FicWad

He had given her a bowl of pasta and a glass of both water and soda. He also gave her an ice pack to press against the side of her face causing it to numb the pain in the meantime. She was sitting now quietly on the couch, her hands folded in her lap and the remote for the TV in her hands. He was somewhere in the back rooms and he had left her to do whatever she wanted. She thought of leaving, had even inched towards the door but had stopped herself midway. Was she really supposed to escape? And if she did what would she have to go home to? What would happen to Jared if Sophia found that she had ran? She swallowed back her rising hopes and sat down on the couch.

It had been so long since she had felt entirely normal or at least it felt that way. It seemed like an eternity since she had been apart of the outside world, since her life had belonged to her. When was the last time? Before she had married Samuel?

Her fingers danced lightly over the remotes buttons, contemplating what she should do. The side of her face was aching but when she glanced in the mirror on the wall she saw that the swelling had significantly receded. The healing process was always more painful than the actual wound.

She was still so tired and her stomach had begun to ache. She had eaten too quickly and she hadn't slept much at all. She continuously glanced towards the front door, feeling a nervous fear rising inside of her. She didn't want Sophia to come in, didn't want her anger to fill the house again. It felt so calm now, so quiet, so free of everything that was happening to her.

She reached over and set the remote down before she let her eyes slide shut. The house was cool and that alone managed to set her nerves at a slight ease. She felt so terribly alone sitting her on the couch by herself but it was a feeling she was used to. She had been feeling this way for awhile and all of this had managed to only increase it. When had she ever felt an immense love? When had she been comforted in someones arms? She wanted her family, wanted their assuring smiles and comforting words. But how far away were they? She didn't even know where she was at. Were they lost to her now? Was a normal life no longer possible?

The sound of Jared's boots approached the couch. She opened her eyes and sat up, turning around to face him coming towards her.

He had showered. His hair was damp and his face had a cleaner look about it. He was carrying a shirt in his hands and the black pants he wore were tucked inside the opened zipper of his boots.

She couldn't help but watch him. The way the waters sheen still clung to his skin, how droplets of water still fell to his shoulders from his hair. The afternoon light poured in from the windows and danced across his skin. He turned to a nearby table, pulled the key to her ankle chain from his pocket and set it down. She wanted to pull her gaze away from the slender build of his body but she couldn't. She kicked herself over and over but it all fell on her own deaf ears. He pulled the shirt over his head and pulled it slowly down over his chest and then his stomach. Once he was fully covered she turned away letting out the long impassioned breath she had been withholding. She told herself to stop being ridiculous, that she was just being senseless. She was captive after all and the tired desperation she was feeling was getting to her.

He came to the couch, setting himself down beside her. Her breath nearly caught in her throat and a flush rose to her cheeks at how close he was to her. He turned to face her, checking the bruising on the side of her face. Lightly he touched his fingers to her face and when she winced at it he looked remorseful.

"I'm sorry." He softly whispered.

She wasn't sure if he noticed the effect he had over her, the sweet effect that she had come to allow. She wasn't even sure what the effect was, why it was happening. Whatever it was she was straining not to welcome it, trying so much to make it go away. She wasn't supposed to be feeling this way. She didn't know him, he was a complete mystery to her and above all he was letting her be chained here. But he was different wasn't he? There was remorse there in his eyes whenever he looked at her in her captivity. He wasn't like Sophia. There was all that anger in his eyes though, a sort of terrifying anger she wasn't sure she could trust. It was no doubt directed at Samuel and she feared the outcome of this all if things didn't go as they were planned.

She pulled away from his touch carefully, not wanting to startle him. She settled back against the couch, folding her hands in her lap and tried to remove herself from the moment, from the man that was sitting beside her. But it was all so overwhelming.

"Elena..." He softly breathed out her name. It was the first time he had spoken it and the way it danced off his lips sounded so beautiful. She tried to block out the sound of it, the sweet way it filled her ears.

She risked looking at him, into those deep eyes surprised her every time she looked into them. She didn't dare speak in fear that nothing she said would come out right, in fear that her voice would barely be able to have sound.

"We're going to get you home." He said it like a promise, one that seemed so unlikely for him to be able to keep. He was only a pawn in all of this, much more higher up than herself perhaps but his part in all this wasn't as it seemed.

She wanted to believe it so much. She wanted to tell him that whenever he chose to release her if he could instead take her to her family. She didn't want to go back to Samuel, the thought of suffering away like that again was too much. But she held her tongue. She felt so frustrated and helpless. So alone and tired. And feeling all these all these ridiculous things for Jared managed to take their toll.

"Why are you doing this? What's in it for you?" She instantly regretted the snapping tone of her voice but she also couldn't hide it anymore. The yearning to know what she had been thrusted into. What she was being tortured this way for.

Heavily he sighed and lowered his head, pushing back his damp hair with his fingers. He was trying to come up with something to say, something that would soften her anger towards him because he found that he couldn't bear it.

"Your husband....he's the DA. Powerful, rich, smart...and a murderer." His eyes sharpened as he looked at her. The anger flashed in his gaze again, piercing with his words.

She hadn't been prepared to hear that. It came as a shock to her. "What are you talking about?" She asked.

He stood up, letting out another breath and turned his back to her. The memories were likely swimming in his head, making every word he said harder and harder to let out.

"A couple of years ago, Sophia's brother was tried for murder....your husband, the DA got him convicted and sentenced to death row. He was executed....he was innocent." He looked back at her, the confession welling up in his eyes. He knew that Elena had nothing at all to do with it but this was the only way to make the man pay. Take something from him the way he had taken from Sophia.

Elena held his gaze as she tried to process his words. It wasn't true. It couldn't be true. Samuel was a lot of things but a murderer didn't seem exactly likely. Besides if he got the conviction didn't that mean Sophia's brother had indeed been guilty?

"What if he wasn't innocent?" She asked, standing up as well.

He shook his head. "Planted evidence? Ignored alibis?" He remembered when Sophia had finally confessed all of this to him. It hadn't been that long ago. He hadn't known she once had a brother and the thought that she was suffering angered him nearly to the point of madness.

She looked away as tears began to build in her eyes. She couldn't bear the thought of Samuel doing something so horrible but what had she to do with it? Two years ago she hadn't even been with him.

"He did it." Jared stated, so harshly final.

She looked up at him, the tears finally dancing away from her lashes. "And what do I have to do with any of this?" She questioned desperately, her voice so weak it maddened her.

It took a moment but as he held her eyes his own gaze began to soften. Her tears falling killed him. He took a step towards her, his movements becoming unsure. "Nothing." He whispered defeated.

She just stood there, unable to look away from him. Her tears slid over her lips and blurred her gaze but still he hadn't moved. He remained there, his breath sweet on her skin. There was something in his eyes then that scared her, a delicacy that she wasn't prepared for. And yet it also allured her, called out to the part of her that was yearning for a man to look at her in such a way.

He lifted his hands and took hold of her face gently. His thumbs wiped at the tears staining her cheeks. "You have nothing to do with this." He lowered himself, his breath getting closer and the feeling of his presence both overwhelming and completely intoxicating. She hesitated but her hands went up, her fingers lightly touching to his chest. He was going to kiss her, his eyes held hers without the intention of letting her go. His lips barely brushed against hers before he pulled away, breaking the moment entirely.

She felt so vulnerable without him near her. Her heart was beating so loudly she could feel it in her ears. Her fingers could still feel his chest beneath them, her face was still showered with the sweetness of his breath. She could only imagine how his kiss would have felt, how intoxicating it would have been. But he had pulled away and was more silent than before, far more removed.

"Jared..." She called out his name but just when she did they both heard a car driving up to the house.

His eyes shot to her before he reached out and took hold of her hand. He led her quickly to the room, grabbing the key as he did and carefully set her on the bed. He knelt down, locking the chain at her ankle. For a moment his touch lingered on the skin of her leg and she nearly sighed at the feel of it. He stood up hurriedly though and rushed to the door. He glanced at her, his eyes a storm of building emotions. He closed the door before either of them could say a word , locking it and leaving her alone.