Black Keys (The Colorblind Trilogy #1) - Rose B. Mashal Page 0,46

burn and my lips tremble.

“You must’ve been really scared,” he whispered, his voice pained and his eyes sorrowful.

Without a second thought, I found myself running the one-and-a-half steps that separated us before launching myself into his arms, hugging him tight, almost as if I couldn’t get close enough.

For a brief moment, he just stood there, completely frozen, not even breathing. Shocked, I could tell. Heck, I was shocked myself, but it was another thing I didn’t care about. I just wanted this. I wanted it bad.

With hesitation, the prince surrounded my body with his unsure arms, tightening them around me when I hugged him tighter, holding me to him and pressing harder every time I pressed hard.

“I was so scared,” I sobbed into his chest, my eyes finally letting go of my tears. “So, so scared, I thought he was going to kill me, I really thought he was going to do it. I was shaking: I could barely hold the pen. I couldn’t escape, I was afraid to say another ‘no’, I had no choice but to sign the papers. He was frightening, he was scary, he scared me. I could hardly breathe, I could hardly move, I had nowhere to go, I had no one to hold, I had no one to keep me safe,” I cried hysterically, holding him tighter with every new word I spoke. He would press even more every time I did it, until it was almost painful. Almost. But not quite.

“Shhh,” the prince soothed, his hand finding my hair, smoothing it with soft caresses, his other hand holding me to him, pressing. Hard. Tight. But not close enough. “You’re safe. I’ll keep you safe. I promise, I promise,” he whispered his promise.

My prayer of safety–—it was answered.

“No one will touch a hair on your head, no one would ever dare. Not as long as I breathe,” he spoke into my hair, as his hand hugged my head to his chest. “I swear.”

My prayer of comfort–—it was answered.

The prince backed away the tiniest bit, and both hands left their previous places on my head and back, moving to hold my face between them. His eyes stared deep into mine. His thumbs wiped away the tears that wet my cheeks. His tone was filled with hope when he asked, “Do you believe me, Princess? Do you believe me?”

I couldn’t lie to myself. I couldn’t lie to him. With the little space his hands gave me, I nodded.

He took me into his arms again, hugged me again, let me bury my head into his chest again, let me breathe him in again.

My prayer of protection—it was answered.

The prince held me until my tears dried, rocking us back and forth a few times, slowly, lazily. He moved his hand over my hair, sent his comfort over my heart. He whispered to me once again that he’d keep me safe, reassuring me once again that he meant it.

I felt much of what I had craved in my perfect stranger’s arms.

He smelled like sandalwood and safety. He hugged like softness and comfort. He whispered like quietness and protection.

I knew that I’d spent too long in his arms, but it felt like mere seconds. And when there was a knock on the door, I pretended that I didn’t hear it. And when the prince heard it, I wanted to tell him to ignore it. And when he backed away from me, I wanted to beg him to come back. To put me back. In his arms. I wanted back.

The knocks weren’t coming from the main door, but from one of the hidden doors. The one that led to the living room. The room that Janna was staying in.

She entered on the invitation presented by the prince. Swollen eyes, swollen lips, pink nose, and red cheeks.

I didn’t want to look at her. I didn’t want to feel anything for her, but the miserable look in her eyes--that I’d come to know very well lately--prevented me from blocking those feelings of sympathy and sorrow for her.

She wanted to talk. I didn’t want to.

Little did I know that on Janna’s hands I would be getting the answer for my last prayer.

An out.

Home.

I didn’t like the situation I was in. I didn’t like her being that way. I couldn’t bear it.

Maybe I was mad at her, in a way. Maybe I blamed her for what was happening to me. Maybe I said all I’d said for revenge. To make my brother suffer with her