Chapter Fifteen
By the end of the day, Freya was still smiling.
It had been a fantastic day. They laughed, played, and swam, stopping only to snack on some sandwiches.
She couldn’t remember the last time she had laughed so much, felt so ...
free. Relaxed. There were no miracles; she had felt tense whenever one of the twins approached, but inexplicably, she relaxed as soon as she felt the light touch of their fingers.
And by then, she had already realized that they were men of touch.
Either on the lower back, the shoulders, or the arms. Always gentle, always preceded by an, “Is this okay?”
She felt comfortable around them. More comfortable than she ever felt before.
After a pizza dinner, they put on a movie.
Freya became completely absorbed by the movie, probably the only one.
Tanya and Tara exchanged glances, waiting for their cousins’ signal.
They brought popcorn, nachos, and gummy bears.
The feast of gluttony lasted until the two sisters silently rose and walked away, leaving a bowl of popcorn at Declan’s feet and another of nachos at Ciaran’s feet.
Absorbed in the film, it took her a while to realize that the twins were taking turns feeding her.
“What are you doing?” she whispered, without taking her eyes from the TV.
“Eating.”
“Watching Vin Diesel kick ass.”
“Watching you eating.”
“Watching you watching Vin Diesel kick ass.”
She couldn’t contain herself and began to laugh.
Looking to her side, however, she realized she was alone with the twins, who were standing beside her.
Their posture was relaxed, and she felt good.
She closed her eyes, searching for the truth within herself.
She had lived with fear and anxiety for so long that discovering herself without it was liberating.
“Little one?” one of them asked. She wasn’t sure which one, but suddenly she could feel their eyes on her. Watching. Anticipating, but not in a predatory way. Not like...
“Talk to us, angel,” he whispered. Ciaran? Declan? She didn’t know.
“We can’t... I can’t...”
“We can. You can. Whatever it is you want.”
“I’m not...” taking a deep breath, she mustered her courage and fired rapidly “Ihavesomeissues...”
“Slow down, baby. Machine guns are slower than you were just now.” Ciaran’s voice was gentle, but firm.
Her eyes were firmly closed, her hands closed in fists.
With slow, gentle gestures, Declan lightly touched her chin and murmured, “Words, little one. We need to know how you feel, what’s inside that pretty head of yours. ”
She took several deep breaths, her eyes tightly closed. She didn’t have the courage to look at them, not if she wanted to get this off her chest. Ciaran grasped her hand, squeezing her fingers lightly. Declan grabbed her other hand, his fingers sliding smoothly between hers.
“I ... I have some issues...” she stuttered in a low voice. “I ... I was ... abducted. And...”
Her breathing became erratic, and the twins moved as one. Declan turned her toward him, framing her face tenderly, while Ciaran was at her back, tenderly massaging her shoulders.
“We’ll wait,” he said fervently. “We can wait. It’ll be worth it.”
“We?” she repeated, her eyes now wide open, her gaze fixed on Declan’s face. Opening and closing her mouth several times, like a fish out of water, she repeated, almost voiceless, “We?”
“We,” said Ciaran, firmly. Turning her face toward him, he murmured, “We’re a done deal, baby. Your very own ‘two for the price of one’.”
He was a breath away, but didn’t kiss her. Neither did Declan. They seemed to be waiting for something.
“Are you...”
“You’re not ready, little one. Not yet. We want to kiss you more than we want our next breath, but you’re not ready and we’re not going to push you.”
“I don’t... two...?”
“Feel this. May I?”
They were always asking for permission, she thought distractedly. Declan took her hand and put it on his chest. Beneath her fingers, his heart pounded erratically, betraying his calm expression.
“It beats for you, little one. It will bleed for you if you ask. But you need to be sure. To be ready.”
“And if I’ll never be?” her eyes were lost. Lost not in the past, but in the present. Full of fear.
“You will be. And we’ll wait for as long as it’s needed.”
As one, moving in sync, they moved toward her, caressing her neck with their nose, their lips leaving feather light touches. Her quick intake of breath told them she was overwhelmed ... but not panicking... Not yet.
“Take time to know us. One at a time, or the two ... doesn’t matter.”
“This is...” she seemed to struggle to find the words. “Awkward,” she added, lamely.
“Not to us. Does this seem awkward, Declan?”
“It really doesn’t, Ciaran.”
They seemed to both be sniffing around her and she stiffened.
“Apples...”
“And cinnamon...”
“Delightful...”
Must be the body wash or something, she thought vaguely. And then shuddered when they abruptly pulled away, though they continued to caress her, their fingertips slowly tracing the length of her arm.
“You need to rest, baby. Go.”
She seemed confused but got up obediently and went to her room.
****
The twins exchanged looks and wordlessly, they went in search of a cold shower. Cold as ice.