Moving Forward

Chapter Thirty

"It... It was that stupid game!" Tears tumbled down my cheek, it was uncontrollable at that point. But in a split second, Rion's arms wrapped around me.

"Shh... It's ok. I'm positive that it wasn't your fault Maliah..."

I tugged away from his hold, "Shut up! You don't know. You weren't there!"

"Why don't you tell me what happened then?" He said tugging my arm.

I couldn't see clearly, the tears were blocking my vision. "I don't... I don't..."
Before I could protest, he pulled me back into his embrace. I was shaking. Telling Malik's story had never been an easy feat. It was tedious. When I was finished, my body always felt weak and numb.

Somehow the way he held me felt safe. Secure. But it wasn't what I wanted. Especially from him. I didn't need his pity, I didn't need his sympathy. I didn't want anything from him. I pushed off of him and wiped my eyes. 

"Maliah..."

"I don't need your pity Rion!"

"I'm not pitying you. I am just trying to comfort you." He shook his head. Rion was torn, his face looked just as miserable as mine. 

"Why do you care anyway? I'm not yours to feel sorry for. I'm pathetic. Remember?"

The air was snatched out of my lungs when he pulled me towards his bare chest. His eyes were blazing. Burning. Burning with regret. He held both my wrists in one hand, "Maliah... I... I can't tell you how much I kick myself for telling you that. I was stupid. I was an ass. Please don't hold it against me. I want to make it right. All I want to do is make you happy. Make you live again. If you don't want to tell me your story then I don't mind. But please let me do my job."

My mouth hung open, too stunned to say anything. Too stunned to push him away. Rion turned me around so that my back was against him. I still couldn't find any words to say. He... He man-handled me. Was I suppose to fight back? I had no idea.

Then I felt his hands touch the side of my arms. "Close your eyes." He whispered into my ear.

"B...But..."

"Maliah close your eyes." His voice was authoritative yet smooth. "Listen to me for once."

I did as he said, and for a second I heard nothing. Then the sound of the water splashing against the shore vibrated through my ears.

"Walk with me." Rion said slightly pulling me backwards.

His voice was much softer and calm. I didn't say anything but listen. Listen to his shallow breaths against my ear. Listen to the water ebb and flow. Listen to the leaves shake in the wind.

"...1...2...3... 1...2...3" Rion repeated the numbers in my ear. And for every third number, he moved a little bit back.

Nothing felt much more serene than this. He had a masculine scent. His deoderant was a kind of male spice that made me feel light. I hadn't realized that his hands were looped into mine. He did it so smoothly. Maybe I was concentrating on his voice. Our hands were intertwined resting on my stomach.

"Don't stop... Keep going. You're doing great." Rion said as I faltered a bit in my step.

Maybe he'd realized that my concentration was broken because he slipped his hands up to my arms again. Wh--

"Oh!!!!" I hopped on my toes when I felt the water hit the heels of my feet.

I spun around to meet Rion's face. He was smiling. More like grinning because all his teeth were showing. Wisdom too!

"You did it! You see! You actually met the water."

My heart fluttered. I was so aghast that I stood still at the edge of the shore. Nothing could compare to the feelings I was having at the moment. For the first time in eight years, I'd felt  sea water at my toes.

"Well?" Rion held his hand out in a gesture that asked how I was feeling.

I just held my mouth. Surprise at the entire situation. Me, him, the water and everything else.

"Oh my God!!" I leaped onto him pushing him back a bit further into the shallow area of the water. He lost his balance a bit but was able to regain his stance to hold me. I clung on to him like a child, wrapping my arms around his neck. I buried my face into the small dip in his neck and savored the moment. I wasn't sure if I would get my feet wet again.

Rion hugged me back, but quickly released from my hold hold. He practically peeled me off of him. Weird. I wasn't sure if he was being professional or just didn't want to embrace me any further.

He cleared his throat. "Well I think you've completed lesson one." His voice was raspy. As if he had something caught in his lung.

"Really? That's it? I'm so ready to go into the water now.

"Not so fast. Step by step Ms Moore." He lead me back to a more dry area of the sand. Away from the water.

"Really? I thought you would have been excited to go further."

"I am, but not today." Rion quickly cleared the area where my blanket laid and placed it under his arm. He handed me my bag but I just stared at it.

"I'm not ready to leave." I couldn't understand what the rush was about. It was still early and noone had arrived yet. He had finally gotten me near the water and now he wanted to abandon me.

"Well maybe I don't really need you again." I folded my arms.

Rion inhaled deeply and stalked towards me. "Let's go. You can't push yourself too much. You'll relapse." He reached out to me but sharply pulled back his hands. Were they shaking?

"You don't know that. You only allowed me to go near the water once."

"Yes. While your back was turned... against me."

For a moment he paused when he made the statement. Rion wasn't even making eye contact. What was wrong with him? I watched as he ran his hand through his hair repeatedly.

"Let's go."

"No."

"Maliah!"

"You could go ahead. I'll find my way home."

"I can't leave you here by yourself."

"I've been by myself most of my life. I'll be fine." I waved.

"Come on... You're acting like a child."

I sashayed towards the shore and stopped one feet away from the shoreline.

"Maliah!" Rion shouted. "Don't do it. Let's go."

Ignoring him, I made another step, this time letting the foam of the water touch the tip of my toes. It felt cool. Yet cold. I trudged forward into the water and... Flashbacks. Flickering images of Malik's dead body floating in the water clouded my sight.  I screamed.

"Maliah!!"

...

**To be Continued.**