Her Safe Place

Athy was nervous since morning when she heared that news. She was walking here and there in her cabin. Her head aches from brainstorming . She was so nervous  when her  past memories came to her mind and  she is slightly shivering. Anna who saw athy's state was worried about her and stand outside her cabin looking at her walking here and there.

" anna is there a way to avoid going there?"

" no athy you should come with us since it was a big scale award show and if you didn't go will happen to our  company reputation.?!! We worked so hard to come this far.. and you really deserve the award" .

This morning athy got a call, saying that  she got selected for the  best young entrepreneur award and she have to come  In person to receive the award and the person who will give her the award is president of obelia corporations, claude de alger obelia, Her father, the last man she wants to meet on earth.

She don't know what to do and how to face him, she was reminded of that past events and started feeling dizzy but anna caught her up

"athy please calm down let's see if we can do anything about it calm Down and breath slowly"

she made athy sit on the sofa and patted her back gently, gives her water. Athy calmed down a bit

"if only he didn't attend the event I will definitely feel better" .

She sighed.

"It seems like he is deliberately trying to meet you there athy. I heard he volunteered to be the award presenter for you."

" haah.. So ridiculous" athy said with hatred in her voice. .

" he must be trying to talk with me, he tried a few times before but I didn't respond. he want to know about Arius I guess" athy said with a dark expression.

Anna tried to cheer her up by saying some funny ideas but it didn't helped athy, she was reminded  of her past again, which she badly wants to forget so it is haunting her again.

Anna was worried for athy so she told lucas to come and pick up athy no more no less, she didn't want to meddle in athy's private matters even though they are  friends, because, athy is the type who never open up easily and tell her worries to others.

she was always headstrong and face her problems with wisdom.she  Only get nervous when it involves her father. so she  wanted her husband to convince her and make her feel at  ease.

She waited for athy to calm down and Sat beside her. It's already late and everyone went home

" athy let's go home it's already late" anna pushed athy out of the office. Athy was grateful that anna didn't asked her further and also was keeping her company. She hugged anna

" thank you anna. "

Anna was happy that she was of some help to athy. She hugged back

" everything is gonna be okay athy, go home and rest well"

. Anna left. Athy was standing there doesn't want to go home. She tried so hard to control her emotions, her memories of that dreadful day is making her heart pain. She was standing in side of the resting area corridor where there are benches and small garden. The lights were  off and a street light nearby  was  giving a dim light to the area, the snow   falling .

Everything felt heavy on  her, the dim light and mild snow that falling, she felt like hiding in a dark place where no one can find her. Tears pooled up in her  crystal eyes . Her body is   shaking  in the cold but she didn't bothered to put on her coat which was resting in her hand.

' please... please just forget everything and go home' she tried so hard to control her emotions but she can't do anything. She was standing there hopelessly trembling with the cold and with her memories. She subconsciously uttered the name of the person who meant world to her

" Lucas"

she said without knowing, tears are on the verge of falling down from her eyes. She was standing there hopelessly until a familiar voice is heard.

" sia...".

The voice which was like a moonlight in the dark sky a chilly yet comfortable voice which she badly  wanted to  hear for a while. She looked up see to him standing in the front of the office looking at her with a worried face. She  dropped every thing she is holding and ran towards him as fast as she can and hugged him tightly. The tears she held back hardly started dripping down her cheeks and wetted his shoulder.  He hugged her tightly yet carefully like she was some fragile glass which will break if he press hard and patted her head slowly .

She felt warmth all over her body, her shivering went down and she was breathing normally now. All her bad memories started fading away all she know now is a warm place where she feels his scent . She feels like it was the safest place for her in the whole world . All her worries fade away and she wanted to stay like this forever. it felt  like magic to her. She slowly parted from him with her head still looking down. He covered her with his coat and caressed her face

" sia.. Let's go inside the car it's so cold here" he made her sit in the car and closed the door.

He picked her stuff which she dropped and went back. He didn't asked anything which athy find comforting she didn't wanted to break into tears in the car. Their drive back home was silent lucas looked at her time to time but didn't asked her anything. He held her hand with one hand and drives with another. As they went home athy run inside home and crouched down in the room. Lucas silently crouched down beside her and looked at her face without talking. athy looked up and see his face looking at her full of worry.

" haah... No matter how much I try today, I can't control my emotions, my memories are haunting me without showing mercy.. So can I tell you  this thing which I  hate badly and trying to forget for many years and failing?"

she asked with a expressionless  face. Lucas caressed her head and nodded.

" when I was seven years old , me and my mom went shopping, when we are returning home, I was playing with the teddy bear I love the most, suddenly our car was hit by a truck and went rolling on the street mom hugged me tightly and died protecting me. I was safe slightly injured thanks to mom who sacrificed herself to save me. She was hit in the head and died  as soon as we went to hospital. From that day I was so   terrified and depressed  from the accident. There was not a single which I not  dreamed of it and screamed in the night, unni always sleep with me so when I started getting it repeatedly I stopped sleeping so that I can let unni sleep. The man who was so called my father didn't talked to me after that incident not even once. I was  always terrified to sleep and  ended up getting sick. Then I was hospitalised for psychological treatment.

When I was a little better and came back home, unni and lily always comforted me. Unni was like mother to me, if she was not there for me that time, I don't know what would have happened, but that man separated us saying I was a bad luck and I should not stick with unni then she will be in danger. He once publicly sweared at me during my sister 's birthday party.

I was already on the verge of  losing my  sanity but sister hold me back every time that happened.  she always endured everything because of me and said if I smile for her she will. Be happy. From then I never shared my feelings and always smiled even if I feel hurt, angry or anything because I don't want to make her sad, but every time she will found out and ended up worrying about me. "

she chuckled sadly.

"  so I decided to live for my sister who give her all for me and  wanted back to only see me smiling. I was grateful beyond words   that I got a sister like her. Whenever he scold and swear at me  for mom's death and call me a sinner and so many words,I always felt like dying inside, but she always thank me for being alive and to not leave her alone but staying with her. so I wanted to stay alive for her, but I got so sick of that man so I voluntarily left to study abroad but I felt sad to leave sister alone. but if I stay with her, I know that man will make her life sad bacuse of me. I also wanted her to be happy and free like other girls her age, she always acts like a mother that she never get a chance to be pampered, so I am  always grateful to brother in law for treating  her preciously.

I really tried hard to erase this things from my mind. But today I was told that I am going to receive a award from the hands of that man which made my emotional barrier weak and I can't control it for a while, now I am really OK, don't worry since I told everything to you without burying it, I felt a little relieved. "

She smiled  at him which no matter how much he  looked  it's a sad smile.

" if you want to cry, cry more, if you are angry jut yell at others or even beat the shit out of them, don't bottle up emotions and I think your dad is a big asshole don't mind him I will show him the way to hell, so  like your sister said  be happy, you deserve to live. Don't make your mom's sacrifice into nothing "

he said caressing her head. She smiled at him and nodded.

" lucas.. Can you hug me? "

she asked looking down. He grabbed her waist and lifted her with one hand and made her sit on his laps and hugged her waist tightly, she hugged him back tight and buried her face in his chest and cried. He gently patted her back. After sometime she stopped crying  and leaned in his chest and heared to his heartbeat. It was like a melody to her which calms her mind.

"hmm... Just like what I thought"

she grinned. And leaned even more burying her face in his chest

"huh.. What?"

lucas asked. She was silent for while

" when I hug you... I feel like it was the safest place in the world for me"

she said slowly but enough for lucas to hear. He felt so happy hearing that

" is that so.. Then hug me whenever you want.. I will always wait for you with my arms open, because I am  All yours" he said and grinned. Athy chuckled at his words

" geez look at you suddenly flirting.. you sky fox.. No you are a magician"

she said "huh... Why magician?"

" because when you are with me all my worries fade away like magic  so that's why" she said and  kissed him in the neck.

He felt blissed to hear that he can able to help her just by being with her. He leaned and kissed her forehead. She crossed her leges across his waist and leaned closer closing the gap amidst and  snuggled  her head in his shoulder and buried her face in his neck. She sighed deeply, her hot breath rubbed lucas bare skin.

"lets go sleep it's getting late and the floor is cold."

He got up effortlessly carrying athy who is clinging to him and patted her until she finished crying and  carried her to bed.

(i.e. like this...  I attached a reference in case if my explanation was not understandable 😅.)

He put her on the bed carefully and lied beside her covering them with blanket. He pulled her towards him and hugged her tightly by her waist and kissed her forehead. He leaned closer to her

" Is it still cold?"

he asked in a low pitched voice when there faces were inch away. He leaned further closing their gap fully , the Ruby red eyes were looking at sapphire blue one, he caressed  her cheek which was shining from the wet tears and kissed her softly, athy kissed back and their kissed intensified. He moved  and kissed her cheeks, her eyes, her forehead, behind her ears, in her neck  and they shared  another intense kiss. Athy panted heavily with face fully blushed. She hugged him tight  and buried her face in his chest,

" good night sia"

lucas whispered. She slightly smiled and nodded

" sweet dreams lucas"

hearing his heartbeat and smelling his scent, feeling his hot breath on  her head. She slept peacefully inside her safest place.  Lucas carefully get up without waking her and Sat beside her in the chair and watched her sleeping peacefully and smiled .

" you are really amazing growing up on your own and always living for others, sia... I love you"

he said playing with her  hair by  swirling them on  his fingers