My heart didn't stop pounding until well after the agents had left. I couldn't stop imagining what could have happened, the endless scenarios that all ended with Lex in prison. The thought sat uneasily in my stomach, effectively killing my appetite.
"You need to eat, Ruth." Lex pushed a plate of pancakes closer to me. "You've only just begun to look healthy again. You can't afford to miss a meal."
I picked up my fork, pushing a few strawberries around, before sighing and setting it down again. "I'm not hungry." I said. "I'll eat later, I promise."
Lex's face darkened, and I bit my lip. "Ruth, eat."
The kitchen was still strangely empty, the far reaches of the industrial-sized room dark. I gazed around it, avoiding Lex's burning eyes. "Where is everyone?"
"Don't change the subject, darling." Lex tapped the table with two fingers.
I twisted my mouth up, and shoved the plate away. "I'm not hungry."
"Are you feeling alright?" Lex stood, and pressed the back of his hand against my forehead and cheeks. I leaned into the touch, my eyes swimming.
"I'm fine." I smiled, swiping at my eyes. "Really. I think I'm just tired, or something."
"Okay." Lex seemed skeptical, but he dropped it."Listen. Nova called me this morning. She wants to throw you a party."
"You talk to Nova?" I giggled. Nova was the exact opposite of me. I couldn't imagine her getting along well with Lex at all-they were both too outspoken for their own good.
"I do. She seems to have this idea that you would want a bachelorette party." Lex looked equal parts amused and annoyed. "With all your friends. I said I would ask you."
I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. I could not imagine how that conversation went. "I don't want one." I reassured Lex. "Besides, don't all my friends think I'm dead?"
"Well." Lex moved his hand from my forehead to my neck, his thumb dipping into the hollow of my throat. "I assume word has gotten out that you're alive and well, given that every single newspaper in the city has run the story about our engagement. I can only imagine who leaked that story." He gave his phone, sitting on the table, a pointed look. Benji. Or Nova, truthfully. It could have been either one of them.
"Yeah, Dr. Jordan told me about it. You're okay with people knowing, right?" I checked.
"Of course, babe. Why wouldn't I be?" Lex said. I was about to answer when a clap of thunder interrupted me. I jumped, my already frayed nerves jangling. Light rain began to patter onto the wide windows. The light seemed suddenly off, too dark and bruised for the late morning.
"Where is everyone?" I looked around. "Did they not come in today or what?"
"There's a major storm forecasted for this afternoon, so I told them not to come out." Lex smiled down at me. "You aren't scared of storms, are you? He asked, taking in my twisted face.
"No." I lied, but at that second, another peal of thunder sounded, so loud it felt like it shook the windows. I jumped nearly out of my seat. Lex caught me, wrapping an arm around my waist to steady me. Overhead, the lights flickered as the rain and the wind both picked up tempo.
"Let's go upstairs. It might be quieter up there." Lex suggested, helping me to my unsteady feet. The glass ceiling in the party room echoed the rain, making it sound like we were inside of a drum as we passed through. A bolt of lightning lit up the whole house as it shot across the sky. I stopped to watch it as it streaked behind the trees that bordered the property. "Come on, darling." Lex coaxed. I began walking again.
Once we were upstairs, I settled into the bed, pulling the blankets to my chin. Lex was right-it was slightly quieter, away from the metal and glass that made up the lower part of the house. The window was still open a crack, and the wild smell of the storm filled the room-damp earth and the tingling feel of electricity. Lightning once again flung itself through the clouds, thunder cracking simultaneously. The lights shivered, and then all at once went dark.
I froze in the bed. It was pitch black in the room. I couldn't even see my hand in front of my face. The sounds and the darkness overwhelmed me, and I began to panic. I hadn't been in such darkness for a very long time-and then, it had led to torture under Bianca's direction.
"Lex!" I cried out. Thunder drowned out my voice, but I felt a hand on my shoulder, on the small of my back.
"Hey, hey, it's okay, the power just cut out." Lex said into my ear. "I'm right here."
I turned and flung my arms around him, fisting his shirt tightly. My shoulders were shaking, and he rubbed a hand up and down my back. "I don't like the dark." I told him petulantly.
"I know, baby." he laughed. "I'm sure the power will be back soon. Do you want me to go see if I can find candles, or stay here?"
"Stay!" I yelped. "Please don't go."
"There's really nothing to be afraid of." Lex pulled back, smoothing my hair from my forehead. "I'm here."
My eyes adjusted slightly, and I blinked, looking at him. "I know there's not." I mumbled, resting my head on his shoulder. "But that doesn't make me not afraid."
I felt his shoulders shake with laughter. "I know, babe." He said. "Lay down."
I shifted, and laid down, letting him pull the covers up around us. The storm continued to rage on, rain lashing as hard as it could against the windows. Every rumble of thunder made me jump, and hold my breath, waiting for the roof to come down around us. I tucked my head into Lex's chest, and tried to wait it out.
"This has to be the longest storm ever." I complained to him.
"Doesn't feel that way to me." I looked up at him, and he ran a finger along my cheekbone. "I like this. Being here with you, just us."
"I do too." I admitted. "I'm happiest with you."
Lex raised an eyebrow. "Darling." He crooned, his arm coming to rest on my waist, pulling me flush to him. "So sweet." He said into my ear.
I peeked up at him through my lashes-not that I could see him. My heart was beating so quickly I was sure he could hear it, or feel it against his side. I felt an impenetrable closeness to him in that moment, as though my heart would burst from sheer happiness.
We stayed like that for what felt like hours-me, curled into his side, breathing quietly into the dark. The storm only grew in its intensity, throwing down hailstones and thunder so loud it felt like the world would break open. I understood why Lex had told the staff not to come in-to drive in this would be madness. I hoped the agents had made it back to the city before the storm began. The roads to the mansion were windy and treacherous in the wet.
"Are you awake?" Lex asked, shifting his weight. I hummed a little, wiping at my eyes. "You don't have to get up." He squeezed my hip.
"Is everything okay?" I mumbled.
"Yes." Lex assured me. "I was just checking you were still alright. You did well with the darkness, my love. I'm proud."
"It's cause you were here." I said. "Wouldn't have gone so well if I had been alone."
"Still proud." Lex put a finger under my chin, tilting my face upwards. I smiled, and he traced his thumb over my lips.
I shifted, so our mouths were centimetres apart. A feeling of calm expectation came over me, and my breath hitched in my chest. The darkness was making the shyness in my chest fade a little. I pushed myself up onto one elbow, and tucked my hair behind my ear. Lex's hand dropped from my face and trailed down my arm.
"I love you." I whispered, and sat up, carefully straddling his hips. "So much." I leant down, so my long hair brushed his face, before placing both hands on his cheeks.
Lex reached up and tugged my lower lip. "I love you too, babydoll." He said. He turned, and I fell sideways on the bed, laughing.
"Lex!" I giggled, as he pressed a kiss to my shoulder, just above the strap of my shirt, and entwined he fingers of one hand with mine, bringing them to his mouth. Even though I knew what would happen next, I still gasped in shock as he marked the skin on my wrist.
"Always so sweet." He mumbled, leaning over me. I widened my eyes, trying to see his face, but it was all but useless. "Although I do miss seeing you blush." He ducked his head close to mine, and brushed a kiss to my lips.
"You'll see it plenty more." I said.
"And it will never be enough. Forever with you would never be enough."
A/N: I am SO sorry this took so long to publish. I promise the next chapter (a continuation of this one) will be up very soon.
Thank you for 9k!!!
Ivory