Sugar, Spice and a pinch of Fantasy

Chapter 27

----------- Chapter 27 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Haden's POV)

Jess' eyes are closed, completely exhausted. Her body must be aching even more than the cuts Moira gave her last night. 

Her skirt and blouse lies in a pile near her feet. Jess is in nothing but her tight white camisole and knickers. Her long, lean limbs are covered by numerous little cuts and bruises. 

She kept screaming and crying as Moira made each little cut, smiling sadistically. 

And all I could do was stand there...frozen, merely watching. 

Finally regaining control over my limbs, I sink to the ground, utterly exhausted and spent. 

I crawl over to Jess, shakily getting to my feet. "Jess?" I whisper, brushing the hair from her face. She opens her eyes unsurely and gives me a small half smile. 

"Hey," she croaks her voice raw from all the screaming and crying last night. 

"Wrap your legs around my waist, sweetie. It'll take some of the pressure of your arms,” I instruct, taking a step closer. 

"Haden, you look like you can barely keep yourself standing," she murmurs softly. 

"Just do it, Jess," I command as I lift her up slightly by her waist. She gingerly wraps her long, bloody legs around me, her cheeks reddening slightly.

“Okay, hang on, alright? I’m going to get you down,” I whisper, stretching up to get to the hanging bracket. We’re so close that I can feel Jessy’s warm breath playing on my face. Our eyes are almost at the same level, and I consciously shift my gaze upwards to prevent myself from staring at her.

Jessy’s hands are duck-tapped together, but I manage to unhook it from the hanging bracket. I quickly wrap my hands around her back to make sure she doesn’t fall backwards, and once again, I’m overwhelmed by how close she is.

With supreme self-restraint, I gently release her, and she unwraps her legs slowly, stiffly. She winces slightly and stands unsteadily. I grab her around the waist moments before her legs give way beneath her.

She feels so fragile in my arms. I lead her over to the corner of the room, and the both of us sit down, completely and utterly spent.

***

(Jess’ POV)

I open my eyes, and faint rays of sunshine assault me. I sit up, gingerly, my entire body aching. I’m sitting on Haden’s lap and he has me cradled against his chest. His eyes are closed and his breathing even and deep; he must be asleep.

My hands and legs are all bloody and unbelievably sore.

Moira spent the better part of last night torturing me as well as Haden. Me with actual physical cuts and Haden by restraining him and making him watch as I suffer. I honestly don’t know which one of us had it worse. The look of pure self-loathing in Haden’s eyes as he watched me writhe in pain and scream out was more than I could handle. I wish I was strong enough to withstand all the pain! I wish I didn’t scream and cry and beg.

Worst of all, I screamed Haden’s name. Not because I blamed him or anything. It just came out! Despite my efforts to not say his name; I did. And every time I did, it was like a little piece of him died.

I gaze across the room, and see my skirt and blouse lying on the ground. And then realisation that I’m practically undressed hits me like a train! I feel my cheeks burn from embarrassment!