The Knight in Leather Armor

ch.43 Inside out

I took in a sharp breath and jolted up. I was in my bed. Harry was sitting on the edge, stroking my hair softly.

“Angie? Are you ok?” he asked as I took deep breaths, trying to calm my heaving chest.

I nodded slowly. Then I grabbed his arm and pulled him close to me and kissed his chest over and over, until my lips felt sore.

Harry moved back, slightly surprised at my sudden compulsion.

“Angie, what’s wrong?” he asked and he stroked my cheek gently, trying to coax an answer out of me.

“I have to protect your heart.” I said as I leaned in to his chest again.

He took my face in his hands.

“Angie, what are you talking about?” he asked with even more worry.

“Your heart, Harry! I have to protect it” I told him again.

Harry searched my eyes, trying to find some logical reasoning, but there was nothing logical about me.

“My heart is safe and sound” he told me softly as he took my hand and placed it over his chest. I felt his heart beat rising as I carefully moved my hand around his chest.

I felt my own heart calm down as I realized he was ok and my imagination was taking the best of me yet again.

“You have my heart, Angela, you took it a long time ago” he reminded me with a gentle smile.

I nodded, but I still wanted to make sure so I opened the top buttons of his jacket and kissed his chest again and again.

Harry pulled me even closer to his chest, fitting me protectively to his body.

I felt his pulse thickening against my lips as I kissed along his neck. His blood was inside him, not outside. As long as it was inside, I was ok.

***       

We heard the front door click open and Danny’s heavy footsteps rounded the stairs. Harry eased me back under the covers and knelt down beside my bed.

“How is she?” Danny asked, slightly out of breath. He was worried about me and he didn’t like to show worry in the form of fear, that’s why he always yelled at me.

“She’s doing better” Harry told him.

Danny leaned close to my bed and took my hand in his colossal one.

“Angie,” he called softly. His voice grew very quiet. I leaned up in bed and watched him carefully.

Harry must have known Danny was going to say something personal so he left the room.

“Angie, you’re going to be ok,” he told me, but he sounded like he was trying to reassure himself more than me.

“It’s going to be ok,” he repeated quietly. I nodded and my eyes closed once more as I drifted to the in between once more.

***

I woke up the next morning feeling completely drained of every thought and emotion that had been burning and drowning me.

I took off my clothes and stepped into the shower, wanting to cleanse myself completely of my tears and fears and everything in between.

My body trembled faintly.

The fiery heat of the water calm and awakened my body. It tingled down my spine. Wrapped its possessive fingers around me. And whispered my name through a mist of my sweat and tears.

I closed my eyes, letting the water take me to a better place, a purer place where there was only happiness without the pain. Hope without failure.