The Devil's Trail

20- Takes two

Zak stood in the bedroom doorway, observing Delilah as she was led on the bed asleep.

His soul was burdened and heart was heavy at the state of her, when she was pulled from crawl space. His eyes roamed over her dirt soiled boots and bandaged bloody hands. He knew the bandages needed cleaning and they had stopped off at a Walmart to grab antiseptic that needed to go over her cuts to stop any infection.

But Zak was stuck.

His guilt was hammering him in the spot as he watched her doze on the bed. It had been the first time she had slept since the lockdown, he knew that because Bacon had asked her earlier if she was okay after hearing her TV on all night. His room was beside Delilah's, so he knew that she hadn't slept from the loudness.

Zak shifted on his feet looking over her hair, which was now cleaner than what it was when she was pulled out. Wetting his lips, he slowly made his way into the room and found her pillow was in fact his pillow. Her face was pushed into it, almost like she was inhaling the scent of him as she slept.

His heart picked up speed at the idea, but when his eyes fell back to her hands, he knew that he didn't stand a chance. He wanted to know why he was different from the rest, he thought maybe she had a little thing for him? But no doubt he had killed it from from his decision in the lockdown. One that had caused her pain and ended their lock down early. He didn't care about the investigation, but he had realised he cared about her..

Zak had reviewed her camera footage, she was screaming and begging to be left alone. She cried and yelled for Aaron and Jay. But what caught Zak hard was when she began screaming his name too. After the way he treated her, putting her into a place where he knew she would absolutely hate, she screamed for him...

Not only did she look innocent, but now she looked vulnerable thanks to him.

Zak slowly crept over to the bed with the first aid box and antiseptic. He sat on the edge of it, looking at her face, her lips were slightly pouted and her eyelashes rested onto her cheeks whilst her hair was thrown back across the pillow.

His pillow.

With her hands stretched out, he placed the box on the bedside table and slowly began his work of opening the box and then unwrapping her hands.

Her smaller hand were being cradled in Zak's large ones. His fingers working carefully to remove the gauze. He paused when a moan left her body and her hand pulled causes him to hold onto her elbow and massage it with his thumb gently hoping it would cause her to fall back to sleep.

But when he looked back to check, he found her eyes open and watching him silently.

+++

Delilah POV

I felt the warmth of his body against my thigh, the coolness of his fingers and the smelt his cologne before I had even opened my eyes. His thumb had been soothing small circles on the inside of my elbow, a small gesture that has ended the nightmares that were pending. I was just about to fall into another when it disappeared and the sensation of him woke me.

"Hey, I've just got to change these. Also put some antiseptic on. So it might sting a little bit." He explains nervously, I watched his Adam's apple bob and felt his fingers begin to work again.

"I'll try and be quick though." He adds trying to bring me some kind of comfort as he got the new gauze and bandages ready.

I remained quiet, zoned out on the pain I felt in my palms, how they throbbed as the cuts tried to heal and how I was made to feel vulnerable. Again..