Innocent Love

Chapter 4

Lea walks close to Arturo inspecting his hand to which Arturo says "Walk away or I'll smack the shit out of you"
Lea looks up at him and takes a few steps back.
"You would smack me? That's harassment" says Lea.
"From the generation I come from, smacking girls was a sign of masculinity," says Arturo.
"How old are you?" Says Lea and continues "And I was looking at your tattoos"
Arturo looks at his hand and says "I got that for Lucia. She loved the medieval times and would constantly talk about it or dress up like Viking during Halloween" with a smile thinking of his wife.
"Lucia?" Asks Lea and takes a seat at the edge of Arturo's bed.
"My wife. On one of her birthdays, Ezra and I got these matching tattoos. Dressed as Vikings and even rented an old Viking boat in the Netherlands. It was a family trip for her birthday" says Arturo with a sad smile.
"She must have loved it," says Lea.
"She drowned and died that day. It was the next day we found her body" says Arturo.
"I am so sorry," says Lea.

Arturo wanted to change the topic so he asked "So what's with the whole, I know who scared me drama?"
"Drama? I was scared. And I know who scared me. It is obvious now that it was Mr Ezra as his hands were all muscular and strong and not wrinkly like yours" says Lea.
Arturo narrows his eyes at her and says "You are short and ugly"
Lea gasps loud and says "I am 5'6"
"I am 6'3," says Arturo arrogantly.
"Yeah? Can you stand?" Asks Lea and Arturo growls scaring her to stand out of bed.

"Get out and go get me something good to eat like lasagna," says Arturo.
"You won't get anything till you agree to cooperate with the physiotherapist who will be here in some time," says Lea looking at the medication he has to take after lunch.
"I ain't meeting no one," says Arturo.
Lea looks at the stubborn old man and says "Cooperate and I'll get you pizza for dinner"
"I want lasagna," says Arturo.
"Lasagna takes time to make and I have to still unpack and I don't think anyone will make it for you. Mr Ezra had strict instructions on your diet" says Lea placing three pills near his bed.
"He wants to kill me," says Arturo.
"You think everyone wants to kill you," says Lea and sees a maid bring in Arturo's lunch. The maid places his food in front of him and Arturo makes a foul face. Lea giggles and says "My offer still stands"
Arturo irritatedly agrees to meet the physiotherapist.

Lea excuses herself to have her lunch and when she came back, Arturo was done too. The maid leaves with the plates and Lea goes to the side table to pick up the pill she had left for Arturo bedside. She stares at the pills and was confused to see four pills instead of three. She picks up the pill she didn't keep and looks at Arturo waiting for the pills to be handed to him. Lea gives him three pills and keeps the fourth one in her pocket. She watches Arturo and tries to understand why someone would want him dead.
Arturo was irritated by Lea's staring at him and asks "What?"
"I won't let anyone kill you," says Lea, and Arturo was confused.

Lea refused to leave Arturo unattended till the evening. Arturo as agreed cooperated with the physiotherapist and tries to walk with lots of difficulty. The physiotherapist was a handsome young man and was flirting and laughing with Lea throughout the session. After he left, he told her that he would come again tomorrow and Lea nodded with a smile.

After dinner, Lea ordered a pizza and insisted Arturo pay for it.
"You pay, you promised," says Arturo.
Lea hands the pizza guy the money and takes the change back. She sees she had 20$ and thought back to the conversation she had with Jasmine. And to her surprise, Daniel walks past her. He ignores her and climbs up the stairs to reach the first floor. Lea bites her lower lip, hands Arturo his pizza, and rushes to find Daniel.

Lea climbs up the stairs to find Daniel holding the twenty dollars. From what Lea had seen the previous night, Jasmine surely was enjoying what he was doing to her. She didn't mind that little action herself.

Lea looks down the large corridor and sees Daniel walking out of a room, towards her. She meets him halfway and he looks at her confused.
"So, Jasmine said you both are not boyfriend and girlfriend," says Lea.
"She said that?" Says Daniel with creased eyebrows and continues "What's in for you? Why do you care?"
"Well, I was wondering if you want to do .. you know?" Asks Lea biting her lower lip.
"Do what?" Asks Daniel and continues "You? Eww..."
Lea was angry with his comment and lashed at him.
"you are the one who changes 20$ for sex and you are saying ewww... To me?" She says raising her voice a little.
"20$? Are you crazy? What's wrong with you bitch?" Says Daniel and receives a slap from Lea who covers her mouth, shocked at her action.

Daniel glares, panting with anger.
"Sorry" whispers Lea and was ready to sprint away when Daniel grips her arm and says "You are going to pay for this"
"No, sorry," says lea and he starts dragging her to the room he exited a few minutes ago. He pushes her inside and closes the door. Lea bangs at the door all while apologising to Daniel.

Lea didn't want to know what was in the room and didn't want to turn to search for anything in this dark room. Lea finally stops banging on the door when she realized Daniel would not open this door. She built up some courage and turns to look at what this room was. She looks around and the only light illuminating this room was the light of the moon entering from the huge windows with a cold wind blowing in, making the curtain fly freely.

Lea wipes her tears trying to see something and to her horror, she sees a silhouette of a large man in the middle of the room. She couldn't see the face of the man but she knew there is no way she could fight him if he attacked her. She tried to call the person but her voice was stuck in her throat and died immediately when she watches him walk towards her. She tries to push herself as far as she could against the door and wishes she had superpowers to go through the door like in the movies.
'you mean the ghosts? Wait for a few minutes, he will kill you and you can fulfill your wish to go through doors' says her subconscious.
"No" whispers Lea and the man stops walking. But of course, it was for a second. He walks close, really close to her and bends down to her height, and says "Are you my meal for tonight?"
"I am a girl not food," says Lea fake sounding brave.
The man rubs his nose in the crook of her neck, licks her, and whispers in her ear "Girls are easy to chew. They have the most tender of meat" and bites the lobe of her ear making her hissing in pain.

Lea turns away from him and bangs at the door again. The man places his hands flat on door next her face. He sniffs her hair and pushes his body against her back. Lea was scared and looks beside at his hands. She sees the familiar tattoos and whispers "Ezra"
"Lea" he rasps her name on her skin making every part of her body cover in goosebumps.

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