Kidnapped By Cannibals- Leah Marshall

Chapter Twenty- Eight

" Jared, I am so sorry about before. I should've listened- I, I- I'm just so sorry, I didn't mean to get you angry, I don't want things to-" she was gripping so hard onto him that her sharp nails began to push into the scars on his shoulder that she herself had created.

" Leah, it's okay. Calm down." Jared said calmly, and she unwrapped her legs from around him and stood up.

She took a few deep breathes before tears welled in her eyes. " I'm sorry, Jared," her now high-pitched voice repeated, and Jared let out a breath before pulling her into a hug. He new she was losing it.

Leah let out a whine for comfort as she wrapped her arms around his back. Jared closed his eyes as he rested his head against her shoulder.

" You should know by now that I don't like shouting at you," Jared said, pressing Leah closer into his body. He couldn't help but have a smile playing on his lips. This is always how they ended up. So perplexed at the situation that they needed their husband more than ever, and Jared was happy to feed whatever illness Leah was suffering from. " I love you so much."

"  I love you too." Leah cried, clutching his clothing like her life depended on it. " I really do love you. I just, well- I mean I just don't know what's going on with me recently. I feel different, Jared. I'm scared."  Her voice was rattling, and Jared could feel her body quake against his.

His large hands rubbed up and down her back in a comforting manner, and he found the unbuttoned entrance to the nightie she wore, his rough hands gliding against her bare skin. A tear slid down Leah's face and onto his hoodie.

" You have nothing to be scared of, sweetie," Jared explained. "You're safe here with me. We're always going to protect you. Always." 

Leah finally opened her eyes, and she allowed her head to bob for a moment as Jared's chest rose up and down from his heavy breathing. She then pulled her tear-stained cheek from his body, and looked up at his tall frame. " Oh, Jared." Her arms wrapped tighter around him, if that was even possible. "Thank you so much. For everything."

" Shhh," he cooed as she pressed her face back against him.

" I appreciate you more than you'll ever know," and she honestly felt right now that she wasn't lying. If this boy hadn't done everything for her. How happy she felt when she was around him. Even now, in her worst state, he's here assuring her that he's always going to be there for her. That he's never going to let anything happen to her. And this is the type of reassurance Leah has needed her whole life.

But one minute Leah didn't want to be near him and the next minute she felt she loved him with all her heart. She didn't even know who she was, or what she felt anymore. Did she even know what love was at all? She'd never question it.

Jared grinned before planting a kiss at the side of her head, and their moment was disrupted by a knock at the door, Gabe's deep voice following a long.

" Jared, can I come in?" Gabe asked, entering anyway.

Gabe had changed clothing. His eyes scanned over the two of them. " Is everything okay? What are you doing?"

" Everything's fine now. I think Leah just had a bad dream, that's all." Jared answered as if she weren't in the room, stroking the back of her neck.

Gabriel nodded slowly, giving Jared a wary eye that said we will need to talk later. Gabriel must've noticed Leah's odd behaviour too." You do what you need to do, son. Meet me back outside when you're done. Don't be too long."

" Got, it." Jared said, and with that, Gabriel left.

As the door shut, Jared turned back to Leah, placing his hands on her shoulders. " You go back to bed for the day. You need rest."

Leah's expression changed to fear at these words. She couldn't sleep. She couldn't handle that again.

" But what about your mother? She needs help around the house." Leah mentioned, and Jared let out a chuckle.

" My mom cleaned by herself for years before you came along. I think she will be just fine. Besides, she's half way through dinner."

" But, I don't want to go to sleep, Jared." Leah didn't return the humour. She was frightened, but she didn't want Jared to know how intense the nightmares was in case he thought something was wrong with her.

There was.

Jared sucked in a breath, realising he was going back to square one with her. " Leah..." he warned, but she jumped in before he could speak further.

" Please," she begged him, and he huffed, trying to hold his anger in place before hurrying off into the bathroom. Leah pulled her brows together in confusion, her eyes following his body as he left.

Once he returned, her heart dropped when she realised what was in his hand. It was that Black Case, and she knew exactly what it contained. She let out a strange noise, but she choked it back in. Not only was it useless arguing against Jared, but he was trying to benefit her by letting her stay in bed, and she was being ungrateful. Leah panicked as he approached her, and she rose her hands up.

" It's fine, yeah it's okay, Jared. I can sleep without that." She could just stay in the bed and not actually go and sleep rather than argue with Jared about not doing what he says. She really didn't want to argue with him.

Jared gave her an encouraging smile, as he got the sharp point out of the case and held it between his fingers. Leah's eyes followed the needles every movement, wide with horror. " This will help you sleep better. This way I know you're actually getting proper rest. It's so important you do." Leah sunk back against the bed in an attempt to escape the needle. But she realised that had just backed her into a corner for Jared to pierce the needle into her skin, and she hissed out as it made contact with her fleshy arm.

Jared grasped her head, and placed it against him as Leah's body went slump. She could feel the cold liquid rushing through her veins forcefully, and her eyelids became heavier than she could handle. Her cheeks were fuzzy as they pressed against Jared's clothing again, and Jared's fingers felt strange as they stroked her skin. He was staying beside her until she completely blacked out. She was unprepared to face more traumatising nightmares. Because the thought of leaving Jared, even after everything he'd done, terrified her more than anything. She wouldn't be able to deal with the outside world.

Once her eyes stayed shut without any twitches, he placed her down and left.

What a day it had been..