Broken (Disappeared #2)

Chapter Fourteen

"Theo, sweetheart, wake up," came a voice.

The voice seemed very far away, as though calling her from deep within a forest. She struggled towards consciousness as if fighting up from the depths of a dark ocean. She realized she had limbs and she felt herself trying to use them but they weren't responding. That realization sent her into a panic and strangled noises came from her throat in protest. A scream burst upwards and she let it rip forth.

And then she was above the water, gasping for air.

Reality came to her in an instant: the darkness, the trees, the slight chill in the air, the sound of crickets. And Ahuil's face floating above her.

His face. The dark brow, golden eyes, sensual lips, and deep tan that she had missed so much and thought she might never see again.

She sat up and clasped his cheeks between both hands. "You're right again!" she gasped in a cracked and dry voice. "Oh, my heavens. Tell me it worked. Tell me everything is all right."

He smiled broadly. "We're fine. We're back at the settlement. You're pretty heavy when you're unconscious, you know. You almost broke our backs."

She lightly slapped him. "Horrible man." She lay back down and took in a deep breath of the cool, fresh air. "Where is Xochitl? Is she all right?"

Ahuil leaned over her. "Sure is. Has her feet in a tub of hot water and is probably on her third glass of wine."

Theodosia laughed and began tracing the lines of his face with her forefinger. "I lost you for a moment there," she added softly. "Everything's going to be fine as long as I have you here."

He lay on top of her, being sure to put his weight on his elbows, and pressed his lips ever so gently against hers. There was a wonderful sensation of warmth, the softness of his mouth, the taste of him, and the feeling of his tongue tracing the inner edge of her lip.

Her exhaustion and relief at seeing him again allowed her to throw aside any sense of modesty. She let herself drown in the feelings of love and longing that washed over her. He began to kiss her eyelids, her temples, the sides of her nose, the corners of her mouth, and then down to her neck. He lavished kisses there, kissing, nibbling, and then licking her ear. Delicious shivers crawled all over her body. Then he pulled back.

"You're so special to me," he whispered. "So brave. So sweet. So strong. I've never met anyone like you. It's as if you were made especially for me so you would save me from my loneliness. Give my life meaning again."

She took a deep breath, overwhelmed but sated by his loving words. When she exhaled, she shuddered deeply. "How can you be so wonderful and yet everything else is breaking apart around us?"

He smiled sadly. "I don't know. I've never been so miserable and so happy at the same time. I feel like I'm breaking inside. And you're the only thing keeping me even a little bit together. I might lose everything. Theo, I will lose everything. We are going to disappear and there is nothing we can do about it."

She kissed the salty tears that threatened to spill from the corners of his eyes. "Don't say that. I won't lose you."

"It's impossible to stop what's happening." His eyes frantically scanned her face.

"That can't be true. Kiss me, please, and tell me it's not true. Lie to me, even." Traitorous tears welled in her eyes.

He kissed her tears. "I would never lie to you. But how about this: for tonight let's pretend like we're forever."

She looked back at him with complete vulnerability. The sensation scared her. Never had she let herself be so open with a man before. It thrilled her just as much as it terrified her.

She blushed, scanning his eyes uncertainly. "Tell me you love me?"

He caressed her hair softly. "Theo, I love you so much the words almost sound meaningless when I say them. I love you more than I've loved anyone. You are my reason, my joy, my desire, my everything. All I want in this world is to feel close to you and for you to love me back."

Tears continued to fall down her cheeks. She laid a hand over his chest, feeling his heart beat. "Do you know that I trust you more than I've ever trusted anyone? That I feel closer to you than anyone? Of course I love you. I love you beyond meaning, beyond rationality, beyond even myself. I would do anything to love you one more minute. I will fight for you until the end. That you can depend on."

A sob came out of his body then, a sound so lonely it almost broke her heart. "Come closer," he said in a cracked voice. "Please, hold me together."

She wrapped her arms around him and held his shaking body.

Much later that night she fell asleep listening to his heartbeat, her own heart almost full to bursting, feeling complete amid the brokenness. If such wholeness was even possible, they made it so that night.