Cold Hearts - Mark Tuan fanfic

30 - Falling Apart

"MARK!!!" You shout out loud. "No," you cover your face with your hands as you sob. 

"Baby, I'm here. It was just a dream." He shushes you, pulling you tightly to his chest. "It's ok," he says it over and over. 

Realizing everything was just a horrible nightmare, you hug him back, tears still flowing down your cheeks. "You're here." 

"I am, Elysa." He strokes your hair as your sobs subside. 

Just then, Mr. Tuan appears at the door, looking alarmed. He might have heard your scream and he came running to your room. "What happened?" He asks, panting.

"She had a nightmare." Mark answers for you. 

"It wasn't just a nightmare, Mark. I have to leave." You stand up but Mark catches your hand. 

"You're not going anywhere, Elysa." He says sternly. 

"But, I saw you...he killed you. I can't let that happen, Mark." Panic strikes you. "I can't let that happen to your family. What if he comes for me? I know he's capable of doing all those horrible things. I can't let that happen. No." 

"Honey," Mr. Tuan comes to your side and pulls you down the bed to let you sit. "I'm not going to allow that to happen."

"No...You don't know him. He can kill anyone, anytime." 

"Babe," Mark let's you face him, tilting your head up to make you look into his eyes. "I will do all I can to protect you. You trust me, right?"

You do. You trust him more than you trust yourself. But you don't trust Thorne. 

"I have men outside, Elysa," his dad tries to comfort you. "Thorne can't come anywhere near us."

"Besides, the police are still on him. They're watching all the airports, he won't be able to land in this country." Mark adds.

For now, you let them console you. You sob on Mark's shoulders again, letting him cover you with the safety of his arms. 

But, until when would the police be able to hold Thorne off? He's clever enough to evade the authority. He was able to get both of you to Malaysia without being detected. How difficult could it be for him to get to the US? 

"I ran a bath for you, sweetie." Mrs. Tuan comes out of the bathroom. "Come down after so you could eat something." 

You nod and thank her. 

The steaming water eases your tense body. Mark's mom was thoughtful enough to light some candles around the tub to relax your mind as well. Your mind clears up a bit, making you nap for less than an hour. 

A knock on the bathroom door wakes you up. "Babe?" Mark calls out behind the door. "Are you done yet? Dinner's waiting downstairs."

"Yeah. I'll be down in a few."

A maid has laid some clothes for you on the bed. You get dressed and slowly make your way down the stairs. 

Three pairs of eyes dart your way as you enter the dining room. "Here," Mark pulls a chair for you beside him at the table. 

"Thanks," you say softly. 

The table is set for a feast. Different kinds of food on platters across the wooden table. Mrs. Tuan helps you put some on your plate and you smile shyly at her. 

"Come on, eat," Mark takes the fork and puts it on your hand. "You haven't eaten since we got here." 

The food doesn't taste anything as it touches your tongue. It's like a soft mushy stuff entering your throat. It's not that the food is bad, it's just that your tastebuds are still not functioning well from the trauma. But you force the chunk of meat down your stomach.