Chapter 32

Alyssa woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside her window. Her eyes adjusted to her surroundings and she felt the warmth of the morning sun on her skin. She turned to her right and found Luther lying beside her, peaceful and sound asleep. The memories of the previous night came flooding back and a smile spread across Alyssa’s face. For as long as she could remember, she had terrible nightmares. However, that had all changed since Luther had come into her life. She felt like he was the light at the end of the tunnel, and she couldn’t imagine a life without him.

Alyssa couldn’t resist the urge to lean over and kiss Luther on the lips. He stirred in his sleep, and she kissed him again. Suddenly, he opened his eyes and looked at her. At first, she seemed unsure of where she was, but then she remembered everything that had happened the previous night.

“Oh my God, I shouldn’t have slept here,” Alyssa said, immediately getting up and getting dressed. “I hope I didn’t snore and disturb you?”

Luther smiled at her. He thought Alyssa looked so cute and innocent, which was one of the reasons why he had fallen for her in the first place.

“You did disturb me,” Luther lied, teasing her. “All night long, you snored and tossed and turned. You even hit me in the eye a couple of times!”

Alyssa looked horrified. “I’m so sorry; I should have left as soon as you fell asleep.”

Luther laughed. “Relax, I’m just kidding. You didn’t disturb me at all.”

Alyssa seemed relieved, and Luther couldn’t help but think how adorable she looked when she was worried. He stretched out his arm and beckoned her to come closer.

“Are you doing this because of what happened last night?” Alyssa asked, skepticism written all over her face. “You don’t have to… oh my God,” she gasped, when Luther pulled her back onto the bed and lied on top of her.

“But I do want to,” Luther said, looking deeply into her eyes. “Why are you behaving this way? Everything you told me last night, was it all a lie?”

“It wasn’t,” Alyssa said, blushing.

“Then why do you want to distance yourself again?” Luther asked.

“I’m not trying to distance myself, Luther,” Alyssa said, her voice barely a whisper. “This is my first time feeling this way for a guy, and you are the first. I don’t know how to react to this kind of situation, so instead of facing it, I would rather hide.”

Luther bent down and kissed her lips passionately. “You shouldn’t hide. You should face it because what you feel for me is love. And I love you too, Alyssa. I love you so much that it would kill me if I lose you.”

Alyssa had always loved the sea. It was one of the reasons why she loved living in the beach town so much. Every evening, she would take a walk with Luther by the shore, watching the waves crash against the sand. Today, however, she wanted to do something different. She wanted to take a dip in the water and enjoy the coolness washing over her feet. But when she suggested it to Luther, she noticed a strange reaction from him. He knelt down on the sand, taking deep breaths. Alyssa was worried and ran towards him immediately.

“Luther, what’s wrong?” Alyssa asked, holding his shaking hands.

“Is it the sea? Are you scared of the sea?” she asked, and he nodded. Alyssa pulled him towards her and hugged him, whispering soothing words.

After a few minutes, when Luther had calmed down, Alyssa asked him what had happened. “I was kidnapped when I was a little boy,” Luther replied. Alyssa was taken aback. She had never known about this before. “I was kidnapped by some foolish men who wanted ransom in exchange. They kept me in a house which was beside the sea. Each time dad refused to pay, they would take me to the sea and put me in it, taking pictures and sending it to my dad. I suffered that for a week.”

Alyssa was shocked. She couldn’t even imagine the kind of trauma that Luther must have gone through as a child. She sat down on the sand, giving him a warm smile. “That doesn’t make you less of a man in my eyes,” she said. “It only makes me know the real you.”

“And who is the real me?” Luther asked, sounding vulnerable.

“That you aren’t a bad guy, nor a womanizer, and certainly not a heartless jerk,” Alyssa said, making Luther chuckle. “You’re a very nice guy, a king who loves his people and takes care of them, a man who has suffered a lot and also overcome it all. A man I admire and love so much.”

Luther smiled at her, feeling touched. “Alyssa, you have been strong, too. You grew up to be a fine woman, a woman adored and respected by all. So don’t ever change, okay? Always be the woman you are, and your weakness isn’t something to pull you back but it’s meant to make you strong, and you must find a way to overcome it.”

Alyssa took his hand and led him towards the sea. “Come with me,” she said.

“Where?” Luther asked.

“To the sea,” Alyssa said, determined. “You need to overcome your fears, and you will be starting now.”

Luther hesitated for a moment but then allowed Alyssa to pull him towards the water. They walked into the sea, holding hands and feeling the coolness washing over their feet.

***###***###

The girl that lay motionless on the bed suddenly twitched her fingers. And then her arms after a few minutes, her eyes flew open. She looked around and realized that she wasn’t in her room. Or any room she recognized and she couldn’t remember where she was, how she got there and what had happened.

The last thing she remembered was hiding in her fiancé’s study, listening to a girl approach him and she has felt sad and angry because she knew he didn’t live her and was probably going to cheat on her with this lady.

The door opened and she jumped slightly as a woman walked into the room.

“Who are you? Where am I?”, She asked, frightened.

The woman smiled. “I’m Lena and I saved you from the sea when I saw you drowning. You’re currently in my home. Tell me, what is your name?”.

“Allisa. My name is Allisa”.