Beautiful Protection

34. Life Without You

With eyes still closed, Erin knew she is not in the villa. The faint sound of the waves from afar confirmed it.
She was sitting now on the bed and saw the IV drip attached to her arm.

What is going on? She toured her eyes around the room and saw how bright it was outside from the window. Her head starts pounding, how long was she sleeping on the bed? And what on earth happened to her?

"Honey, you are finally awake!" Herman announced at the door and head towards her bed.

"Dad? Where are we? What happened to me?" She asked as she looked at her arm with the drip.

"How are you feeling?" Her dad asked instead of answering her questions.

"My head is pounding, my body is a little bit sore," she replies as she tried to move.

"Just take it easy, you will be fine in no time," Herman said with sadness in his eyes. He tried to hide but Erin noticed it.

"Dad, I don't remember what happened to me," Erin said and Herman just stared at her with hesitation laced on his face.

"You will remember them soon... You need complete rest for now. Are you hungry? I'll get you some food..." He said and she just nodded.

Herman just wished for Erin to take her time to remember everything.

Alone in the room, Erin stood up and carried her drip with her in the bathroom. She stared at herself in the mirror and only saw a pale version of her. She must be dehydrated to have this drip, but not remembering a thing was bugging her. She feels light-headed as she thinks deeply, so she stopped and just take care of her full bladder.

It took her minutes to pee and her head was a little bit stable than earlier. She was rolling up her underwear when she saw the faint bruises on her stomach. She was confused, she has no recollection of when and why it happened.

Erin was staring herself again in the mirror now, looking at all the fading bruises she had. It's not anymore fresh, so it was not from yesterday. She felt dizzy as she tried to think harder.

"Erin? Are you there?" It was her dad knocking on the door.

"Yes, dad. I'm coming out!" Erin answered. She stared at her face in the mirror one more time before she comes out.

Later that night, Erin was now free from the IV drip. Her father gave her enough time to rest alone, but Erin suspected that he was only avoiding her questions. She will not get anything from her father unless she remembers what did exactly happen to her.

She was restless, so she went out of her room. Sleep eluded her or did she had already enough that she can't even get a wink.

The place was familiar. Erin sighed as she breathed the beach air. It was humid and she felt the saltiness of the air. She moved forward to check but it's getting darker to walk further, so she decided to stay.

Erin sat on the sand with her feet soaked in the seawater. The tiny crashing of waves was weirdly soothing her. She was staring at the vast darkness of the ocean. It was like her, she feels empty and alone. Her head was light but it was pounding every time she thinks hard as if it was loaded. Her chest was the same as it tells her something was not right.

"Erin!" It was her father shouting from the distance.

"Dad, I'm..." The fireworks lit up in the sky surprising her. She stood up to watch it, one firework to another, but the sound didn't give her a nice experienced. Her head was pounding, this time, a man was shouting for her name.

"Erin..." It was from her head and it wasn't from her dad. There were hazy events in her head and it's suffocating her. She cannot breathe, she steps back only to land on the sand.

"Erin! Are you alright?" Her dad came to the rescue. She answered with a groan.

"What are you doing here? It's already dark." Her dad said with worry.

"I'm fine, dad. I just lost my balance." Erin said. She decided not to ask her dad what she just remembered.

"You should rest. You have a lot of time to explore this place."

"Dad, I have a question. Was I here before?" Erin looked at her dad hoping he will give her an answer this time. It's a yes or no question for her dad not to answer.

"Yes." Herman's simple answer. Erin's heart skipped a beat at that.

"Thanks, dad. I better go back to my room and sleep." Herman nodded, he was glad she did not ask further.

At the crack of dawn, the memory she lost for days came like a sword and cut her open. She shivered as she remembered everything, she remembers what her dad did to her in the car. Her heart bled, she has no idea what happened to Xander now. She sobbed knowing he was badly hurt and she can't do anything because her father interfere.

"Xander..." She murmured as she sobbed all her heartaches.

"Ssh..." Her eyes snapped open and saw a pair of arms hugging her.

"Sweetheart, I'm here," Xander said softly. She was confused. Was she dreaming? No, she can feel his warmth radiating to her. Erin poked his shoulder and it was all real.

"Oh, god!" She covered her mouth and her eyes watered, this time because of happiness.

Erin immediately rose from the bed and checked Xander, "You are wounded, are you alright? Why are you here?"

"Hmmm..." He shifted slowly and Erin realized how pale Xander was.

"Oh, my god. You are not okay!" Erin was worried. How could he be here by her side when he is still not well.

"I'm far from danger, sweetheart, but one thing I could not bear is that you were alone. I could not anymore think of life without you." Xander said and she hugged him without warning. He just groaned in response.

"I love you," Xander murmured to her ears.

"I love you so much," Erin uttered.

"Marry me, sweetheart." Xander blurted. Her heart skipped a beat and faced him.

"I don't think I deserve you, Xander." She said looking at the depth of his eyes.

"Is that a no?" His voice was soft that her heart aches at the moment. It's her first time seeing him so vulnerable.

Erin shook her head answering his question. Xander was confused.

"I don't think I deserve you, but I want to be with you so bad. Yes, I want to marry you, Xander." Erin said giving him all her sincerity.

She just wished this wasn't all a dream as they shared a passionate kiss.