Page 204 of Nemesync
Her life was a mess, she suffered and was still battling her own demons, but still found the strength to take care of me. Her kindness overwhelmed me, her existence submerged me. The world wasn’t deserving of my Zanae.
“But you don’t know...” I began, the words catching in my throat.
She tilted her head, a soft expression in her eyes. “Know what?”
I smiled at her and grabbed her hand to kiss it, “Ty - moya zhizn’, Milaya.”
She smiled back, raising an eyebrow at me. “What did you say?”
I cupped her cheek, caressing the softness of her skin. “I missed you,” I lied.
The tug of war between the darkness within me and the light she brings as the brightest star in my universe, threatened to open this pandora box I hide in between walls of blood and nightmares.
And I don’t know if I’m ready for that.
“You sure everything’s fine, Eli?”
My gaze lingered on her, my eyes tracing the contours of her face. “You don’t get it, Zanae. This... whatever we have, it’s different. I’ve never been consumed like this before. It’s like you’re fucking burning under my skin. And I love the feeling of it.”
Zanae paused in her movements, looking up at me. “Burning?” Her tender fingers gently rested on my uninjured hand.
I took her hand in mine and stroked her skin with my thumb. “I’m not used tofeelingthis much.”
She smiled sadly; her expression curious. “Hey, listen to me. I care about you so much; I want you to feel the way you make me feel—protected and cherished.”
My lips twitched. “Care about me... it’s more than that, Zanae. You’re changing something in me, something I never thought could change, something I didn’t even know existed. But for you, it feels right to suffer and rediscover these parts I forgot.”
Her pretty amber eyes softened, and she seemed at a loss for words.
A nervous chuckle escaped me, “You’re the one in charge now.”
“Of what?” She asked, curious.
“My soul,” I admitted, not even defeated by the confession.
She squeezed my hand gently. “I’m here now, as much as you are for me. I’ll always look after you.”
I exhaled, as if releasing a breath I didn’t know I was holding. “You’re too good for someone like me,Milaya. I don’t know how you put up with my fucked-up mind.”
Her eyes locked onto mine. “Maybe because I see the parts of you that you’re still discovering. They’re beautiful, and I love them all.”
I planted a delicate kiss on her soft lips.
I didn’t know someone could embrace all the facets of me, the shadows and the obscurity within me, but she is. She’s keeping up with all this and makes me feel like maybe I can still find peace in this world just by having her in my life.
She settled onto my lap; her touch gentle as she cradled my face. Her voice, soft and reassuring, urged me to open up. “Tell me what happened. I won’t judge you, and you know it. I just want to understand. I’m here for you, no matter what.”
I released a long breath. “I received a call this morning. There was a threat against you—a bounty placed on your head. And the one behind it... was Elias.”
Her eyes widened in shock, her hand instinctively finding its place on my shoulder. “My father? Again...? He...?”
“He won’t be a threat to you anymore. I made sure of that.”
Disappointment and sadness clouded her pretty eyes, a reflection of the battle within her. I wished I could erase the pain he caused her with every fiber of my being.
“Eli... I want you to promise me something,” she said, her voice tinged with vulnerability.
I met her gaze, silently asking her to continue.
