A Fresh Ending

Chapter 10

Waiting for Steve to return home was agonizing. All I wanted was to run into his waiting arms, and declare my love for him. Nothing else mattered anymore. I would eventually come to terms with all the factors keeping me from fully trusting the man. The memories of killing the women hadn't returned. I took Steve at his word on what occurred that evening. My life back in Portland was nonexistent before Steve took me. No matter what happened here, I knew I wasn't going home. Ann, well, resided in the basement. Her faith was bleaker than my own. Steve would be returning soon, so she would face her fate.

The house remained quiet for the most part as the days passed. I spent a few walking the grounds, enjoying the last few warm fall days. I felt freer when Alec took off my bracelets the day after Ann's attack.

"Mr. Kemp requested that you stay within the confines of the gate, or he will put these back on," Alec expressed, placing the devices into his pocket.

We both had some trust issues. Mine justified by being taken against my will. I'm sure his had to do with Noa. I didn't know the details of the events that took place the night Noa tried to escape. Steve seemed as though he was still recovering weeks later. I wondered if the surgery the man underwent was due to the attack. Would Steve tell me when he returned home?

I lost track of how many days it had only been Alec, Ms. White, and myself. The quiet allowed me to focus on things I wanted to express to Steve. I spent many nights in front of the fireplace, writing in my journal. The many conversations with myself allowed for personal healing. Reading my words each day permitted me to live in my situation. It was okay to be happy, even when society would believe I was crazy.

Loving Steve meant that I had to accept his unorthodox lifestyle. I didn't see myself crossing the line and participating, but I could love the man regardless. I wouldn't want to know what he was doing when he wasn't with me. There was so much I didn't know about Steve, but I wanted to know everything, even the parts that scared me.

Today, I started my day by grabbing my clothes and heading to my shower. I stripped my body of the silk pajamas Steve provided and turned on the shower hearing a moan from behind the wall. Water didn't appear, causing me to reach for my robe. I shuffled out of the bathroom, heading out of my room to find Alec.

"Alec, I think my shower's broken," I called through the house.

Alec exited the kitchen, chewing on a bagel, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, there is no water, and there is a strange sound when I turn it on," I explained as best I could.

Alec nodded, "Okay, I'll call a plumber. In the meantime, you can grab your things and use Mr. Kemp's shower."

"I don't think he'd like that," I responded, biting my lip.

Alec chuckled, "Please, I'm sure he wants nothing more than you naked in his shower."

"Alec!" I blushed, turning away from the man.

He smiled, "Get your things and take a shower. I'm going to get someone here to fix it."

Steve's bathroom was beautiful. Everything was black, white, shiny, and big. The whirlpool tub called to me the second I walked into the room. Knowing I shouldn't even be in here, I pushed away every instinct and concentrated on showering. The water seemed more inviting than my own, and the pressure against my muscles felt incredible. Stress melted away with every second inside the shower. Part of me prayed Alec couldn't fix my shower so I could use Steve's again.

Once completely relaxed, I wrapped a towel around my body and stepped out. I grabbed my clothes to dress in Steve's room. I entered the room, greeted by the man I'd been waiting to see for days. He stood in front of me in only a pair of black sweats with a white tee in his hands.