Chapter Sixteen
"I'm confused and scared." Dawn whispered into Mark's ear causing him to tighten his hold on her. Her voice shook and trembled. She placed her forehead on his shoulder. She had felt cold before, but now she felt fine.
"Everything is alright. You're perfectly fine now." He buried his hand in her hair loving the feel of it. His other hand was rubbing her back trying to sooth her.
They stayed like that for some time. When someone tried to touch her, she would cringe away. Mark had to tell everyone to give them time alone. She had been through so much and needed to feel safe. Right now she felt safe in his arms.
Mark lifted her up and took her to his bed to make sure she was comfortable. He tore the comforter away seeing the blood on it. He didn't want that reminder for either of them. He just let the comforter fall to the floor in a messy heap. He would deal with it later.
He laid Dawn down on the bed and laid beside her. They held each other not showing they want to let go. Ever. She needed to feel the comfort from him and he needed to just have her in his arms. To feel she has actually been rescued from that bastard from her past.
They laid staring at each other. Time seemed to not exist for them. The sun rose but they paid no mind. It just made his heart skip a beat when the light shined on her skin and hair. She shimmered like her skin was made of the tiniest diamonds the color of her skin. She was a jewel now. Shining and glittering.
He smiled as he looked at her. She was how he had seen her that day. She just needed to be taken out of the shadows and into the light. Let her shine brightly for the first time in so long.
Dawn couldn't help but smile at him. She had told herself fifty years that she couldn't smile or be happy. But she was happy, wasn't she? He was making her feel happy. She closed her eyes as tears of happiness fell down her cheeks and she smiled.
"Hey now. Don't cry." Mark started to wipe the tears from her cheeks. He was worried that something was wrong. That she was hurting from what happened.
She stopped his hand as she opened her eyes after she gave his hand a sweet kiss. "They're not sad tears. I just can't believe it."
"Believe what?"
"I'm happy." She placed a hand over her mouth and started to giggle and sob at the same time. Her emotions were taking her over which was scaring her too.
Mark was shocked but smiled at what she had just confessed to him. It must be something for her to feel happy. "And why are you happy?" He wanted to know. He wanted to hear the words from her mouth.
She moved closer to him and snuggled up to his chest. She looked up to find him watching her with interest. She placed her lips to his ear. "You."
"Me? Why am I the reason you're happy?" He couldn't deny that he loved hearing her say he was why she was happy. That it was him that made the light shine for her. He just didn't know how he could have done it for her.
Dawn smiled as she graced her lips against his making him sigh. "You cared for me so much that you wanted to rescue me. You could have just left me to him, but you didn't. You came and fought for me."
Mark held her face in his hands. "I had to save you. I don't feel lost with you near me. I have never felt like this for anyone before. I didn't even feel this way with my ex. Not like this. I feel whole with you."
"I never thought it was possible for me to feel anything but betrayed and cursed."
"Will you tell me what happened fifty years ago?"
She buried her head in his chest. "Give me some time." He nodded resting his cheek on the top of her head. "I just need a little time."
Time. She's had a lot of time, but never tried to mend the pain she felt. She thought she couldn't. That it was her sin to bare alone. The sin that her family allowed what happened. She had just let everything stew inside her.
"Shh. I understand particularly with everything that has just happened." He stroked her back to show her that he understood. That he was willing to give her as much time as she needed to heal. To mend.
There was a knock on the door. "I'll see who that is. I'll be right back." Dawn nodded and Mark got off the bed. She curled up in a ball and pulled the sheets around her. Mark draped a blanket around her that he took off the window seat.
He walked to the door and opened it. He took a step back when he saw Patience there holding a tray. "Thought you two could use something to eat." She held the tray up for him.
"You don't have to be here."
She shrugged. "I know how much you needed some help when you're upset. With everything that happened, I figured you needed help. Especially remembering to eat."
Patience looked behind Mark and saw Dawn sitting up with her legs pulled to her chest. When Dawn saw Patience look over, Dawn turned her head away. To Dawn, Patience looked so beautiful. She felt ugly with Patience near her.
Mark took the tray and then Patience's hand leading her over to Dawn. He set the tray down letting go of Patience's hand. Mark sat down on the side of the bed and lifted Dawn's chin.
He looked into her eyes and saw insecurity. She was insecure around Patience. "I like you to met another friend of mine. My best friend actually and ex-fiancee. This is Patience." He turned to Patience. "Pashe, this is Dawn."
Dawn timidly looked up at Patience. "It's nice to meet you." Then she looked down.
"And you. You must be hungry." Dawn nodded feeling she was beyond hungry right now. Nicholas didn't even bother to feed her while he had her. She realized its been days since she ate last. "Well. I'll let you two eat. If you need anything, you know my number Mark. Don't hesitate to call."
"Thank you Patience. You have a huge heart."
"And you know it better than anyone." Patience smirked and then bowed her head slightly before she left.
"Lets eat." Mark said as he brought the tray onto the bed between them. Patience had made a lot of food for them as she probably didn't know what Dawn liked. "Wow. She really went over board, didn't she?"
Dawn nodded and picked up a triangle of buttered toast eating it with a napkin underneath to catch the crumbs. She examined the tray. There were two small bowls of oatmeal. A bowl of different fruits. Two small plates of scrambled eggs. A plate with bacon and sausage. Little pancakes with a small dish of syrup for dipping. There were glasses of orange juice and milk.
"There is one thing she forgot."
Dawn looked up at Mark with an eyebrow raised. "What's that?"
"The coffee." He shrugged. "I can deal without it this once." He tilted his head to the side as he picked up the small bowl of oatmeal and sprinkled a few raisins then brown sugar on top. Dawn didn't see the container of brown sugar sitting near the bowls before. "Do you like coffee?"
"I'm more of a tea girl. I know coffee has come a long way in fifty years, but I still can't get passed the smell." Mark laughed and shook his head as he eat some of the oatmeal. Dawn blushed. "You don't mind my age, do you?"
Mark smiled and shook his head delighted that she was talking to him. "I don't mind at all. It was a shock at first finding out you're over fifty years old." He would have never thought she was that old by the way she acted.
"Well. Technically I am seventy-two years old." She bowed her head. "I'll understand if you wouldn't want someone so old."
Mark lifted her chin till their eyes met. "It doesn't matter. You're perfect the way you are." He leaned in kissing her softly. He felt her relax. He placed his forehead against hers looking deep in her eyes. "You don't have to be alone anymore. Let me take care of you."
Her eyes softened. Could she? She wanted to break all her walls down for him. He was already there in her heart. In all her thoughts and dreams. When Nicholas had taken her, he was what kept her sane.
"Allow me the chance to show you the world. All you have to do is say yes."
Her mouth opened and closed as her normal response was caught in her throat. Her automatic response didn't feel right anymore. She usually said she didn't know and then ran. But she couldn't. She didn't want to do it this time. He has changed her in such a short time she has known him.
Mark closed her mouth. "You don't have to answer now. Just think about it for a little." He gave her a quick light kiss on her lips before pulling away. He wanted to do everything right by her.
She felt a little lightheaded and dizzy for a moment. He had taken her breathe away and stilled her heart with his words. She drank some orange juice thinking that her blood sugar could be low which was affecting her.
As they ate, she thought about what he said. He wanted her to take care of her. For her not to be alone anymore. He could be her prince like in her stories if she just let him. Could she let him? She wanted to with all her heart. To call him her prince.
They ate everything off the tray not knowing they were going to. They were just so hungry. Dawn blushed at the empty plate. Mark picked it up, placed it on the tray, and walked to the door.
"Mark?" Dawn bit her lip as he turned back at the door with the tray in hand.
"Yes...?"
Her face went bright red as she took a deep breathe. "I've thought about it." She peeked up from under her lashes. "I don't want to be alone anymore. Can you please help me?"
He put the tray down on the table near the door and rushed over to her. He pulled her up from the bed and held her. "Yes I'll help you. Anything you want." He spun her around feeling so happy that she basically said yes to him. It's more than he could have hoped for.
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