I slowly sat back up and swung my legs around and got off the table, as I stood I stumbled, Edward caught me and carried me to my bedroom upstairs.
"Rest a while my love, it has been a very eventful day, myself and Katie will clear up everything," Edward said to me in a loving tone.
Edward took me upstairs to my bedroom and laid me carefully onto the bed, he stayed with me and held me close until I was a sleep.
I woke up several hours later, the house was silent, Edward was not in the room and there was no sound in the house. I got up slowly off the bed, put my robe on and went to the window, if I did not have a clock in the room, I would have thought it was dawn, but it was 5 in the evening and the sun was setting. I slowly closed the dark blue velvet curtains and returned to sit on the bed. The cuts pulling on my back with every move I made, my whole body ached.
I opened the door to my bedroom and walked tentatively down the stairs and into the lounge, there was no sign of the events that had happened there hours before and still no sign of anyone around.
I sat on the couch and turned on the television to watch the news. I curled my knees up and laid back on the couch and started to drift off to sleep again. Moments later I was awoken by a noise in the kitchen, I slowly got to my feet and crept toward the door of the kitchen. I opened it slightly and could see the shape of a man standing by the refrigerator facing away from the door. I had no idea who it was, I slowly made my way into the kitchen, there was a knife on the side near the door that I picked up and wielded like some mad woman about to stab someone. I raised the knife above my head slowly and moved further into the room, the man turned and I closed my eyes while bringing the knife down quickly.
I felt a hand grab my wrist that was holding the knife, I slowly opened my eyes and that is when I noticed, it was Rich.
"What are you doing Cara, its only me silly," he side with shock in his voice, but then a slight smile.
"Oh my god, Rich, I am so sorry, I didn't know who it was and after last night, well, I didn't want anyone surprising me," I said as I put the knife on the kitchen counter shakily.
"I understand," he said pulling me a little closer, "I stayed last night to make sure you where ok, and I hate to admit it, but, I was staying with John, and, well, I can't exactly go back there."
"Of course, you can stay here for as long as you like, but I must warn you, I don't think I will be here myself for much longer. My husband is due back in a few days and my Master has told me he wants no other man to touch me in a sexual way unless he says so."
"But where will you go?" Rich asked looking at me with soft eyes.
"I have no idea, I am sure my Master will sort out a place for me," I replied looking down.
Rich pulled me closer and ran a hand softly over my cheek while looking into my eyes lovingly.
"Would your Master think this contact was sexual in anyway?"
"I don't think so," I replied blushing slightly.
"Then what about this," he whispered leaning in more and kissing me softly.
I closed my eyes as he kissed me, his hand now softly holding my neck at the back, my raven hair cascading down over the back of my robe. My heart fluttered as my hands caressed his back softly.
He withdrew from the kiss for me to answer his question.
"I am not sure," I replied breathless.
"Then that will be as far as I push you, I would not want you to be punished again," he said letting me go and smiling lovingly at me.
I slowly walked away from him, my hands slowly slid down his back as I stepped away from him, my heart still fluttering like a butterfly. I took a depth breath and made us both a hot drink before we both went back to the living room and sat on the couch together. Rich took the remote for the TV and turned it off. We sat in complete silence for a while before Rich started talking.
"So," he said and then paused, I looked up at him, "can I ask, why a ghost?"
"I am not sure, he showed himself to me, we talked for a while before telling me he was a sexual person in life before his life was taken suddenly. He offered me something that I was not getting, and I guess I took it without questioning it really," I replied to him before taking another sip of my tea.
"Aren't you scared that he may find someone else once you get too old and just move onto the next person?" Rich asked looking at me directly.
"I hadn't even thought about that, I guess he will move on once I have got too old for all this, he has eternity to do all this, I only have a few short years really compared to the time he has," I replied as I lowered my head, feeling a little saddened.
I hadn't even thought about it before now, he would eventually grow tired of me, and my body would grow tired, I know that everything was great at the moment, but I would grow older and my body would not be able to take some of the punishments that Edward would ask me to do for him. I felt slightly scared thinking about this and I did not notice a small tear running down my cheek that Rich wiped away.
"Don't be sad Cara, I am sure everything will be al-right," he said leaning in and taking me into his arms.
I leant against his chest and laid in his arms, he stroked my hair as I laid there, it had a calming effect on me, I began to close my eyes and my breathing began to calm down more. I started to drift back off slowly to sleep, I felt him take my cup out of my hand and he lay me down further onto the couch. I did not sleep for long, I was awoken buy voices coming from the hallway.
I slowly got up from the couch and headed out of the door of the living room and headed for the hallway. It was Katie and Rich. Katie had pinned him to the wall and wasn't letting him go, I hid myself around the corner to listen in on what they where saying.
"I think you have another reason for being here, not just cause you have no where else to go, I think you are here because you want her, you want her for yourself," Katie said in his face.
"I want nothing of the sort, I am only here to make sure her cuts heal, then I will be looking for somewhere else to go. All I care about is her well being," he replied trying to get out of her hold.
"Come on, you really think I was born yesterday, she is one hell of a beautiful woman, any man would want her and any woman come to that, I know I want her, Edward wants her. I bet deep down in your heart you want the same, I wouldn't blame you, just own up to it and I will let you go," Katie said struggling to keep him where he was.
"I do want her, I want her more than anything in this world," Rich answered as he stopped fighting her, "But I am not about to let her know my feelings for her, she has way too much to deal with as it is. So I will keep my feelings hidden from her, it will be hard for me, but it will be so much easier for her if she did not know."
Katie gave a slight sigh and let him go, I started to back away and headed back to the couch, once again I lay down and made it appear that I was asleep as they walked in. Katie headed for the kitchen, while Rich sat on the edge of the sofa and watched me breathing, I wanted to open my eyes and smile at him, but then I heard Edwards voice coming from the kitchen, he was talking to Katie.
"How does she seem to you? I hope she is feeling better after her rest," Edward enquired.
"I don't know," Katie replied, "she has been asleep all the time I have been here, your best asking Rich.
"Rich?" I heard Edward say in a whisper, "can you come in here please."
I felt Rich leave the couch and I let one eye open slightly and I saw him headed into the kitchen.
"How is she Rich?" Edward asked as soon as he entered.
"Exhausted, fragile and worried," Rich answered in a soft tone.
"Worried?, worried about what?" Katie replied in a questioning tone.
"We talked a little earlier, she is worried that her body will grow old and she will not be able to carry on this way for as long as Edward wants, she is scared that you will leave her Edward."
"I feared as much, I know I will be here for longer than anyone, and yes, she will grow old like everyone else, but I shall still be in love with her, but yes, there will be a time that her body will be too old and weak for these attentions that I pay on her. I also think that I would look for another," Edward replied in a soft tone which sounded a slight bit saddened.
"But isn't that unfair on her? I mean, surely, you would want her to be happy. Why not let her fall in love with another," Katie said.
I was so surprised that Katie had said this and not Rich, maybe she too wanted me to fall in love with her.