Sold (Christian Romance)

Chapter Twelve

Dark, pregnant clouds loomed over head, flashes of lightening racing through the clouds as the thunder seemed to be resounding to the challenge seemingly posed by the lightening.

The rain began to pour with vengeance, splattering on Remi's glass windows.

The rain however was unable to wash away the worry that filled Jummy's heart or Remi's headache.

How is it that in less than three months, his entire world had come crashing down and he all of a sudden, became responsible for three females. Two of whom he had no blood relations with. Jummy's pregnancy could be disastrous and Sisi's health was not in the least bit improving.

He carried Sisi in his arms up the stairs to his room. Pausing by the bed side, he glanced down at her. It almost felt like a slap on his late wife's face to have another woman lay on the bed she had once laid on. What was wrong with him? His wife was dead and whether he liked it or not, death had done them part. He needed to let go and he needed to let go not just for Jesse's sake or so she could have a mother but for his own sake, so he could love again. And tonight, he needed to either place Sisi on the bed or place her on the floor. With a sigh, he placed her gently on his side of the bed.

Leaning close, he traced the scar on her face with his thumb. Her gaze was transfixed on nothing in particular but in that moment, he saw how beautiful she was. He felt responsible for her safety. He planted a kiss on her cheek and lingered for a while, his breath warm against her skin. His gaze moved to her full dark lips and he thought of what it would feel like to kiss her.

“Sisi, I think I'm falling in love with you” He whispered with a husky voice.

No, he wasn't being honest. With everything that had happened so far, he owed it to himself to be honest even if being honest could be wrong. He needed to get this feeling out of his system especially if Sisi never woke up, especially if something happened and she was taken away from him. 

“Sisi...” He whispered into her ears. “I have fallen in love with you” He held his eyes tightly shut as a wave of emotion took over him and he wept.

..........
Trapped inside her head, Sisi saw and was aware of sensations around her. She heard Jummy's lamentations about losing the father of her baby and her worries that her mother would find out. She felt it every time Jesse wrapped her in a warm embrace and heard her happy chatter and stories she had to tell from school. She felt it every time Remi took her in his arms at night and whispered words of comfort to her, every time he read the Bible to her, she listened.

Sisi felt it all but emotionally, she was dead. She had lost her joy, her fears, her peace, her worries. Her mind was trapped in a big black hole where nothing else existed and she had decided that she didn't want to go back. She couldn't face the pain the loss of too many children brought her way, she couldn't bear to be afraid any more or to run and try to save her life. She couldn't bear the thought of returning to Chief's house or the thought of leaving Remi and Jesse. 

She felt Remi's strong arms lift her up and carry her somewhere. She didn't know exactly where it was he was taking her and when he placed her down, she could tell it was a bed even though the bed didn't feel familiar either. She felt his thumb run down her face and his kiss planted on her cheek.

“Sisi, I think I'm falling in love with you”

Remi might be in love with her? She thought about the meaning of those words. What was love anyway? She thought about her life; being given away in a forced child marriage, being abused, miscarriages. Where was love in all of that, where was God. Hadn't Remi said nothing could separate her from God's love? Why did she feel far away, rejected even by God? Oh but Remi, he was the light in her dark world. He was the one who had taken her in, knowing absolutely nothing about her but willing to risk his life for her without even counting the cost. He was the one she had an inkling of safety with, the one she could count on and the one who could be in love with her.

“Sisi, I have fallen in love with you” He confirmed. He was sure of his love. He didn't think it, he knew it.

Something shifted within her as she heard him speak. Why did those words make her want to leap for joy? Joy! She was beginning to feel again. She hadn't just heard those words but she had felt them. Her emotions were being restored and like an elevator, she felt those words lift her out of her dark pit into a world of light.

She wanted to tell him she loved him too, even if she wasn't sure what love meant. She wanted to hold him in her arms and remain in the safety she knew his love would provide.

“I love you too, Remi” She said, meaning and feeling those words from the depth of her heart.

..........
It was a soft whispered but Remi heard those words clear as day. Sisi had said she loved him! He opened his eyes and turned his head gently in the direction she laid. He was afraid of being wrong. What if he heard what he wanted to hear, what if she was still trapped in her head? Curiosity won the battle as he jerked his head and looked at her.

Her gaze was fixed on him and she her lips were curled up in a soft smile.

“Sisi?” He needed to be sure he hadn't fallen asleep and was dreaming.

She reached out with her hand and he took it, coming to sit beside her on the bed. He wanted so much to hold her, to kiss her even. Why didn't the thought of kissing her feel wrong? His gaze traveled down her face and came to rest on her lips. Leaning close, he captured her lips in his and closed his eyes, savoring the taste of her lips and it's warmth. For a brief moment, she didn't kiss him back but slowly, he felt her response and every doubt he had, every conflict he felt melted away as she responded to his kiss.

Author's note:

It's exciting to get this far in the story. Been posting so often because I've been having a lot of 'writer's juice' flowing lately plus I have a lot of time on my hands. Anyway, thanks for reading. Please remember to vote and leave a comment