A Heart's Thoughts

Day 23 - Part 1

".... Your chest...."

Cecilia opened her eyes, hearing people whisper elsewhere in the factory building.

"Show me your chest, Anthony."

She sat up, her interest piqued upon hearing Anthony's name. She hadn't seen him before going to sleep, but it seemed he got back.

"I'm fine, Eden, you healed my chest ages ago, all traces of that acid are long gone."

She stood up, carefully walking to the other side of the room and opening the door to locate the two. She saw them sitting at an old, rusty table at the other side of the main hall.

She saw Eden's back, looking tense as he crossed his arms, "I know the acid is gone, but I need to take a look at your chest. Just take off your shirt already."

She saw a grin appear on Anthony's face, "oh? And here I was thinking you had your eyes on Cecilia. I see how it is."

She heard Eden scoff, "you know what I mean, Anthony. And besides, who says I can't like both men and women?"

"Do you?"

"No. Now take off your shirt."

Anthony dropped his smile and sighed as he took off his shirt and Cecilia gasped softly. His chest was covered in scar tissue and she could hear Eden curse under his breath before gently putting two fingers on the scar.

"Do you feel this?"

Anthony hesitated for a moment before answering, "no."

Eden applied pressure, "now?"

"No."

He placed his fingers right above the scar, touching his unaffected skin, "do you feel this?"

"Yeah, and your fingers are super cold. Need me to warm them up for you?"

Eden sighed and took his hand off Anthony, ignoring his question.

"Your nerves have been damaged by that acid. I'm pretty sure the same goes for your leg. You should've immediately come to me the moment you got out of that place, knowing that they splashed you with something."

"I couldn't. They would've taken both Cecilia and Elias. I can't lose both of them. Cecilia may have chosen to rebel and she was ready to get taken in, but Elias didn't do anything to have to go through this stuff. You know how weak his heart is."

Eden threw Anthony his shirt, "says you."

Anthony looked baffled as he put his shirt back on, "what are you trying to say with that?"

"That your heart is just as weak as Elias', you just managed to build a strong wall around it."

Anthony fell silent for a moment as he looked down at the ground, "Cecilia also has a wall around her heart."

Eden scoffed, "oh yes she does, and a very strong one at that."

"Why?"

Eden stopped moving and instead turned his head to look at Anthony, "it's to protect her own heart from other people's thoughts."

Anthony shook his head, "that can't be all. Jude told me Cecilia has had a rough life even before this, and I doubt it was just because of a few thoughts."

Eden's shoulders tensed, "honestly, Anthony, I get you're trying to play the protective boyfriend role, but Cecilia's past really doesn't concern you."

Anthony frowned, "I'm not just trying to play a role, I'm genuinely concerned for her, especially after what happened when the Council took her."

Eden sighed, "Anthony, for your own sake, just drop this topic. You won't hear anything from me, or Jude, in case you'll try to approach him next. If you want to know about her past, you'll have to ask her yourself, but I won't be saying a word about it."