To Save a Love - Alexa Aston Page 0,30

Her hands were propped behind her, her arms straight, as she lifted her face to the sun and tried to feel its warmth penetrating her. She sensed Dez sitting beside her and imagined the smell of his favored sandalwood soap wafting toward her.

Near the water, Jessa was hopping on one foot. Then a butterfly caught her eyes and she began chasing after it. Dalinda followed Jessa as she scampered away and they moved into the trees. She sighed. Now came the best part.

One which she had relived a thousand times. No, a thousand times a thousand. Maybe more.

Slowly, she turned her head toward Dez. His handsome face smiled down upon her, his brown eyes rimmed with amber. A breeze caught a lock of his dark, wavy hair and he pushed it from his brow. Then he leaned toward her. Every time she knew it was coming and yet she cherished it as if it were the first time. His hand cupped her cheek. His lips met hers.

And she relived her first kiss.

The kiss was sweet. Lingering. It told of his love for her and promised good things to come. Anna reveled in it, enjoying it anew, yearning for the time when a simple kiss had been her whole world.

Dez broke the kiss and gazed upon her. She froze that image in her mind and let it stay. This was her favorite moment of her life. When she had been young. Pretty. Carefree. Her whole future ahead of her. She would take out this memory and examine it. Replay it. Relish it.

It was unlike the white times. Those were for when Fiend punished her with the abominable treatments. Anna had learned during one of those to go to her quiet place. It was all white. Pure. No color. No sound. No motion. A vast expanse of nothingness where she could hide from the mean people who did bad things to her.

She went back to Dez. Thoughts of him calmed her. She hadn’t been calm earlier. It had been one of her rebellious days, one where she couldn’t sit for twelve hours without moving or talking. She had screamed and shouted until her throat ached and she grew hoarse. Even the ice-water treatment hadn’t made her cease. Eventually, her throat became scratchy. Her pitch fell. Then she lost all ability to speak and retreated to the white place. She didn’t remember anything done to her after that, only that she was now here, in her room, the awful straitjacket pinning her arms across the front of her body, tied so tightly that it was worse than a corset.

But it was still blissful because she was alone. Left with her cherished memories.

From afar, she heard voices. Men’s voices. They frightened her. Perhaps the attendants had told Fiend of her abominable behavior and he had sent them to beat her again. The beatings left her battered and bruised. They crushed her spirits. It took her a long time to heal from them.

She wouldn’t think about it. She would go to the white place. Where it was serene. Where nothing invaded. Devoid of anything or anyone.

Then she was roughly turned and she knew an attendant was untying the restraints. She couldn’t help it. She began thrashing about, trying to scream, wheezing grunts coming from her. She had endured too much today. She couldn’t take anymore. Tears streamed down her face as she wished everyone would go away. Leave her. Let her finally die.

Suddenly, the straitjacket was ripped away from her. Her arms ached as the blood began rushing back. What was amazing, though, was she felt an embrace. Someone stroked her hair and murmured to her. Anna caught a whiff of sandalwood and relaxed. Warmth enveloped her.

What was happening?

She had never been able to conjure anything so complex. Yes, she could imagine things in clarity with brilliant, bold colors. Yet she had never been able to create smells. Sounds. Touch. Keeping her eyes closed, she smiled. The heavenly warmth continued. The sandalwood scent became stronger. Anna inhaled deeply, drawing it into her lungs. My God, she had imagined Dez here. With her. This was an entirely new level she soared to. Anna had no idea how she had done it, only that it was the most wonderful thing that had happened to her since she had come to Gollingham.

Then she was being lifted. Carried somewhere. Oh, how marvelous. Her cheek rested against a beating heart in a hard, muscled chest. Dez moved so fast that