Page 27 of Night Fury
Luke moved toward Johanna like a lion whose cage had been opened—wary if what he could see was real, but courageous enough to find out. He sat down, his back against the wall, mirroring her stance while he propped one foot on the cushion and left the other on the floor. Then he held out his hand to her.
She was startled at first, but then she looked from his hand up into his eyes. There were no questions there, no doubt or fear, nothing but absolute certainty. And that certainty, that assurance that he had in not only her but in them had her closing her fingers around his and allowing herself to be drawn into his lap.
Johanna rested her head against his chest, peering out of the window while he wrapped his arms around her. She clasped onto his arm with both of hers. With a simple embrace he had separated her from the scared scrap of a being she had been. Now she felt at peace. Treasured. At home.
Luke didn’t say anything, and neither did she for a while. They simply were. Then something in her changed, and she realized this was how she wanted them to be. She desired this,cravedthis, but she couldn’t keep it if she didn’t let go of the ugly monster in her heart.
“I wish we would have been like this before,” Johanna said, eyes fixed on the moon-bathed garden.
“So do I,” Luke said, and they both sighed.
“Luke, I…” Johanna took a deep breath and fitted herself closer, snuggling into his warmth. “I’m scared to tell you about what I’ve gone through before, but I know I have to if I want you to understand me and why I’m like this. Can I?”
He kissed her head. “You can always talk to me about anything you want. I want to get to know you, sunflower, and it means a lot to me that you’re willing to let me.”
A retort started to form in Johanna mind, telling her that he wouldn’t want to hear this story, but she bit it back. Taking another deep breath, she began.
“I lived in a small town as a child. I was a big girl, even at that age, and that made me the butt of every joke and bullied by everyone: boys and girls, even their parents.”
Luke tightened his arms around her.
“It hurt. They weren’t just cruel to me, but also to my loved ones. They assumed that they were neglectful of me and my health since I was the only one like this.” Johanna waved her hand over her body. “I never fought them. I never said anything. I remember some people stood up for me at first, but as time went on and we all grew up it became just me on my own.”
Luke’s hand moved along her back, trying to erase the tension in her spine.
“I let in anyone who wanted to be a part of my life. I dedicated myself to them. I thought having someone was better than having no one, and it didn’t matter if they only kept me around because I fulfilled a need for them, or that I was a second option. I just … I didn’t want to feel alone anymore. That continued through college. There, I…”
She swallowed hard, trying to fight back the anxiety clawing at her throat. Luke’s arms tightened around her, reminding her that she wasn’t alone, that she didn’t need to drown in her memories.
She breathed, then whispered, “I was … sexually assaulted by the man I was dating.”
“What?” Luke said, his arms tightening even more.
“Luke—”
“Who was it, Johanna?”
She could feel him shaking around her, and when she looked into his eyes, they were red, furious. “Luke, you can’t hurt him,” she said gently, squeezing his arm.
“Like hell I can’t. Give me his name, Johanna, right now.”
She smiled despite the memory and his murderous intent. “Luke, as a vampire you’re forbidden from killing humans, remember?”
“He hurtyou,” Luke hissed.
Johanna brushed her fingers over his cheek. “He did, but I took care of it.”
“What?”
“If you let me finish my story, I’ll tell you how.”
Johanna watched him weigh his options. His muscles were still tense and his eyes still bright red, so she knew she hadn’t convinced him to let this go.
“I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you, especially not because of me,” Johanna whispered as she caressed his skin. “Please.”
Luke rested his head back against the wall and blew out a harsh breath. With it, some of the tension left his body and when he looked at her again, his eyes were almost back to normal.
“Thank you.”
