Editing Devil His Due, Part 2
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“Thank you,” I breathed when he let up on the acupressure. My thighs trembled from the strain of lying still and as I recovered I thought back to Osiris and Delilah drawing Mike off for a moment alone. And wondered again if perhaps she’d done something more with Mike than simply talk. Given the good she did for him, did it matter if she had? Given what Christian was able to do with just his fingers on my foot, pursuing the program I’d agreed to, did it likewise matter what he did to me so long as we arrived at our goal?<br> | “Thank you,” I breathed when he let up on the acupressure. My thighs trembled from the strain of lying still and as I recovered I thought back to Osiris and Delilah drawing Mike off for a moment alone. And wondered again if perhaps she’d done something more with Mike than simply talk. Given the good she did for him, did it matter if she had? Given what Christian was able to do with just his fingers on my foot, pursuing the program I’d agreed to, did it likewise matter what he did to me so long as we arrived at our goal?<br> | ||
I thought back to Mike’s words—''Ask for help. Take it when it’s offered.''—and was torn. The nature of the help and the form it took...that was the cause of my unease and I admit I took the coward’s way out. I lay there and did nothing, and waited for whatever would happen next.<br> | I thought back to Mike’s words—''Ask for help. Take it when it’s offered.''—and was torn. The nature of the help and the form it took...that was the cause of my unease and I admit I took the coward’s way out. I lay there and did nothing, and waited for whatever would happen next.<br> | ||
| − | “So... | + | “So...You father didn’t mind?” I thought of my parents and their relationship. However extravagant my mother was, no matter her highs and lows as an operatic prima donna, infidelity was a line she refused to cross. And had my father crossed it, it would have been over between them.<br> |
Christian’s hands stilled and I lifted my head off the pillow. His eyes roamed from my foot to my face, taking in my body language, my expression. I wondered what he saw there. Shock? Disbelief? Puzzlement? I felt them all and being the lousy liar that I am, I’m certain most of it showed.<br> | Christian’s hands stilled and I lifted my head off the pillow. His eyes roamed from my foot to my face, taking in my body language, my expression. I wondered what he saw there. Shock? Disbelief? Puzzlement? I felt them all and being the lousy liar that I am, I’m certain most of it showed.<br> | ||
“No,” he said, his fingers moving again, tracing the lines of the bones on the top of my foot. Feathery touches. “My father had his lovers as well. They shared lovers, sometimes together. Sometimes apart. They love each other. They know they love each other. They understand their dedication to each other and are confident in it.”<br> | “No,” he said, his fingers moving again, tracing the lines of the bones on the top of my foot. Feathery touches. “My father had his lovers as well. They shared lovers, sometimes together. Sometimes apart. They love each other. They know they love each other. They understand their dedication to each other and are confident in it.”<br> | ||
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Christian sat silent for a long moment. Processing. Thinking. Watching. Feeling.<br> | Christian sat silent for a long moment. Processing. Thinking. Watching. Feeling.<br> | ||
“When you are better,” he said, answering my proposal. “When you aren’t on any drugs for the pain in that shoulder. When we aren’t marooned on a world underneath a fleet of cannibals. Come to me. Talk to me again.” He rose to his feet. “And then we’ll make a decision. Okay?”<br> | “When you are better,” he said, answering my proposal. “When you aren’t on any drugs for the pain in that shoulder. When we aren’t marooned on a world underneath a fleet of cannibals. Come to me. Talk to me again.” He rose to his feet. “And then we’ll make a decision. Okay?”<br> | ||
| − | The abyss opened | + | The abyss opened beneath me, the entire universe wheeling within it, all balanced on that one word. Dare I take that leap of faith and launch myself forward?<br> |
| − | ''Ask for help. Take it when it’s offered,'' Mike’s voice whispered inside me, his drawl growing stronger. ''What do you need to say ‘yes’, Irina? A gorram engraved invitation?''<br> | + | ''Ask for help. Take it when it’s offered,'' Mike’s voice whispered inside me, his drawl growing stronger with each word. ''What do you need to say ‘yes’, Irina? A gorram engraved invitation?''<br> |
I thought back to that night in my cabin when I’d kissed Mike and he’d gone still, of the expression in his eyes when I dared look at him. At the time, I’d thought I’d understood what it had meant. Now I knew better.<br> | I thought back to that night in my cabin when I’d kissed Mike and he’d gone still, of the expression in his eyes when I dared look at him. At the time, I’d thought I’d understood what it had meant. Now I knew better.<br> | ||
''Please, God, don’t let me fail...''<br> | ''Please, God, don’t let me fail...''<br> | ||
| − | “Okay,” I said. “Okay.” | + | “Okay,” I said. “Okay.”<br> |
| − | + | '''Go to'''[[Devil His Due|''' ''Devil His Due, Part 1'' ''']] | |
| − | + | <br> | |
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| − | '''Go | ||
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'''Go to''' [[Marina Kseniya Sebastien | '''Rina's Crew Page''']] <br> | '''Go to''' [[Marina Kseniya Sebastien | '''Rina's Crew Page''']] <br> | ||
| − | '''Go to [[EPISODES]]''' or '''[[ | + | '''Go to [[EPISODES]]''' or '''[[Mutineers Timeline, Season One| TIMELINE]], Season One''' |
