Chapter 35

Dawn POV:

The bath was so refreshing I was feeling a little sleepy when Jenny bursts in and practically jumps at me wrapping me in a fierce hug. “Oh your hair is so wet” she says. I chuckle “Yeah, I just took a bath.” We break the hug and I get emotional seeing her. We met last night but we didn’t get to reconcile, and I feel now just how much I missed her.

“It’s good to see you Jen. I missed you so much”

“I missed you too” she says “I believe we have a lot of catching up to do. I just talked to mom, and you know how she freaks out about me. It’s so taxing to lie to them”

“Thank you. You saved Damien” I say.

“It’s nothing. I was happy to help you. Well enough of serious talks now.” She bumps me with her shoulder “Tell me about your handsome hunk.” I laugh out loud.

“What about him” I ask.

“You tell me!! I am all ears” she says winking at me.

I roll my eyes “Well he kidnapped me first, so it didn’t start on a good note. But now I think we understand each other and last night he proposed me.” She raises her eyebrows, so I add, “I said I loved him too”

“Hell yeah! You better love him; he is so cute! It’s so cool that you got your valentine on the Valentine’s Day”

I laugh “It was a bloody valentine I have to admit”

“The story is super dope! I mean falling in love with your kidnapper, there is nothing sexier than that”

“What about you?” It’s my turn to ask her now “You and Skye looked smitten too. I mean Skye was so different around you. He appeared to calm down when you were near him” Her face falls but she manages to give a weak smile “I think we are still working on it. I like him you know that and there had been some issues between us. But now that I think of them I believe that he was pretending at the very last to save me I guess. Thank god he survived the night. I had told him to go inside a room and lock it. Thanks to you guys that he made it out safely.”

“I think he needs someone with him, and you might be able to help him because Monica was his mom. He watched her die like she was nothing.”

“I know. Don’t worry I’ll be with him” she squeezes my hand “I can’t stand your half-sister though”

“It’s not your fault, no one can. She is the reason I lost Julian” Tears fill my eyes and Jenny hugs me again. I bury my face in her shoulder and try to calm my heart down.

“Where is she?” I ask once I have controlled myself.

“They have kept her locked in a room. She was given food and water. No one is interested to entertain her I suppose.” She replies. Good; I think. Let her be locked. She is a problem and right now I have lots of thing to do other than straightening a bratty sister.

“Come. You must be hungry” She drags me out and then when we have our plates of food, we sit and watch the kids play on the ground. “Have you seen Archer?” I ask Jenny taking a big bite of the omelet.

“No. I just saw him in the morning.”

“Okay” I say. He must be somewhere helping the matrons. We sit there, eat, and talk. I tell her about everything that has happened in the past weeks and with every incident her eyes grow wider and wider.

“Geez!!! You have a hell lot of courage Dawn. If I were you I would have peed my pants” She says. Then she adds “I am sorry about your father. I know it’s hard on you, but you are stronger than that. I just want to tell you that you are always welcome in my house, whenever you want”

“I know. Thank you” I say warmed by her generosity. The rest of the day goes by like a farfetched dream. I play with the kids; I meet and joke with Damien. Krista is still a little distant, but she is not outright hostile which I feel is a progress. Rob and I talk over phone making sure he is fine, and we plan to have a memorial for Julian once everything is a little settled. I feel so happy that he found solace in Bloom. The way Bloom cared for him makes me happy about Rob. At some point I start missing Archer, but I guess he is busy helping someone or buying supplies for the orphanage. When darkness falls I start to panic about him.

“Are you okay?” Jenny asks coming in the room I was sleeping last night.

“Yes. I was just worrying where Archer is”

“Okay. He will be back don’t worry. Rosaline has come to meet you” she says.

“Who is Rosaline?” I ask her while walking to the front hall room. When we reach there I watch Matilda in deep conversation with Archer and another man I don’t know. Then I figure out that Matilda is Rosaline. When she spots me she comes to shake my hands “Hey. How are you doing?” she asks.

“I am good. Thank you so much for helping Terry and me too”

“I had to. You were convincing. Although blowing my cover up was a little risky for me but I think your friend has settled everything with my boss.” I look at Archer and something strikes wrong. He doesn’t meet my eyes and his smile is halfhearted. We talk a while and then Rosaline discloses that she and her companion drove the bikes to this orphanage all the way from the city. She also tells us that she will be helping us with our future plans. I don’t know what to understand from that. I mean her generosity seems a little much or it may be my own mind now habituated with suspecting everyone. Anyway we have a little chat and then she takes our leave promising to come back tomorrow. Miss Claire declares that dinner is ready, and I take the opportunity to drag Archer outside in the garden out of everyone’s sight.

“What happened?” I ask. “You are not well; I can see that on your face” He remains quiet but fidgets continuously. The outside is dark, but the moonlight is enough to scan his sharp features. He looks distressed, his hair all messy and the desperation rises in me to wipe off the worry from his face. “Well tell me” I pat him in the arm getting impatient. He brings out a paper from his pocket and holds it out to me.

“Read it” he says. When I scan the letter with each line my heart aches a little bit. The lengths that his mother and father went to hide him from predators like my father is insane. This is why my father was so adamant that Andrew Farrow had no biological child but only an adopted girl whom he gloated to kill brutally. No one found out that he had his family living under all their noses. It gives me a newfound respect for Archer’s parents. The letter is a confession of a mother to her son. It is a full of regrets and what ifs and what both of them wanted for their son. When I finish reading it takes me some time to look at him and when I do I find him on the verge of a breakdown. He looks broken. I take his hand and take him to the room I was kept locking the door.

“Come” I say and make him sit on the cot. “Tell me what you are feeling” I say gently placing my hands on his.

“I don’t know” he says looking blankly at nothing. “I just think what my life would have been if they were alive and well.” I know he is hurting so much; I know that feeling when your past is displayed in front of you and the future seems incomplete and out of reach. “Since I can remember, my mother would constantly tell me to be strong and to be able to take revenge.” He says “She stoked the fire in me which is why I am here today. She has regretted everything in that small piece of paper. Once I had my dreams, I know Krista had too. Damien was so talented he could have gotten so much out of his life. And now I come to know that they didn’t want us to be the killers they were like. My father never wanted me to take up his dirty work.” He lowers his head, and I can feel the sadness sitting on his shoulders pressing him down. “I had a sister, Dawn, a foster sister, and she was murdered.” His voice quivers.

“Look at me” I say “Your parents did a great job Archer. They were in a situation where they knew that your life would be in jeopardy. They made so many sacrifices in their married life. I mean no one ever knew that they were married. Your mum posed as a servant, and they got to meet only occasionally. They had so much trust in each other and so many dreams for you. You have nothing to be sad about.” He leans in and buries his face in the crook of my neck. I brush my hands through his hair and try to soothe him as much as I can. “You are just a victim of unfortunate events and my father’s ruthlessness. I am sorry that he had to be my father” I say.

“No! I have never blamed you for any of this. You know that” he says looking at me like I am the only person in this world. “I am just, I don’t want to be a killer, they didn’t want me to be killer and I am just that right now”

“You are not. You had to do what you were taught to do. She might be feeling guilty that she couldn’t give the life they pictured but I refuse to believe that you turned out to be someone hateful. See you told me yourself that you don’t blame me. That says it all, because I have faced that man who blamed me for something I was never responsible for. The time I spent with you although I had my doubts it still hurt me like hell to leave you. You know why? Because you treated me like I am a person. I had the glimpse of the real you and that’s why I fell for you” Emotions choke me as well. He made me to feel, he broke that wall I put up which made me believe that I was unable to love someone. I am lucky to have him with me. “We can still have a life you know. We just have to survive this game” I say.

“Together?” He asks.

“Together.” I reply “No matter what I will support. I mean I have no one now apart from you guys. You are all my family now, my home, and I know it in my core.” He leans in and we kiss. At first the kiss is desperate like we are trying to take each other’s hurt. I stroke his chin, and everything calms down until we brush our lips gently, our breath mingling. A shiver runs down my spine making me feel funny and I keep kissing him sometimes taking a glimpse of his face. Not once he opens his eyes and when he does I feel an intoxication of desire and fondness deep in his eyes. I don’t know if he finds me beautiful or not, but he is like a broken angel with his platinum locks and sharp jaw line and those gorgeous eyes burning my heart. Out of breath I pull my lips from his and we sit there in each other’s arms, our foreheads touching. Words are not enough to ground us, so we don’t let go of each other.

Suddenly the door opens “Hey! You guys don’t wanna...” Jenny comes in and then stops abruptly like seeing a ghost. We detach so quickly, and I feel my cheeks burn.

“Oh my god!! I am so sorry...I didn’t mean to. I should run” She flips out, loses balance a little bit and then runs out the door. We stare at each other not sure how to react and then he bursts out laughing. We laugh hysterically rolling into each other and the first time in my life I believe I am at my home, happy and complete.