C5 004 Let Me Take Care Of You

SOFIA

I woke up and tried to open my eyes to a blinding white light.

Where am I? Am I in heaven, did I die?

All of a sudden, my memories came flooding back and panic rose in my chest.

Someone found me !!!

Oh my god, William will torture me. Oh God! Not again.

I rose from the bed and started begging whoever brought me here.

That person was telling me something but I couldn't hear anything and then I felt someone hug me tightly.

I expected myself to get into panic mode, but it didn't happen.

I felt warmth from the hug which I had never felt with anyone since 9-10 years. It somehow calmed my heart.

“Sofia. Calm down. Take a deep breath.” I heard a familiar voice.

I couldn't believe it.

Is it him? Did he find me? But how can he be here? He is in the USA.

I withdrew from the hug and looked at the man in front of me and my heart skipped a beat.

I couldn’t believe my eyes. My James was sitting in front of me and I couldn't explain the relief I felt seeing his handsome face, which I never thought I'd get to see again.

“James !!! Is it you?” I asked softly while extending my hand slowly to touch him.

“Yes, Sofia. I am here.” He smiled at me gently and held my hand mid-way making those subtle sparks travel through my body.

I had forgotten how it felt when someone treated you so gently like you were made of glass.

His touch was warming my heart.

He caressed my cheeks slowly, took out his blazer to put on me and kissed my forehead.

I looked at him as sobs racked my body and soon I bawled, clutching his blazer on me and he hugged me and caressed my head.

“Shhhh. I am here now. I'll take care of you. Do you want to eat something?”

I shook my head.

“Why did you bring me here? You should have let me die. I am not worth being alive. I am dirty. I have no right to live.” I kept talking in between sobs.

“Sofia !!! You are a human being, not a product which can get dirty. Don't blame yourself for anything,” he said, while still hugging me.

“No. You don't know anything. I feel dirty.”

“I know. I know what happened but not everything. If you'll tell me what happened in detail then I'll help you in every way.”

“What do you know ?”

“A doctor had checked you and told me what happened to you.”

He was reluctant but I understood what he was trying to say. So he knows. I thought as I felt embarrassed.

“The doctor also said that you had not seen sunlight for years. Is it true?”

I nodded.

“But why? What happened?”

I removed myself from his embrace before speaking,

“Nothing. Forget it. You should not associate yourself with me. I'll only drag you down. Please leave me as I am. I'll just die and get over with it.”

I looked around the room before speaking again,

“I can never live like normal people anymore. Never. I am destroyed. You look like you have done well for yourself.

Let me go, James. I don't want to taint your image,”

I said and stood up from the bed, ready to leave as his blazer fell on the floor. But he jumped from the bed and ran towards me before holding my wrist.

He pulled me closer, holding my head on his chest and keeping his chin on my head.

“Sofia, please listen to me. You won't drag me down. You don't need to worry about my reputation.

“Anyone who wants to harm you will have to face me.

“Please believe me. Just once, please believe me completely and let me take care of you.”

He was talking and I couldn't believe my luck and how foolish I was to choose William over him.

“Why are you doing this? I am not worth anything for you to go through so much hassle. You have a good life, why are you getting involved in my messed up life ?”

He could not still love me. Right? After so long and after knowing that I am dirty. I thought

He held my waist with one hand and hugged me with his other hand and I felt so comfortable in his hold that I didn't want to let him go.

“Sofia, if you still don't understand, then I'll make it clear to you today that I love you.

“I have loved you since the first day I saw you. I just didn't know what the feeling was. But when I realised my feelings, it was already too late. Now that I've found you, I am never letting you go unless you want me to let you go.”

I couldn't believe it. He still loved me after all these years.

“I am sorry James. I am so sorry, I always took you for granted. I was such a fool. I don't deserve you.”

“Forget about the past. You are with me at this moment and that is the most important thing. Don't call my Sofia a fool,” he said with a teasing smile after keeping me at half of his arm length and added,

“Never say again that you don't deserve me. I am only and only yours,” he said and wiped the tears from my face before pulling me towards the bed.

“Now go to bed and sleep. I'll get some new clothes for you tomorrow morning.

For now, you can put on one of my shirts if you want.”

“I'll wear one of your shirts if you don't mind, " I said looking down embarrassed.” I didn't want to wear this horrible thing

“Okay, I'll get you a shirt now. " He went inside a connecting room which must be his walk-in closet and came back after a few minutes.

“Here, take it.” He handed me a white shirt with a smile and went outside before asking me to freshen up in the bathroom if I wanted to.

I changed into his shirt and I liked it. I then went to the bathroom to freshen up and used his bathing products which had his scent. His scent had a calming effect on me.

I was going to sleep when I thought I should see where James was.

Because this room looked like it was his bedroom, so he should sleep there.

I could sleep in any other room or anywhere else.

So I walked out of the room and my eyes fell on the sleeping figure on the living room sofa.

“James…” I patted his shoulder gently a few times, but he didn't wake up.

He must be very tired.

He was sleeping in a fetal position as the weather was cold. So I brought 2 blankets from his room, put one on him and took the other one for myself before sleeping on the other sofa in front of him.

Even his sofa is as comfortable as his bed.

Sleep came as soon as my head hit the sofa and I felt peaceful after 10 long years.