APOV

"My mother Carla died during childbirth. She had a heart defect no one detected, so her heart gave out during delivery leaving my dad, Ray to raise me. He was the most kind and loving father a girl could ever ask for. He was a former Marine but after my mother passed away, he retired and went into the carpeting business with a friend. Just a week after I turned 12, he died in a car crash on the way home." I feel the tears beginning again and I try to keep them at bay, but to no avail. I wipe them away and Christian rubs my hand, showing me he's here to support me. "In his will, Dad left me to be cared for by his business partner Isaac Belford. For the first year he was nice, but something changed. He started drinking and that's when he started abusing me. He would come home and beat me if I didn't have things done in the house like the clothing washed or supper made. He never beat me enough to show bruises on my face. He, thankfully, never raped me. He told me if I would tell anyone, no one would believe me and no one cared about me. I was naïve, or stupid, and thought he was right because that's what kids do: they believe adults. He didn't let me watch T.V. or movies. He never celebrated any holidays either. I stayed away from the house for as long as I could so I escaped to the library. I read every book in that building, going there after school to do homework and read before running home to prepare his meal. I tried to run away so many times I lost count. But every time I tried, he or his friend John Marist would catch me then I would be beaten again. One day he came home and beat me for not fixing something I had no idea was broken. He kicked me in the ribs and broke them. That night I was determined to tell someone about him. But life can be funny sometimes." I wipe my eyes once more before looking to the fire. I haven't told anyone about my past besides Roberta. I don't want pity. I want understanding. "The next morning I found out I couldn't speak. I thought I had lost my voice from some illness but as the days past, I knew something was wrong. I eventually read about mutism and found out I have elective mutism. It is caused by a traumatic event so you can guess what that was," I mouth trying to make it sound humorous. "That made things worse. When Isaac would beat me, I couldn't cry out and he would say things like 'Who wants a stupid, ugly mute bitch?' Somehow I managed to convince my teachers I had disease where I lost my voice, but I was still a good student. I even took the SAT and the ACT and got a 2375 and a 34, which are almost perfect scores as you know. I knew my only way out of that hellhole was through college and I knew Mom and Dad would have saved me some money to send me. But again life kind of sucks sometimes. I found out later Isaac had forged my signature on a document and he took all the money my parents had saved for me. I knew I was going to have to escape somehow. The night I turned 20 I waited until he was passed out and I tied him to his bed and hid his phone. I grabbed what I could and ran. I walked and walked until I ended up in Seattle. I looked in papers for jobs, but it's hard to get a job when you can't talk. I finally found a job as a seamstress for a woman named Roberta Montoya. After I explained to her my past, she let me live in her house with her two young sons. But the economy hit her hard and she had to shut down her shop. I also couldn't live with her anymore since she needed to feed her kids. So with the money I had I had to get food and a place to sleep so I spent what I had on hotel rooms. After that dried up, I moved to the streets. I had been homeless for almost a year, going from shelter to shelter, before I was abducted. I don't want your pity Christian. I just want your understanding."

"Oh Ana," he states as he pulls me into his lap wrapping his arms around my middle. I lean my head into the crook of his neck and take delight in his touch and his manly smell as the tears continue falling down my face. "I do understand you and I do not pity you. My heart bleeds for you that such an innocent, wonderful, kind, loving and beautiful person like you had to go through such hell." We sit in silence listening to the crackling of the fire. He rubs my back as my tears slow, but I never want to let him go. I shouldn't be doing this, I shouldn't invade his personal space and be filling his head with my baggage, but it's so nice to talk to a person who has had a crappy past who would understand the struggle of getting to trust someone again. Once the tears have stopped, I pull back to look into his caring eyes, but he keeps an arm wrapped around me.

"What are your nightmares usually about?"

"They're either about the pimp burning me or seeing my mother and Natasha die. What was yours about?"

"It started out good: we were shopping like this morning and then you all suddenly disappeared. Then Isaac showed up and started beating me again."

"Well I'm not going anywhere. And neither are the others. I promise." He moves his hand up towards my face. I still flinch on instinct but he gingerly cups my face and I lean into his touch. "I know it's just instinct for you to move away from my touch, but I swear I will never hurt you Ana."

"Thank you." I move my hand and place it over his heart. He stiffens under my touch but soon relaxes. I look into his eyes for clarification to why he would become rigid with me touching him.

"I have Haphephobia, the fear of being touched. It's not as bad now, but it still doesn't feel right having people touch me on my chest or back. It used to feel like my body was on fire." I remove my hand quickly and try to get out of his lap.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't be touching you like this then. I'm sorry if I hurt you." But instead he tightens his grip and pulls me further into his lap. He runs his hand from my shoulder down to my hand and places it back on his chest.

"When you touch me Ana, it feels fine. I feel nothing, no burning or stinging. I just feel the warmth of your hand. I don't know why, I'm planning on bringing it up in my session with Flynn on Monday."

"You gave everyone hugs today. Did it hurt then?"

"It didn't hurt. It felt, weird. It's still something I'm working on." He raises his hand and rubs my face again and I just revel in his touch. No man since Ray has had such a tender touch. "If you ever have another nightmare, feel free to wake me up and we can play the piano together. I play when I can't sleep so when I heard you playing, I knew something was wrong."

"Sorry if I woke you. I was trying to be quiet."

"You didn't wake me. I woke on my own. I had the feeling something wasn't right." He leans up and kisses my forehead before leaning his lips against it. I close my eyes, basking in his soft lips. I suddenly feel very tired, feeling the warmth of his body mixed with the warmth radiating from the fire. "Do you want to go back to bed?" I shake my head no, but I know we should so he can get some decent sleep. He leans forward and pushes a hidden button. The foot of the couch extends some, making a pull out couch of sorts. He grabs the throw pillows and lies back so we're facing each other with the blanket covering us both. I look into his silver eyes.

"Do you have any pictures of your parents?"

"No. I didn't get to grab any when I ran away from Isaac. I wish I had grabbed at least their wedding album." A minute of silence passes between us as we continue to bore into each others eyes. "Why aren't you married, if you don't mind me asking?"

"My last serious girlfriend thought I was too clingy and too protective. She was before I started working on saving the sex slaves. I never told anyone besides Flynn about my past so that's maybe why she thought I was needy."

"I don't think you're needy at all, nor clingy, or overly protective. You're a man with a heart of gold. You're a billionaire who could be ignoring the misfortunate and grasping your wealth with iron fists. You could have let your past turned you into a bitter person, full of hate and contempt. But you're a caring CEO who focuses on making the world a better place and giving lowly people like me a second chance. For the first time in a long time, I felt pretty today and that was thanks to you." He looks at me like he wants to say something but instead kisses my nose and then kisses my forehead before pulling me into his strong arms.

"Goodnight Ana, you wonderful, beautiful woman, who has brought so much light into my life."

"Goodnight Christian," I mouth with a smile on my face.

Sunday Christian and I spent hanging around the house with Jason and Gail and working on more songs in the books he gave me. We've gotten to know each other more and I'm beginning to trust him more as days past. This morning I woke up to see him off to work. Since he has a session with Flynn tonight, he and Jason will be home later.

"Ana," Gail says sweetly coming into the library. "I'm going out to get groceries. Will you be okay staying here by yourself?"

"Yes I'll be fine thank you Gail. Be careful," I lip with a smile.

"Okay I'll be back in an hour or so." I hear the elevator arrive and listen as she leaves. I love her motherly concern and I haven't scared her at all since Christian bought my charm bracelet. I quickly dive back into Jane Eyre. I become so lost in Charlotte Bronte's world I barely hear the elevator arrive. Thinking it's Christian, I spring from my chair and start to head into the kitchen until I hear a voice.

"Okay we have to be fast, he'll be back soon," comes the deep voice from a man out of my sight. Clutching my bracelet to me to quiet my bell, I run silently into Christian's room and soundlessly shut his door. I grab one of his pillows to protect myself if need be. I open his closet door and jam myself behind his suit jackets. Shutting the door behind me, I silently pray Christian will return soon before the men find me.