All These Years

Chapter 16

Shane

I didn't wake up until the late morning sun was shining into my bedroom. Thea was finally stretched out of her ball and was now laying on the pillow next to me. Her face was finally so relaxed, and I could see was the beauty I had missed for so long. She started to stir and I had to stop staring at her, if her silence said anything it told me I needed to give her space. She suddenly jerked, eyes wide with fear.

"Shane?" She croaked her voice raw, finally above a whisper.

"I'm right here"

Her eyes started to focus on me after a second.

"Thea, I'm right here."

"Shane, thank you"

I pulled her close to me "what other choice did I have. You mean the world to me. I've searched everywhere for you."

Her eyes searched my face

"How long. How long was I gone."

"3 months babe."

Her demeanor completely changed And tears rolled down her face. For a moment, gone was the blank absent Thea that I had rescued and what lay before was almost worse. This version, Thea completely devastated and broken, shattered from within, wasn't the version I ever wanted to exist. I couldn't think of anything to say, so I just held her as she sobbed, clutching my back as if for some reason I'd let her go. I knew I'd never let her go, never again let anyone or anything hurt her, I couldn't bear to see her light sniffed out more than it already was or worse gone for good.

Thea finally calmed down then steadied her hands and raised her eyes to meet mine. I saw the hurt in her green eyes as they searched my face for something I'm not sure what quite yet.

"I don't want you to pity me." She whispered finally cutting through the silence.

"I, I don't pity you. You show more strength by staying alive all that time. You have way to much strength to gain my pity." I couldn't take my eyes off of her. "From the moment you were taken, non of us stopped looking for you. Well all love you and you're part of us. We fought to get you back and believe me when I say we will fight to keep you."

She rubbed her fingertips down my arm. Then finally spoke again.

"I don't doubt that."

" come on I'll take you to the bathroom so you can shower."

I walked over to put my arm around her to carry her. I could feel that she was a bit stronger but that didn't stop her from leaning most of her weight into me. I walked her into the bathroom and sat her on the side of the bathtub as I turned the water on. I  turned around to walk out the bathroom when I felt the soft touch of her fingers along the small of my back.

"Please dont leave me." It was a statement, not a question and there was no way I could have told her no so I leaned back against the door crossing my arms over my chest. " ok " was all I could manage to say as she pulled my tee shirt off over her head. steam was starting to fill the bathroom and The thickness of the air took my breath away. She pushed her sweat pants down her thin legs to her feet and stepped into the shower out of the stream of hot water. I reached in to add some cold.

" Shane?"

I tried to not look at her body in the water but it was impossible.

"Yes Thea?"

"Will you just sit in here with me please."

The question I was hoping she would ask me, it was the only thing I wanted to do right now. I pulled my shirt over my head "of course" was all I could manage to say. I took everything off except my boxers and stepped into the shower. I set in the bottom of the tub and she sat between my legs leaning back into my chest. My eyes immediately closed and I ran my hand through my hair. We sat in silence like this for a few minutes with her hand resting on my knee making me acutely aware of everywhere our bodies touched.

I was lost in my mind and didn't notice her hand moving until it wound into my hair once again. She was going to have to stop doing that especially with nothing but my soaked boxers separating her naked body from mine. I was a prisoner, held captive only by the delicate twirls of my hair around her fingers. I missed everything about us, but I wouldn't be selfish and show her how happy I was to have her back until she made that move.

After a while I stood up, her fingers loosing their grip of my hair and stepped out leaving her in the bottom of the shower. I grabbed a towel and ran it over my head then wrapped it around me. "Lemme go grab you another towel" I told her, there were some under the sink but I needed to get out of the steam of the shower to clear my foggy head.

A few moments later and we were dressed and there was a knock on the bedroom door.

"Shane?"

"Ham come on in"

Hampton quickly walked in and glanced back and forth from me to Thea with the tiniest smile on his face. I knew he could see that Thea looked better than she had last night, he was just trying to judge how much better.

"Ham," she said to him and the look on his face was priceless " thank you for helping save me."

Ham looked like he was going to burst at the seems. He kissed her on the cheek and gave her a small hug.

"You're family. That's what we do for family"

Then he nodded to me and walked out.

"Come on let's get some breakfast. "