Chapter 41 Chapter 41: So Much Hidden Fear

Chapter 41 Chapter 41: So Much Hidden Fear
Sebastian Silverow's POV:

I can definitely tell that she was fearful about a number of things. Being seen naked while she was conscious was just the tip of that fear that was coursing through her in that single moment. The last thing I wanted to do was give her reasons not to trust me.

I was thankful when she did, as I had previously instructed, asking her to cross her arms in front of her face. I watched as she took in a deep breath and held it before she blew it out with a bit of frustration. I knew she was fearful, but underneath all of that, I knew there was so much more hidden fear.

"Now I'm going to reach for the lower hem on your top," I instructed her before I withdrew my hands from her shoulders. "If you want, keep your gaze solely fixed on my eyes, as my eyes will be looking directly at yours and nothing else."

I did as I told her. I reached down slowly and in control as I lightly grasped the loose hem on the scrub top she was wearing. I knew she didn't have anything on underneath it. Doctor Meriket knew she didn't have any garments, so they allowed her to wear a set of scrubs from the hospital.

Once the top was completely removed from her head, I dropped it down beside the bench on which she was seated. Her arms instinctively crossed in front of her chest as I knew she was fearful that I would be looking at her. I was a gentleman. I wouldn't do such a thing.

"Now, what I need you to do is stand so that I can remove the bottoms," I told her in an instructive manner, just as I had previously done.

I could definitely see the tension in her shoulders grow with every passing second.

"The sooner we get this over with, the sooner you can get into the bath," I said in a similar manner.

I did everything I could to make sure my tone was reassuring and careful. It wasn't quite monotone, but it was soft and delicate for her peace of mind.

I reached my hands out toward her, waiting for her to take my hand so that I could help her stand on her feet. She was reluctant, as she broke eye contact with me briefly to look at my hands before she looked back up at my eyes.

"You got this," I encouraged her. "All you have to do is reach out, and I will stand you up."

"You won't..." she started to say, then stopped before she could finish her thought out loud, but it was in that moment that I already knew what she wanted to say and chose not to.

"No," I told her in that moment, my tone firm but still just as calm. "I am not interested in that. That is the last thing that you need right now."

When I said that last part, I saw tears start to swell in her eyes, knowing that this was not anything that she was used to. I bet she was more than used to somebody taking advantage of her just because they thought it was a pleasure for them. Men have a way of pushing their wants on someone they deem weaker, and they get a kick out of it when they complain, or even fight back.

She needed somebody to be patient. She needed something to be reassuring. She needed somebody to be understanding of her former experiences and protect her feelings when it mattered most. She needed someone to let her know that she was the one in control here, especially about the things that she thought were or weren't going to happen.

I was trying to convey that to her. However, I knew it was going to take some time to get through to her, as her experience would always linger in the back of her mind. At this point, she still had yet to reach out to my hands, and that's when I asked her something that I thought might help.

"Can I suggest something?" I asked in that moment as her hands were still crossed in front of herself, nearly tucking her hands under her arms as she looked up at me. She even narrowed her eyes in that moment, wondering what I was going to say. "How about I turn the tables?"

"How?" She asked a single-word question.

"The answer is simple, really," I said as I knelt down in front of her, my eyes still solely focused on hers. "How about I close my eyes. I don't have to see you. How would that make you feel?"

"I don't understand," she said, her voice timid and almost to the point of breaking. "How would you...?"

"I am very perceptive, my dear," I said as I slightly leaned my head to the side. "I don't have to see you to know exactly where my hands are."

She looked down at me for a brief moment before she looked back up and nodded.

"Okay, how long will you keep your eyes closed?" She asked then, and I completely understood why she asked.

"For as long as you need," I told her, my tone still just as soft.

She narrowed her eyes at me even more than she did earlier, but then finally relaxed her expression whenever she nodded at me in agreement.

"What do I have to do?" She asked, trying to confirm my intentions.

"I will still instruct you," I told her in a reassuring tone. "But I will keep my eyes closed for the duration as long as you tell me that they stay closed."

"All right," she said all at once as she loosened her arms in front of her chest, as my eyes still didn't waver from her gaze. "Close your eyes."

I was pleased to see that she was taking control of the situation. Even the tone of her voice that she used in that particular moment had changed to a slightly curious sort of way. I couldn't help it as I smirked at her, raising one corner of my mouth as I did, as I told her I would.

I closed my eyes, and then I stood up to my feet. Once I was fully standing, my head was lightly tilted downward, as if I were looking at her face. That's when I once again reached my hands out towards her, wondering how long it was gonna be until she decided to make a move.

I was pleased when it didn't take just a few seconds. The smirk on my face grew whenever I felt her hands reach out, placing her cool skin against the warm flesh on my palms. I could tell that in that moment she was a bit reluctant about her movement. She tried to lightly pull her hands away, to which I placed my thumbs on top of her fingers, holding her hands to mine.

"Pardon my expression," I told her quickly. "I'm simply pleased that you're willing to give me your hands in trust."