Short Story – Chained to Shadows – Final part

She was wearing the yellow dress he had given her. A bright flame on his horizon. He had left the windows unshuttered. Outside, it was dark. The lights glowed on the water in the distance.

The world was celebrating today. Lovers’ day. His palms were sweaty, his throat tight. But something stronger than his fear was making him move towards her. She must have known of his presence but she kept looking out of the window, her back to him.

He took a deep breath and caught her shoulders. ‘Amber.’ His voice had gone husky. His hand stole to hers and caught it in a clasp.

He heard her inhale. ‘You don’t mean this…’

His fingers were urgently twining hers now. Surely she couldn’t mistake it, what he felt, what raged through his veins. ‘I want to tell you something, Amber. But first I have to ask you to forgive me.’

She turned at that. Her eyes searched his. Wide, uncertain. For the first time he could see a pain in them that cut through him. ‘I’ve reconciled myself to what can’t be. Don’t put in any hope that doesn’t have any right to be there. I know what I am and I don’t expect anyone to see me as – as I see myself. Victor…’ She was breathing hard, then almost as though forcing herself to say the words she said, ‘Don’t play with me.’

He blanched, the whisper hitting him like a stab wound. ‘I know I haven’t made any effort to earn your good opinion, but surely you don’t think I’m that low?’ He took their intertwined hands up and kissed her knuckles which were turning white as her grip increased on his. She wriggled her hand free and he took the opportunity to clasp her by her upper arms.

‘Amber, I won’t say what I feel for you is what I felt for Sonya. I can’t even properly name this emotion. I didn’t go looking to feel this for you.’ His laugh was dry. ‘Far from it. You know that. But somewhere something changed. You began to matter to me. To mean something I can’t describe but which just splits me thinking about it. I can’t think of existing without you. I don’t know what this is. Can you tell me?’ He shook her a little but very gently.

She looked up at him, moisture gathering in her eyes. ‘You don’t mean that, Victor.’ She whispered much like she had earlier.

‘Then I must be a very convincing liar,’ his fatalistic tone sent a small spurt of laughter in her.

‘I thought I was okay with it. Okay to have you look at me like other people did.’ She said softly as though her voice might break at any moment. ‘But then it began to hurt. And I realized I wanted more from you. How stupid could I be? You hated me for coming back alive!’ His arms went around her as he sought to comfort her. Her fingers bunched into his shirt. ‘At some level I knew it was reactionary but oh it was so hard to bear! Not you, I kept thinking, not you…!’ Her fingers clutched the fabric, eyes fever bright as she relived his rejection. For Victor, emotion he hadn’t thought he could feel, churned up like a maelstrom.

‘Can you ever forgive me for that, Amber?’ She didn’t answer, just collapsing on him. He held her, his chest felt constricted, his heart heavy with the load of his own doings.

‘Please Amber, say something.’ He reached down and stroked his thumbs across her cheeks wiping her tears. ‘I’ll do anything to make you happy. I’ll spend a lifetime doing it…’

‘I don’t want your guilt.’ She said in a muffled voice. But the storm had passed. She let him dry her eyes.

‘And love…?’

In the silence he thought he heard the echo of their heart beats. For a second he could just breathe. He could see she was breathing as unevenly as him.

He bent down and put his mouth against hers. Sensation drenched him, as the contact became a caress, the caress became a kiss, and the kiss became an avowal. A beginning and an anticipation.

He looked down into golden eyes. Sparkling eyes.

He saw her smile edge up and behind her he reached for the box he had put on the table.

‘It’s the day of hearts and promises, of sweetness and surrender. Be the magic in my life. Be my Valentine, darling…!’

****

Hope you enjoyed reading Victor and Amber’s story! Do let me know what you think of it.

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

Filed under: Book Enthuse, Free Read