BeWere My Heart

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Selene held Merrick’s hand has the walked back to her father’s house. They walked together without saying a word, every so often Merrick would pause to help Selene over a fallen log or a slippery slope that he had judged too difficult for her to manage herself. Selene was amazed at how much ground she had covered during her run. Merrick seemed un fazed by the distance. Selene realized that Merrick was a man of few words. He seemed most at ease in silence, but he spoke instead with his body, with his hands. He knew this would probably be their last chance to be together for a while if not ever, and yet he didn’t plague the time with discussion of the future. Merrick spoke to Selene with the gentleness of his hand holding hers, with the strength in his arms and back as he lifted her over a log, and with his eyes that never failed to search hers out in the darkness every few steps.

She could tell he was afraid, but at the same time he assured her that he was not deserting her and that he would remain close. And as precious and wonderful those last hours had been as they walked through the forest, they eventually reached Selene’s home. Merrick stopped in the courtyard of the house and turned to Selene. He took up both her hands and brought up to his bare chest, to the flesh just above his heart, “My heart beats for you.”

Selene took his large calloused hand in her and brought it to her own breast above her heart, “Merrick, my heart beats for you—only you.”

Merrick’s head dropped forward so his forehead rested on the top of hers. He breathed in the scent of her hair, of her. Selene brought her hands up to his cheeks as if to hold him to her. His hands came up and held her wrists. Merrick pressed a chaste kiss on her forehead and then gently pulled her hands from his face and let them drop to her sides. He then turned without another word and left her alone as he walked back into the forest, melting into the darkness, taking her heart with him.

“Selene,” her father called to her from the French doors that led inside the house. Selene turned and slowly walked towards her father, “Where are your shoes?” He asked impatiently.

Selene looked down at her dirty feet and shrugged, “I lost them.”

Patrick closed the doors behind her, “How did you lose them?”

Selene’s emotions were so confused she could barely stand up right, but she answered her father, “I lost them while running.”

“Why were you running, I can’t believe that Merrick—“ Patrick stopped as the mere mention of Merrick’s name caused Selene’s head to fall to her chest and her hands to come up and hold her heart. Janet came down the stairs and saw the byplay between the two, and motioned for Patrick that that was enough parenting for the night.

“Selene come with me. I’ll get you something to wear to bed. Tomorrow we’ll find you some clothes of your own.” Janet took Selene by shoulders and led the, clearly broken and distraught younger women up the stairs to her room.

Patrick stood in the silence of the hallway for several long minutes before he realized what had just happened, he had broken his daughter heart.

              *              *              *

If Selene could have stopped the sun from rising she would have. It was late in the day when she finally got out of bed, which was unusual because she would have been at works for hours already. The moment Selene’s feet touched the floor of her room, a light knock came at her door and Janet entered carrying a tray and with several garments draped over her right arm.

“Good morning, my dear. Did you sleep well?” Janet came into the room and set the tray on a small table that sat by the windows. She then draped the garments over the back of one of the chairs and moved to open the drapes and let in the light of the morning.