Angels and Demons

The Void

- Chapter Nineteen - 

I'm okay, I'm okay.

Mr. Davenport's hands flutter over Tasha, eyebrows pulling together. Are you okay? Tasha's eyes squint, eyes watering as she bounces a sleeping Naomi on her hip. The baby girl clutches tight to her mother's sleeve.

I need to go home. Mr. Davenport thumbs her tears away, cradling her face in his gentle hold. A precious gem gleaming within his hands. She closes her eyes, breath shuddering as he leans his forehead against hers.

Okay, let's go home.

"You alright?"

Your eyes flicker away from Tasha as she, Naomi, and Mr. Davenport leave the penthouse, the door sliding shut to conceal their retreating forms.

You hum in acknowledgment as you look out towards the terrace, dark and starless. Tasha needs to go back home, and yet you did not want to let her go; it was too soon, and you needed her here.

You knew she would be safe at home rather than with you here.

You look up at Chase; his eyebrows pulling together in concern. His brown eyes shine underneath the fluorescent lights of the kitchen and you look away. All you want is for him to hold you tight, to shield you from your thoughts and your wayward emotions.

You want him to hold your heart in his hands; to cradle and protect. Please, please. Take my heart, please take it. Hold me, god, please hold me.

Instead, you tell him you need to go. You bid him goodnight and you leave him standing at the kitchenette island.

It's a sleepless night, and so you lay in bed until you rise along with the sun, seeking its warmth and comfort as you seat yourself on the terrace. With a fleece blanket around your shoulders, a warm drink in your hands, and your legs curling on the seat, the sun kisses your face in morning greeting. You breathe in the crisp air and seek solace within the early sun rays.

Tasha is safe at home with Naomi and Mr. Davenport. You saved her.

Repeating the mantra over and over in your mind, you hear the soft patter of slippers coming near. He sits on the lounge chair beside you, and you catch the scent of his coffee. "Are you going to the farmer's market today?" Eyes fluttering open, you look at the skyline, sipping your drink.

"No." Douglas sips his mug, eyes lying still on the towering skyscrapers.

Your eyebrows dip, and you frown. "You were supposed to talk to Steven today."

He shakes his head. "Now is not the time."

You look at him as he continues to stare at the skyscrapers. "Don't stop on my account, we're all okay now. Tasha is safe at home, you can talk to Steven."

"No." He turns his head to look at you finally. He shakes his head. "That isn't a priority right now, far from it. My priority right now is to make sure that you're okay." He rests his mug on his armrest.

Don't focus on me, you want to tell him. Let's move past this, and go back to normal.

"It was scary last night," you say, not meeting his eyes. "It was terrifying, what happened. I'm okay now, Tasha is safe. She's safe, and I can breathe now that I know that she's at home with Naomi." You look up to meet his gaze. "I don't want to linger anymore about last night than I need to. Tasha and I are okay now, and I want to move past last night. We're safe and that's all that matters."

Your memory of last night was like a smeared painting, everything's blurry. You were swallowed by the void; the empty, into dark nothingness. Your consciousness was consumed whole, and your body was a puppet on strings, the paramedics maneuvering you to their will to check on your overall well-being.