“I’m making you mine. As long as you wear this rope you will always be mine. I’ll have one too. You can’t just take it off or put it back on so easily. It’s more permanent, like the rope you have around my heart,” he said before releasing me. I run my fingers over the singed ends, now firmly attached together. I held the edges of his rope around his wrist as he looked into my eyes.
“Kiss me,” he whispers. I lean towards him, still holding the rope as I kiss him, tasting him, licking his lips then allowing his tongue to enter my mouth. My heart is beating faster as I release the rope and he runs his hands over my hips, moving me to the floor. I feel my breath picking up. I know this sensation now as he brings me to that place I love. That place where all my senses are activated and all I want is his body over mine. He’s looking into my eyes as I shudder. He loves watching me squirm, as I resist holding back and just sink into the pleasure.
“Hungry?” he asked me as I ran my fingers over the rope on my wrist again. I nod as I reach for his arm draped over me. I examine his rope, it’s just as connected as mine.
“I love you Willem,” I tell him. He rolls me over to look at me. He’s staring at me with his serious blue eyes. “I love you Scarlett,” he replies as he lays on top of me, holding my wrist tightly. I see pain in his eyes.
I follow him upstairs. He opens a few cupboards and grabs a few plates. I look around the room as he prepares sandwiches. I notice there are a lot of herbs hanging upside down from the ceiling to dry. I catch the scent and breath it in. There's something about it that seems familiar, like the soap and the smoke. I notice the pictures of the soldiers again. I am drawn to them. The men in the photos look like Will and they seem to be calling me to them.
“He died five years ago in Beirut,” I hear a woman’s voice behind me. I turn startled.
“You must be Scarlett Rayne. It’s nice to finally meet you. I'm Levana,” she introduced herself as she walked towards me. I remembered Helena mentioning that Levana didn't approve of me.
“Hi, it is nice to meet you too,” I said, feeling incredibly nervous. I wonder if she knew I was here last year. She answers my unasked question.
“Willem missed you last summer, it’s nice that you decided to return to him,” she said with a slight sarcastic tone.
“Mother, are you hungry? Can I make you something?” he interrupts her.
“No thank you darling,” she said as she turns from me and walks to a table covered in beautiful decanters, similar to my father's. I’m surprised I didn’t see them when I first entered the room. I watch her as she pours herself a drink. She smiles at Will then glances back at the photos on the wall.
“That is my Matty,” she informs me, pointing at another photo of a young man in uniform hanging on the wall. I hear her pour another drink as I look at the boy.
“He died in the Persian Gulf. They told me it was an accident,” she said. He’s lost his father and his older brother. Why didn’t he tell me? I can’t take my eyes from the photo of his brother. I sense his mother close behind me.
“Well the authorities tell me they are dead,” she said with a slight snort.
“I'm sorry,” I turn to her. She looks into my eyes, searching just like Helena did but I don't feel the same attachment. She quickly turns away from me, as if she didn't like what she saw in them. I try to stand my ground, I can't shrink in front of her.
“Well, they have lived through bigger wars, the Civil War, both world wars, so am I really supposed to believe they died in these little battles,” she said, winking at me. I turn from her and look back at the photo of his brother. I wonder if she's joking or might actually be crazy, I mean there is no possible way either of them could have been in those battles. I feel her breath on my neck. She is standing close behind me. I'm too frightened to move.
“I love my sons,” I hear her whisper, smelling the alcohol swirling around me. I turn to her as I gulp. She frightens me and she knows it. She looks at me sternly then a smile slowly creeps across her face.
“Did Will mention to you that he has a scholarship to claim this fall and did he tell you that if he doesn’t claim it before he turns twenty one it will expire?” she asked, turning away from me.
“No, he didn’t,” I mumble as she walks out of the kitchen.
“Nice meeting you Scarlett Rayne Jones,” I hear her say before she walks down the hallway. I stand in silence until the sound of her footsteps fade. I know Buddy has stopped moving too. He’s standing at the counter, just staring at the knife in front of him. I bite my lip as I slowly walk towards him. I stand behind him as I wrap my arms around his chest, gently kissing his shoulders. He turns to me and hugs me, gripping me, his fingers digging into my flesh. I feel him tremble. Please don’t cry. I can’t bear to watch him in so much pain. A pain he hid from me even though I saw his scars.
“Let’s eat downstairs,” he whispers, releasing me. I nod following him back down.
