Chapter Eighteen
For the next two days, Heather didn’t leave her room except to go to the bathroom and find something to eat. But she always went when no one else was in the house or when Mabel was in the old man’s room.
She spent all the time in her bed with the covers pulled up to her chin as she stared into space, and for the first time, analyzed the rape. She had been a virgin and had liked the kissing part, but hadn’t the experience to notice when the kissing had turned into deeper intentions. Before she knew what was happening, she lay beneath a boy screaming in terror and humiliation. Heather could still feel his hands holding her down, the fear and the pain. The memories were sharp and clear even after twenty years.
For years she ignored everyone, until one day, when she was eighteen, she noticed an older man staring at her at the mall. He had walked up to her and held out a piece of paper, disappearing into the crowd. The note had said he found her sexy, and if she wanted to earn a little money, she should call him. She wasn’t stupid, she realized what the note implied. But it made her realize that she had her own type of power. From that day on she saw herself differently, not as a victim or a shadow, but as a woman who could exact her own revenge against the male population.
So she had used that knowledge to her advantage and had discovered that sex really wasn’t that bad or as painful the second time around.
But with Tristan sex was something amazing. She had touched heights she’d never really felt before. He had managed to erase the shame she had always associated with the act. He looked at her differently. He made her look at herself differently. So many people expected her to be strong, to be a fighter, but the truth was she was just surviving.
At that moment, sunlight broke through the clouds hovering in the sky and streamed through her window. The brightness hit her face, causing her to blink, and for a second she thought she saw a flash of silver in the sunshine before she closed her eyes against the brilliance.
The warmth felt good against her face. It helped chase away her cold memories. She started thinking of the past few weeks, the happiness she had started to feel. No matter what, Heather would always be grateful she’d had the chance to be here.
****
Tristan left her alone.
He realized Heather had gone through some intense emotions the past couple of days and probably needed some time and space to analyze it all. She wasn’t the type of person who talked about her feelings, at least not easily, and he felt honored that she trusted him enough to be so open. It gave him hope.
Maybe it wasn’t so crazy to think that she could fall for him.
Without seeing her, however, the days were long and tedious. He missed her at night. His arms felt empty and his bed cold. He walked into Mabel’s kitchen each morning, but Heather never showed. He knew it was different than when she’d first arrived and refused to come down. That Heather and the present one were two totally different people.
That Heather had been a spoiled, selfish brat. This Heather, his Heather, was an emotionally crippled woman who needed some time to heal. However, he could only be patient for so long, and tomorrow he planned to invade her sanctuary and make sure she was okay.
He knew he freaked her out with his declaration of love, but he wasn’t afraid of it. And he was determined to make sure she wasn’t either.