Sorry for the delay in updating and for how short this is... I hope you enjoy!
He loved her. He loved her so much he didn't know what he'd do without her, and not just in a lustful, sexual way. He loved her with a love so deep that he didn't know how to express it; the desire to take her in his arms and hold her until any pain or sadness snaked its way out of her body and left them blissfully happy.
He thought about that as he watched her sleep. Grey clouds made the room dark and miserable, but her toned skin shone like a light that couldn't be extinguished. She was the light of his world, literally and metaphorically. Together, they could face anything. However scary it seemed. She squirmed in his arms as it became closer to 'waking up time'. She pushed herself into his chest, burrowing her way to safety.
He'd convinced her to take some time off. He'd wrangled some as well. There was no rush, they could spend all day in bed if that was what she wanted. Max was just glad that she'd finally got some sleep, finally got to escape the cruelty and darkness of the world for a few short hours.
She woke up and smiled, briefly forgetting her torment. She was reminded of it, however, from the sharp pain from between her legs. She tried to conceal it, tried to spare Max the pain of seeing her hurting, but he saw it and kissed her gently, trying and slightly succeeding, to rid her of it.
They stayed cuddled up in the silence, listening to the rain beating down on the roof of the apartment for what seemed like eternity. Zoe was glad that when she finally got up and made her way over to the window, the rain had drastically reduced the number of people outside. The streets were bare; Max had become the one person in her world. And he was the only person she needed.
She couldn't face going out. Not today. She had to keep living, keep pressing forward, but maybe not today. Her body felt cold and lonely without Max and dressed in his red T-shirt, she went round the apartment looking for him. She found him in the kitchen, trying to make a salad.
The mess and chaos that surrounded him, even doing such a simple task made her smile "What's all this mess?" She asked him cheekily "Well, you know, all the best chefs…" he trailed off, unable to think of a suitable excuse. But it didn't matter, she collapsed into his strong arms and let his embrace secure her, build her up and make her feel loved.
"Zo… Do you think you should tell someone, about, well, you know…" He wasn't sure if this was a good thing to suggest. In fact, he was fairly sure it wasn't. But he was determined to look after her and do the right thing and if that meant putting himself in the firing line, then so be it.
"What? The police?" He nodded silently, concerned at the disgusted expression she had on her face. "And what are they going to do? Take this away?" There were tears forming in her eyes and Max kissed the top of her head, reminding her that he was there to support her, not push her. "No, of course not. But you know who did it. If the police know, they can catch him, stop him doing this to someone else" She shook her head silently. "Maybe another time, not now. Not now." She told him. He nodded his head in acknowledgment. He knew that the next few days were important for her to get over what had happened and baby steps were the way forward.
He took her hand as he led her over to the table and placed a plate of slightly random salad in front of her. She picked at a few of the leaves, politely thanked him for making an effort, but wasn't generally hungry. He watched and sighed as she walked away into the bedroom.
I hope you enjoyed it :) Thanks for all your lovely reviews. I'll try to update soon.