Reassurance.

chapter twenty eight.

"Oh Zara, thank God you are okay!" the words rushed out of Jamies mouth and he sat in the chair that was beside my bed.

"Jamie." I took a deep breath willing my tears not to fall. "Thankyou so much. You have no idea how much it means to me what you did for me."  I took another breath.

"Hey Zee, its fine." He picked his hand up and rested it on my shoulder. "Everything is fine now, I did the best I could although I still have no idea whats going on."

I took yet another deep breath and counted to three in my head. Was it time to tell Jamie?

"Look, Jamie. I think maybe its time you were told the secret I have been keeping from you." A single tear made its way down my cheek. "This is going to be hard for me but you gained my trust when you gave me the reassurance everything was okay. You helped me. You saved me from a horrible, horrible person."

"Zara, if its hard for you to tell me then dont worry about it. When youre ready." Jamie said, sweetly and reassuringly.

"I am ready, I need to tell someone." I said and Jamie nodded for me to carry on.

"When I was 9, I got in trouble for doing something, I ran out of the house just as it was starting to darken outside. This man grabbed me but nobody heard my cries. He raped me that night but my parents and brothers had called the police and sent out a search party. They had heard my screams and tracked them, I was safe within a few hours later but I have nightmares and flashbacks every night." I stopped to take a breath but before I could continue Jamie stopped me by pulling me forward and cradling me.

"Oh Zara. I had no idea it was so bad. I will never let anything or anybody hurt you again."

"I was waiting for you to reassure me and gain my trust. The truth is I wear my heart on my sleeve and I fell for you the minute I saw you. Its unlike me to answer the door or even speak to strangers but that day I met you I couldnt look away from you. I wanted to get to know you but I needed to trust you would understand me and not take advantage. And reassure me. Tell me everything is going to be okay. And thats exactly what you have done." I admitted to him. Tears falling faster now but still silently.

"Oh Zara. Remember I told you that you were beatiful? Well I still think that now, even though youve revealed to me a haunting past. I want nothing more than to be by your side and take care of you."

I continued to hug him. "Thankyou so much, Jamie." I whispered into his shoulder.

"Its monday, I didnt get to take you on that date." He pushed me gently back down onto my bed and tucked a tendril of hair behind my ear.

"Well I can get ready now and we can go?" I offered.

"No Zee. Right now, youre going back to sleep and I am going to lie right here beside you."

Jamie tucked me in before lying ontop of the duvet beside me, soothingly rubbing my back.