Chapter 27


    “She would never let anythinge in between us,” he said with a sharp shake of his head. “My


    mother has a jealous nature… always has.” He stopped the stroking of his thumb, and loosened his


    grip so his hand could slip up to my wrist. “I can’t ever have people around there, or even entertain the


    idea of having a romantic rtionship with someone. She fears that one day I will leave this ce,


    which would mean leaving her.”


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    “But you had every intention to stay.”


    “I’ve been thinking about leaving my home for quite some time now,” he revealed with a nervous quirk


    of his lips downwards. “Because of the memories, and the things that my father had done to our family,


    but I stayed for her. I wanted to make her happy. To atone for my sins, or at least the things I wasn’t


    able to do as a child. I kept it a secret, all those times my father beat her and eventually me. A secret


    because I feared what would happen if my father ever found out that I told anyone.” He removed his


    hand from my wrist andid it tly over hisp. “I should have done something. He killed her in the


    end, strangled her to death with rope and pretended her hanging was a suicide attempt.” He stopped


    talking for a moment and simply let out a tiny exhale of air. “I knew it was him all along when I returned


    that day from school. No police officer or doctor could convince me otherwise.”


    “Did you tell anyone about your suspicions?”


    He shook his head violently with severely pursed lips. “No,” came out in a haggard breath. “I couldn’t.”


    His voice significantly lowered as he added: “Two dayster he killed himself. It seems he had a


    conscience after all.”


    Iid a hand on the back of his shoulder. “And so you’ve been ming yourself for keeping silent for all


    of these years.”


    “For not speaking out for my mother,” he admitted. “In life andter on in death.”


    “And that is the reason that you returned home,” I finally realized. “And the reason you put so much


    effort decorating her house - her garden.”


    “Yes,” he consented. “She always loved her garden.”


    My hand slid down his back as I considered: “Then all of it was for her.”


    “Everything,” he wheezed out lifelessly.


    “As a way of an apology?”


    “Yes, S,” he softly concurred. He turned his gaze in my direction, and let his eyes scan my entire


    face. “But I asked you to have coffee the first day we met because…” He tilted his chin upwards to


    regain some strength. “Because I liked you,” he bluntly told me with a steady gaze.


    I fell into the side of him, smothering the side of my cheek onto his strong upper arm. The scent of


    smoke still lingered over him, probablying from his hair since he hadn’t taken a shower yet. I


    rubbed my hand over the center of his back soothingly, taking my time to feel the tense muscles that


    stretched along his back. He remained perfectly still, probably enjoying my open show of affection. I


    slowly inched my head upwards and rested it over the top of his shoulder de. I could feel his hand


    cupping the side of my head, stroking his fingertips into my scalp in small circles. I let out an audible


    sigh, and then tilted my head toy my cheek over the side of his shoulder. “I hope you know that you


    are wee to stay here as long as you want.”


    “Thank you, S,” he hushed into my ear.


    “And if you need anything-”


    “I know.”


    A soft meow was heard on the other side of the couch that was closest to him. I gently lifted my head


    off Teddy’s shoulder and wore a broad smile when I saw little Luna peering at her owner with interest. I


    watched Teddy flicker the tips of his fingers upwards, urging his cat to jump on top of the couch. We


    were lucky to find her in the dark, but I suppose all of the mayhem exhibited on the frontwn sparked


    Luna’s interest. Teddy was quick to stick her in the backseat of his car, in which he expressed his


    gratitude that at least something had been saved from his house. The portrait of myself had been


    fortunately stored away in the backseat of his car as well, a secret blessing for him since he apparently


    treasured the drawing as much as I did.


    Luna was now settled over her master’sp, purring loudly enough to set a fit of giggles from me. I


    brushed back my wild bedhead, suddenly realizing Teddy had seen me in my most rxed state


    possible. I tried to control the blushing of my cheeks when reaching for my cup of tea, hoping he could


    not see it from my current angle.


    “You think there is an apartment room to rent across the hall from you?”


    “You’ll have to ask thendowner.”


    Teddy turned his attention to the front door, silently contemting something for a moment. I thought


    he looked like a wounded bird with his right arm tightly bandaged up. He encountered some scrapes on


    his upper inner arm, but the ones along the sides of his waist were apparently the worst. It was nice to


    see him wearing one of my baggy ck jumpers, for I thought him wearing casual street clothes was


    somewhat bewildering to me. He would have to start his life over again, since all of his artwork had


    been destroyed by the fire. It would be a long, hard journey for him, but I knew things would turn right in


    the end.


    “The tea is good,” he noted after he took a quiet sip.


    “Yes, I like the taste of mint.”


    “Interesting,” he murmured. “So do I.”


    A telling smirk crossed both of our faces at the same time. It was clear we would get along very well if


    Teddy did decide to stay with me.


    “Hello Luna,” he cooed out softly. The small cat’s purring was incredibly loud; her paws outstretched


    themselves across Teddy’sp to press against the soft fabric of my nket that rested over the top of


    my right knee. “We have to buy you cat food.”


    “A dish for her food and water.”


    Teddy regrettably added: “A litter box.”


    “And cat treats!”


    “Possibly a scratch post. I don’t know what she will do locked up in this t all the time. She is used to


    being outdoors. Aren’t you, Luna?”


    “It will be a hard adjustment,” I conceded.


    “But we are thankful all the same.”


    “I’m d.” Iid a hand over Luna and stroked her side softly. Her purring had subsided, and


    interestingly enough she looked like she was ready to fall asleep. “Teddy? Once things settle down, do


    you ever think you will rebuild your home?”


    “No,” he briskly replied. “I intend to be rid of my memories. I will go away somewhere - somewhere far.”


    “Where?”


    “I’m not sure,” he pondered aloud. “But I know I can make just about a living anywhere as an artist.


    Should I go to Rome, do you think?” Iughed at his statement, for his eyes shined at the prospect of it.


    “I always wanted to go to Spain.”


    “Why?”


    “Oh, some of my friends from boarding school ended up moving to Madrid. It would be nice to see them


    again. Although, if I was really clever I would buy a house close to where my guardian used to live. The


    area is fine there, and…” He suddenly stopped midway, and then turned his gaze to me. “Where would


    you like to live, S?”


    “Me?” He nodded his head quickly, with a sneaky little smile gradually crossing over his face. “Well, I


    am content where I am at the moment,” I replied with utter honesty. “I am not too far from my parents,


    and my friends live around this area. I think it would be nice for you to meet them. Do you mind that?”


    “No, I would love to,” he cheerily replied.


    I patted him on the back in a reassuring way. “Okay, we can do that then.” I smiled at him, but for some


    reason Teddy did not smile back. “What is it?”


    “I am sorry about my past. I wish it could have been better.”


    “It’s not your fault.”


    “Because when I meet your parents and your friends,” he tried to exin. “They will start to ask


    questions and… you know how I am.”


    “You will have to be honest.” My hand shifted upwards to rest over the back of his shoulder that was


    furthest from me. “It will be horrifying I know, but if I am willing to ept your past, then they will too.”


    “Yes, but that’s because you are different!” Teddy pointed out with a curious quirk of his right eyebrow.


    “And so are my parents,” I reassured him. “And my friends. You did nothing wrong, Teddy. They will not


    treat you like the people in the vige. There won’t be any judgment or fearful looks whenever you are


    around. And besides, you cannot hide behind the shadow of your father all your life.”


    “I always have,” he stammered out. “It’s even in my name… Teddy.”


    “Do you want me to call you Theo?” He shook his head in a nervous gesture. “Then we stick with your


    nickname name then?”


    “Yes, please.”


    I tapped him on his upper arm yfully. “Then, Teddy it is.”


    “I think I deserve a kiss for that.”


    “Oh no, you don’t.” He carefully slipped Luna off hisp to ce her upon the floor. “You will have to be


    careful because I am all bandaged up.” I shook my head at him but he tantly ignored it. “But I think I


    deserve it, considering I almost risked my life trying to save you.”


    “From your mother,” Iughed, since it was rather funny after the fact. “Talk about a terrible mother-in-


    law.” Teddy responded with a chaste kiss upon my lips, keeping it there for a moment before he


    withdrew from me. “I think this living situation will be quite difficult.”


    “For whom?”


    “Me,” I admitted while my cheeks were turning a bright shade of pink before him.


    “I’ll keep sleeping on the couch, S,” he whispered right in front of my lips. “I am a gentleman after


    all.”


    “We will see how long that willst.” He grunted in front of me while shaking his head. I stopped his


    movements with a hand cupping the bottom of his chin; my fingers curled over to feel the length of his


    strong jawline that was ever so tempting to touch. He closed his eyes to the wandering movements of


    my hand. It felt right to caress his face this way, to be this close to him that our chests were nearly


    touching. “Teddy,” I whispered out. “I want you to stay.”


    “Then I will,” he promised me, before sealing it with a meaningful kiss. “For a little while, at least.”


    “Teddy.” His name was hushed lightly after our lips parted. “I…” My hand moved upwards to brace itself


    against his chest. “Wait.”


    “Yes, S?” he asked me in a husky voice.


    “I know it sounds quite silly, but I want you to stay forever.”


    His smile wasrge before me, allowing his eyes to shine with such brilliant wonder that it nearly took


    my breath away. “I could do that,” he assured me, before he drew my hand to slide down thest of his


    chest, cleverly creating enough room for him to lean forward and steal another heartfelt kiss from my


    lips.


    For Teddy, most of his life was something akin to a tragedy; the past had haunted him like a deathly


    gue, darkening his mind and spirit. He was feared by the people in the town because of the


    nightmarish events that surrounded him as a child, and by all ounts the suspicious suicide


    committed by his mother and then his father plummeting into the icy sea would have given rise to a


    great deal of gossip. Some may think he is an off-spring of the devil, or the child that was the means of


    driving his parents insane. In reality, Theodore Woven the second, was simply a small self-conscious


    child that was attached to his mother’s hip. He suffered through horrors that no child should encounter,


    and in the end he was, as he so wisely phrased it: “A wounded bird.” Cast off from society, he did


    everything he could to appease his mother by returning home, hoping to make amends for the silence


    that cost him everything. And so, guilt-stricken and alone, Teddy had no choice but to suffer in silence.


    In silence he did suffer until one day, a young gardener stepped upon his doorstep, and with her


    sweetness of temper and youthful innocence that he had once lost and loved, it felt right for him to try


    and know her better.


    The tragedy is over, the curtains have been pulled, and now Teddy Woven has one more chance to live


    his life again. As he leaned against the couch with the woman he loved in his arms, the woman that


    saved him from a life of loneliness and despair, it felt perfectly natural to kiss her lips longingly in the


    tenderest of ways. For he truly loved her, and he knew that deep down inside, S felt the exact same


    way about him.


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