The Darkness Of Healing // Ruel // English

Chapter 61

The sun shines brightly through the crack of the blackout curtains. It casts a glow across the bed and slides down Ruel's back. The glow isn't warm in color anymore, it's well past sunrise, but still it's refreshing. It's a moment of breathing between the darkness around us.

Ruel is still asleep. He lies on his stomach in the bed, his arms at the height of his head, which tightens the muscles in his back. The blanket comes up to his waist, exposing his upper body. Last night it was so hot in the room that I also took off my shirt. Ruel's hair is wild on the white pillow in front of him. The sun turns a few hairs gold.

My eyes wander to his back. He feels so vulnerable, completely exposed now that he's asleep. Gently let my fingers run over his skin. I follow his birthmarks from his lower back up to his shoulders. The outside light illuminates the small scars on his back that I had never noticed before. I caress them with care. With love and admiration.

There is nothing that can describe the feeling of the contact between us. How he feels under the nerves of my hands. The sensitivity of my skin against his.

The thought of ever having to distance myself from him makes me sick.

I plant kisses up his spine, following the curve of his shoulder blade and shoulder. I gently brush his hair back from his neck when a weary growl bubbles up in his throat.

Blurred, Ruel searches for my face, but soon turns onto his side and moves closer to me. With his head resting on my arm, his face hidden between my breasts and one arm and leg wrapped tightly around my body, he seems to fall half asleep again.

Ruel: "Wait?!" Ruel shouts as he shoots up, but is stopped by the arm I had wrapped around his torso.

Yasmine: "Calm down, you have two hours until the meeting," I say, after which Ruel collapses again with a sigh.

There's a meeting scheduled at noon in the lunchroom a little way down the road to discuss planning for America. About all the shoots, interviews, events and everything else in between. As far as I know, everyone will come along, but that does not mean that everyone is fully present during that conversation. For example, I join Michelle who will select and edit last night's photos while the others continue to talk quietly in the background.

Whining, Ruel lets go of me when I've decided to get out of bed and get ready as I let him slowly wake up. If only he didn't go back to sleep. If I believe his eyes, it will most likely happen.

With a toothbrush in my mouth, I walk to the dresser in the room to grab my phone and go back into the bathroom. I feel Ruel's eyes burn into my skin.

I turn on the screen and find all missed messages and voicemails left behind. I quickly figured out what's going on.

I spit out the toothpaste in the sink and focus on Ruel on the other side of the wall.

Yasmin: "Ruell!" I wait a moment to hear a response, even if it is the movement of the blanket. "Would you please respond to your friends. They're a little worried about you."

I know he prefers to ignore what happened last night and does so by avoiding all possible confrontation. It can no longer be avoided when it is talked about. The thing in the head has suddenly become real.

Ruel: "Fine," he sighs.

I clean my face over the sink and pat it dry with a towel before applying moisturizer.

Ruel: "Could you help me though?" Ruel finally adds softly.

My gaze goes to the woman in the mirror and I catch myself smiling at his sweet question.