Meant to live

Chapter 3

She could see her face again as she sat on the window sill. Daphine pricked her finger again and threw her blanket on the floor.

"God dammit! I'll only ever be good at whoring! I'll never be as good as you or Mama."

Amelia picked up the blanket putting it back on her sister's lap as she returned to her own mending.

"You stop that taking the Lord's name in vain and keep going. Practice makes perfect."

"Stop being so modest. You weep of perfection."

"Too bad perfection won't get me a husband."

They laughed as the rain poured on the window sill.

Amelia's eyes opened accidently, feeling her lungs flatten. Three days now, there would be no more laughter. No more reasons to live. Rickwall would die under her hand if it was the last thing she did. She prayed to the Lord that the chest was safe and standing. Her eyes fell to the window as bits of sunrise peaked from the east. Small strings of smoke drifted to the edge of the window.

She tried to move from the bed but something stopped her. She looked down and saw Tom's arm tucked tightly around her waist. He was so warm that she wanted to stay in the small bed, molding in with his body. She slowly pried his arm away and slipped from the bed. She stepped away and leaned to the wall as she saw an almost naked Thomas under the bedsheet. He stirred for a moment before turning on his back. He let out a snore before falling back to sleep.

Amelia covered her mouth to stop a giggle. She moved for the door and saw a pile of all his clothes. Curiousity stopped her as she eased towards the bed. She had never seen a man naked before and she was about to go somewhere she knew she wasn't going to come back from. She slowly lifted the sheet from his thigh and paused when it was high enough. Daphine had told her stories of the size of a male's manhood. Her mouth opened in surprise at his size and dropped the sheet.

"Jesus," she cursed under her breath. She almost regretted having a peak but instead she blushed.

Her eyes trailed up his lean body, wanting to reach out and touch his muscles. She didn't bother to count all the sins she was committing right now. She didn't care anymore. God could watch for all she cared. The curve of his neck moved as he slept. His darkened curls flowed on the pillow. The last thing Amelia saw was his lips. She remembered how close they were to her ear only last night in the jail. The same chill went down her spine but this time the chill turned into warmth and settled at her belly.

She leaned forward, so hypnotized with the fullness of his lips. Maybe just one kiss, she thought to herself. Just one kiss. She wet her lips, closed her eyes and kissed him once. He stayed on his back, asleep. God, he looked like an angel. Maybe he was really here to protect her. A flicker of light ignited in her chest as she bent forward and kissed him again. This time longer.

She stayed on his lips as he slowly stirred. She felt a warmth rush between her legs as he slowly kissed her back. Amelia slowly moved back from the bed and slipped out of the room before she realized what she done. She ran down the stairs and mounted Daphine's horse. Her heart pounded loud in her chest. She didn't dare look back.

"My God, what is wrong with me?"

She rode the horse down the trailing following the road of smoke in the sky. She tried to focus as a throb at the core worsened. She tied the horse to the dry oak tree and started her walk to her home. She picked up the charred wood and tossed it aside as she ruffled through the wood. She found the chest and sighed seeing that it was still in tact in the sea of ashes.

She found a clean cloth and wiped the sweat away from her forehead. The cloth traveled down to her neck, leaving it clean. The feeling kept going down. Hands. His hands. His strong hands. Traveling down, caressing her naked breasts. Going even lower.