Safe & Sound

14

"Cyfrin?" Amena asked, looking up from her phone. She moved closer to him.

"Yes, baby?" He looked up from the book in front of him. He was on her bed leaning against the headboard. The book was propped on his bent legs.

"Emma's friend said that she would Venmo me if I made her a painting. What does that mean?"

Cyfrin smiled, closing his book. "It's an app to transfer money."

"So I'll have to have a bank account?" she questioned, turning off her phone. "I don't have one of those."

"Yes, you do," he said.

"What?" she asked.

"I opened one in your name when you started living with me."

"Why would you do that?" she whispered.

"I wasn't sure what was going to happen at first," he admitted. "If you had decided you wanted to leave, I knew you would need some money, money that shouldn't be tied to me. I put back a little bit for you everytime I get paid. It's not much."

Amena bit her bottom lip to stop it from wobbling. She couldn't believe he put money aside for her. He always bought her everything she had ever needed, but this was different.

This was her deep and profound understanding that this beautiful man would be everything she ever needed.

"Don't cry," he whispered. He sat up, taking her phone and setting it on the nightstand.

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her down on top of him. She couldn't stop the sudden laugh at the jostle.

"That's much better," he said, trapping her in place with his legs. He lifted the corner of her lips with his index finger. "You are absolutely stunning when you smile."

Amena wasn't able to say anything back, but she did wrap her arms up tight around him.

"It's awesome that Emma and Xavier got you another person who wants a custom painting," Cyfrin said after a moment.

"It makes me nervous," Amena said back. "It just feels so real."

"It's okay to be nervous." His hand coasted down her back in a repeated soothing motion. "I know that you are going to do amazing, and pretty soon you'll have a whole line of people waiting for your art."

"You're so sweet," she said. She lifted her head to press her lips to his. "I'm so thankful for you and everything you've done for me."

"I absolutely adore you," he said against her lips.

"You saved my life."

Amena kissed his cheek.

He used his legs to flip her on her back with a bounce. She gasped at the sudden motion, the soft sound becoming unstoppable giggles.

Cyfrin hovered over her, lowering himself onto his arms so he could kiss her hard. She felt unsure of what to do, but he picked up one of her hands and placed it on the back of his head. She tangled her fingers through his soft hair.

Her body felt heated and tingly, and she felt her cheeks darken at how close their bodies were.

She moved her hand away, and Cyfrin pressed his lips to her cheek.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly.

She felt her chest heave, and she squeezed her eyes shut.

"I don't-" She didn't know how to continue, feeling extremely embarrassed by how little knowledge she knew about anything. It made her feel immature and unworthy of Cyfrin.

"It's okay, Amena." His hand stroked her cheek, coaxing her to open her eyes to look at him. "You don't have to be embarrassed, baby. I didn't mean to overwhelm you."

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "You must want-"

"I don't want anything but for you to be safe and comfortable around me," he interrupted.

She felt tears behind her eyes, and he helped her sit up. He took her blanket, wrapping it around her shoulders and pulling her close to him. She dropped her head on his chest.

"I'm so sorry," he said.

It took her a moment to look up at him. He dried her damp cheeks.

"It's not you, Cyfrin." She leaned up for a kiss, trying to ease the frown lines on his handsome features. "I just don't understand this, the feelings I have. It makes feel inferior."

She felt way better admitting that to him knowing that he would always console her worst fears.

She loved him. She hadn't loved anybody before, but she truly did love him. She couldn't ask for anything more than this amazing man.

"About the sex?" he asked after a moment.

She nodded. Her whole life she had been kept away from the world. She didn't watch TV, and she had read the same three books that were meant for kids in middle school.

She wished she had a mom to talk to about this stuff.

"You're not inferior," Cyfrin said. "It's not your fault that you don't know. I realize how difficult this must be for you to grapple with. It's something I didn't think about before, and I am sorry."

She wrapped her arms around him, pressing her face to his chest. He kissed her forehead.

"I don't feel like you should be learning about sex from me," he mumbled after a moment. "Why don't I talk to Emma?"

Amena sighed. That was going to be so awkward, but she trusted Cyfrin to make the right choice.