Tormented✓

Chapter 14

Leora walked slowly to the pool. She deeps her toes to the water and smile brightly at him when she feels the warm water. In a hurry, she took off the bathrobe and throw it on the bench, and sinking into the water.

The warm water makes her sigh comfortably. She starts swimming around and sinking deep into the water. She feels content at the moment. After the exhausting day with roller coaster emotion, at least with this she can relax and let go of all her burden. Just for a couple of hours before she faces the devil himself, back to her problem.

He watches her relaxing and swimming with content. All he wants is to never let that smile wash off from her face. But in reality, all he does is keep her cry and fearful of him. He smiles pitifully at himself for making his girl suffer at his side.

"You won't swim?" She asks swimming closer to him.

"I will." He took off his bathrobe and sank slowly to the pool.

She smiles playfully at him. In a hurry, she carelessly splashes him with water. She giggles loudly when he looks at her with a shocking look. He looks at her amusingly and mischievously starts to catch her by swimming slowly to her. She shrieks loudly when she sees him trying to catch her. She swims as fast as she can but he still can catch her. She giggles loudly when he catches her and tries to break free from him.

"Got you." He whispers in her ears when she is out of breath and stays still in his arms.

"It's not fair because you're so athletic. I'm just a weak girl compared to a big guy like you." She sulked and pouted her cute mouth.

"That's why we need to make you a big strong girl so you can defeat a strong man like me. How's that sound?" He says while he slips her baby hair behind her ears.

"Really? But I'm lazy to do some heavy exercise like gym, and I don't think I can do that." She protests weakly. She hates the idea of when she needs to do some heavy activities that will tire her muscle.

"That's why I need to push you. You need to be strong enough to defend yourself from someone strong like me. Capire?" He asks and drags her chin up so he can see her eyes. (understood)

"Si." She says but still pouts her lips.

She tries to break free from his arms and this time he lets her go. She smiles happily when she thinks she can break free with her own strength. She swims away from him. For sinking herself deeply in the water feeling content at this moment.

"Do you know what day today is?" She asks when she remembers that today is a special day for her.

"Friday." He answers.

"Yes it is silly, I mean do you know that today is Good Friday. It's the day when Jesus died at the cross." She asks.

"Yeah, I know." He comments nonchalantly.

"He dies in the cross and comes back to life. It's the same as when I'm baptized. When I'm sinking in the water like this." She sank herself to show him and come back to the surface.

"It's like I die with Him in the cross. When I come to the surface it's mean I come back to life with Him. All of that means my life It's no longer mine, and I died from my old self, that's includes all of my sins being forgiven and forgotten. And I'm free to live my new life in the grace that He provides for me."

"If you want a new starter you can start with being baptized. I think it's the same as being reborn again." She smiles and swims to him.

He just stares at her. He doesn't know how to react to her speech. The concept of being baptized and after that, all of their sins are forgiven and forgotten seems silly for him. How can someone be forgiven for their mistakes without the need to pay for the penalty? All his life he knows when someone hurts you, you need to pay ten folds for the mistakes.

"Can we go to the church?" She says to him hoping he will fulfill her request.

"I'll think about it; this is not a promise. Don't set your hope highly." He says sternly at her.

"You know maybe when we go to church you can pray for ways to Jesus. You say yourself that you can't sleep at night, it's mean you're suffering from this life. Maybe when we go to church you'll learn more about Jesus and set your faith in Him, that way you'll be breaking free from your past and living happily without suffering." She tries to coax him.

"Why we need to go to church just for praying and celebrating Passover. You can pray in here right?" He asks.

"Yes, but I want to celebrate Passover with others. I know that I can pray anywhere but still, it's like a birthday. We are thankful for the day we were born in this world. It's the same we are thankful that Jesus suffers for us and is back to live and bring victory for us. You know it won't be the same to celebrate it alone than with others." She still tries to reason with him.

"You know I never celebrate my birthday. You can't expect me to understand your reasoning Bambina." His statement makes her gape her mouth at him. He chuckles lightly at his foolish expression.

"What? How?" She asks him, confused why he doesn't celebrate his birthday like a normal person. But she already knows that he isn't a normal person.

"Let's not worry your little head with another pity story from me." He says and looks at his watch.

"But it's still not okay to not celebrate your birthday you know." She says sadly at him. Her heartache as she imagines him as a little boy who doesn't celebrate his birthday.

"Nobody will care and be grateful with the day I am born. C'mon it's past your bedtime little girl." He says and helps her to get out of the pool.

"I'm not a child you know. I can stay up late whenever I want." She protests at him and sulks when he looks at her sternly.

"It's midnight, you need to wake up early. I'll start to train your body tomorrow." He explains to her.

"Can we do my train another time? You know I am already tired of a lot of swimming. I'm sure my muscle will be sore tomorrow." She pleads at him. Try to reason with him so she can't pass the heavy exercise.

"I already made my mind. You will need to sleep early so you can relax your muscle." He says sternly and pushes her to move along with him.

"Fine! I'll comply with your demand, but in the afternoon can we go to the church as my reward?" She peeks at him, hoping she can see anything from his poker face.

"As long as you are obedient to me, I'll try to give you what you want." He says reminding her that she just needs to obey him, that's all.

"And if I ask for my freedom," She asks seriously.

"You already know the answer Bambina." He says and leaves her at her bedroom door.

"Matteo!" She calls him before she enters her bedroom.

"I care about your birthday, and I am grateful you were born into this world. Goodnight." She says and enters her bedroom without seeing his shocked face. He walks away from her room with a dazed look on his face.

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