Chapter 81 - - 81 : The unchanging heart
Matthias felt himself grow enraged at her words. His hand came up behind her head, grasping her hair tight in his hand.
He wanted to make her afraid, to intimidate her once more to submission. He wanted her to look at him and know that he could destroy her beneath him without having to lift a finger.
He wanted to see her cry and beg for his mercy before he'd callously toss her aside like the trash his mother sees them as!
But when he imagined that all happening, he couldn't help the sinking feeling in his gut. His grasp on her loosened up, losing his will to do those terrible things to her.
Instead, he pulled her closer, pulling her up flush against his warmth. He cradled her in a gentle way, and Leyla went along with no resistance. He knew she told him she wouldn't disobey him any further, but something was unsettling by how easily she always complied with his wishes.
He then stood up from their seat, and carried her towards the bed, gently placing her down over the covers. He tucked a stray lock behind her ear, and kept her gaze on him as he took off her clothing one by one; her shawl, her coat, were the first to go.
Somewhere in losing her clothes, Leyla's eyes wandered all around the room once more, refusing to keep eye contact with him. She resembled a doll, with her strings cut off. She knew by the way her sight blurred he'd taken off her glasses, then the chill bit her fingers as her gloves were taken off as well.
She gasped when he gently interlocked their bare hands together, making her look back at him in shock. He then gathered her in his arms, seeing the way the goosebumps ran up her arms once the coldness returned.
Leyla looked back at his deep blue eyes, and felt a different kind of warmth fill her as he stared at her with those tender eyes she'd seen him look with before. Her heart fluttered at the knowledge it was now directed at her, filling her with an odd sense of relief.
Matthias held themselves together, content at their current contact as he busied himself with keeping her warm. Leyla wanted to look away from him again, but found herself unable to. She was drawn to him. She'd always been drawn to him.
She could feel the blood rush to her cheeks the longer they kept eye contact, filling her pale face with a healthy complexion once more. Matthias found himself so captivated by her, he'd let go of her hand, making her gasp.