Chapter 63 A Small Laugh in the Barn
“Tank yu,” Leitana said, looking up at him with a shy, grateful smile.
Ravial’s lips curved upward—just a fraction. Barely there. But it was enough to make her heart skip.
He stepped closer.
Her pulse quickened. She thought he was going to kiss her and leaned in without realizing it.
Instead, he bent to her ear, his breath warm against her skin.
“Do you want to shower together?” he whispered, his voice low and smooth.
Leitana’s eyes widened, almost comically.
“Why?” she blurted, her face flaming.
He pulled back slightly, studying her.
“Should there be a reason,” he asked evenly, “why I want to bathe with my wife?”
Her cheeks burned hotter.
She knew he was right. They had already been intimate—more than intimate. He had seen every part of her. Touched every part.
But showering together felt… different. Ordinary. Intimate in a softer, more vulnerable way.
“N… no, but…” she stammered, staring at her hands. “Mi never shower wit anybody before. Not even Marita back home. She always want to, but mi say no. An’ she no mi husband.”
A faint hum left him—almost amusement.
“You’re shy,” he observed. His tone was flat, but softer than usual.
She nodded, biting her lip.
He reached out, his thumb brushing her lower lip until she released it.
“Shy is acceptable,” he said. “For now.”
Then he scooped her up effortlessly.
She squeaked, arms looping around his neck.
“Ravial!”
He carried her into the bathroom, steam already rising from the running shower.
He set her down inside the glass enclosure. The water was hot—perfect.
He stepped in behind her. His clothes were gone; she hadn’t even noticed when.
His hands settled on her hips.
“Turn,” he said.
She did, slowly.
Water poured over them both.
He reached for the soap.
“Let me.”
His hands moved with care, shoulders, arms, her back, her stomach.
Every touch was deliberate. Possessive, but gentle.
When his fingers slid between her legs to clean her, she gasped.
He stilled at once.
“Still sore?”
“A little,” she admitted quietly.
He nodded once.
He rinsed her clean, his fingers lingering just long enough to make her knees weak.
Then he washed her hair, massaging her scalp. The sensation was so soothing it made her chest ache.
She closed her eyes and leaned back against him.
This felt… good.
Too good.
Her thoughts drifted.
Then ..
Avery.
The window.
The study.
Leitana turned in his arms, water streaming down their bodies.
“Ravial,” she said softly. “What mi sister doing in yu study yesterday?”
His hands went still on her shoulders.
Silence.
“Yu… yu together?” she asked, her voice shrinking. Her heart hoped desperately that maybe he hadn’t been there. That Avery had chosen the room by chance.
“Yes,” he said.
Her chest sank, heavy and cold.
She stared at the water swirling around their feet.
“What… what happen?” she whispered.
He turned her fully to face him.
His expression was calm. Blank.
“She came to me,” he said flatly. “She offered herself, pressed against me, kissed my hand, and asked why I rejected her.”
Leitana stared, tears blending with the shower water.
He continued, unflinching.
“I told her she was irrelevant. Replaceable. That I had no use for her.”
The words landed like stones.
Her throat tightened.
“So… yu not prefer her?” she asked, her voice breaking. “She more perfect? Educated? Beautiful?”
He cupped her face with both hands.
“No.”
Just one word.
She searched his face.
“But she think yu want her.”
“She was wrong.”
He leaned down until his forehead rested against hers.
“You are the only one I want,” he said. “The only one I keep.”
Leitana swallowed hard.
“But why she jump den?”
“Because she realized she was nothing to me,” he replied. “And she could not accept it.”
Cold. Honest. Final.
Leitana shivered—not from the water.
He pulled her into his chest, arms tight around her.
“You are everything,” he murmured into her hair. “Do not doubt that.”
She nodded against him.
But deep inside, questions lingered.
And fear.
Because his truth was cold.
And she was starting to feel it.
Leitana made her way toward the barn, the morning sun warm on her shoulders.
She had wanted to check on Avery before leaving with Ravial for the piano lessons.
At breakfast, Avery hadn’t come down. When Leitana asked the staff to take food to her room, they said she wasn’t there.
Panic flared, sharp and sudden.
“No, missus,” Clara had said quickly, seeing the fear on her face. “She just went to the barn.”
Leitana had relaxed, though confusion lingered. Avery in the barn?
Maybe she liked the horses too. Maybe the fresh air helped.
Now, as she reached the open barn doors, voices drifted out.
“Yes, the horses love attention,” a male voice said—warm and easy, with a slow Southern drawl. “This one’s Sugar. Greedy for treats, but gentle as they come.”
Leitana paused just outside and peeked in.
Matteo stood beside Avery, pointing to a chestnut mare.
Avery reached out, tentative, and let the horse sniff her palm. When its big tongue licked her hand, she let out a small, surprised laugh.
The sound was soft, but real.
Leitana’s heart filled with warmth.
Avery looked… lighter. The shadows under her eyes were still there, but her shoulders weren’t hunched. She was smiling—small, but genuine.
Matteo grinned. “See? She likes you.”
Avery wiped her hand on her jeans, still smiling faintly. “She’s sweet.”
Leitana watched for another moment, chest aching with quiet joy.
Her sister was okay.
For now.
She turned away before they noticed her, not wanting to interrupt.
As she walked back toward the house, the memory of Avery’s words from the night before brushed her mind.
Wings. Golden wings. Horns.
Leitana shook her head quickly.
No.
It couldn’t be real.
She knew angels existed. She knew demons did too, Papa God’s word was clear.
But Avery had been hurt. Confused. Maybe she dreamed it in the fall.
Trees could look like wings in the dark. Fear could twist anything.
Leitana forced a smile.
She was going to learn piano. Beautiful music.
Everything would be good now.
She would make sure of it.
She believed that.
She had to.
But deep down, a tiny seed of doubt took root.
And the morning sun, warm as it was, couldn’t quite chase away the sudden chill.