's life ends simply because people decide it should?"

" They grew up knowing that that was their fate. And they accepted it willingly, " I explained. Walking towards the dressing table to grab my hair brush. Something I did out of necessity, if it were up to me I would have let the mass get all tangled up and worry about it in the morning.

But appearances,despite how mundane, were important.

" They only accepted it because they had no choice, no say in the matter whatsoever. "

I heard his soft footsteps approaching me as I ran the brush through my hair, then I went to place it back down and he held my wrist before I did. Taking it from me and asking me to sit.

" You're very fascinated by the conflicts of tradition and culture, aren't you?" I asked as he placed his hand on my bare shoulder. And an instant surge of heat ran down my spine and this pit formed inside my stomach. And when he began brushing my hair I fisted my hands. This mild feeling of bliss beginning to take over.

" They both fascinate and anger me in equal proportion. "

" But your feelings don't really matter, do they? Because your dislike for a certain custom won't make it change. "

he shifted to stand beside me, the he tilted my head up to look at me. Placing the brush on the table and using his hand to comb back the strands before he went down on his haunches.

" What are your views then? Are you okay with these so called customs? "

His voice had lowered to a whisper. And I felt hot suddenly, like the air in the room had changed. His eyes rose to my chest and remained there, I could feel droplets of water from my hair running down my torso. And I suddenly became very conscious of that look in his eyes. One that was so fierce it almost scared me. Like a sort of deep rooted hunger. 

" I think most of them are unfair and illogical. But that's just my opinion, I'm a stranger looking in on them and therefore my views are a form of judgement. For instance, some communities follow strict dress codes and would consider what most of the people in this city wear to be perverse... it's their view, but to the targeted people it's judgement. "

I watched him reach forward, then he used his fingertip to trace a droplet down my chest. His touch featherlight. But it shook me so much my heart pounded with feroscious beats. He must have felt it because he gazed up at me for a second and immediately withdrew. 

" So it's a matter of right and wrong?" he asked standing up. And I hoped I hadn't just put a barrier between us physically speaking. I shook my head, also standing and walking to my closet to take out some clothes.

And as I did so I glanced at him over my shoulder and repeated something I had once said.

" No Calen Silverstein, it's a matter of perception. "

He nodded, then he took his duffel and disappeared into the washroom. Only then was I able to take a much needed deep breath.

                              🌼💮🌼💮🌼💮

I lay on my side beside him, and I listened as he read to me. It was an old tale about a pair of lovers who were unable to be together freely because their families had a history of conflict.

The couple had started off hating each other, but then as it often is in books, the hate had somehow transformed to this love that was so true it almost made me choke with emotion.

I listened to each word that escaped his lips. His deep and measured voice was doing things to me that were hard to explain.

He must have read for close to two hours because when I glanced at my watch it was almost midnight.

He finally got to the last page and I held my breath as I listened to the sad and unexpected ending. Cane, the male protagonist, had just offered his life inorder to save the woman he loved.