122

After our physical exertion, we lay down on Hektor's wide, black sofa and were silent for a while, while we both seemed mentally caught up in ourselves.

I'm worried. Worried about what could happen next and still, I was more than happy to be able to sit right here next to her.

I gently stroked the skin of her arm again and again with my fingers and was fascinated by the goosebumps that I triggered in her with my tentative touches, until she turned around slightly and her beaming smile warmed my heart.

"I love you," she breathed into the silence between us and I immediately leaned over to steal a loving kiss, which showed me all too well that all the drama that was sure to come more than just worth it.

It was always said that the will can move mountains, but love made my whole world slide into other atmospheres. It was like a rush that never ended, and even if it didn't end well for me, I was grateful just to be able to enjoy those emotions.

"And I love you, little butterfly," I whispered against her cheek, enjoying the fact that I could still conjure up the reddish color on her skin.

So she remained my innocence, even if she had taken on a part of my darkness.

Unfortunately, the next few hours passed far too quickly and after Hektor arrived with some of our clothes and ingredients for a delicious meal, the three of us cooked and laughed together as if we had never done anything else.

Isalie conjured up a really delicious fruit salad for us and insisted on letting me taste it from her fingers again and again, while she looked deep into my eyes, curious about my reaction.

Hector, on the other hand, was the man for the rough stuff and even if he mainly refrained from eating meat, he prepared us such delicious medallions that the smell alone made my mouth water.

Since neither of them really trusted me to cook well, I ended up just soaking the rice, which was fine with me. So I had time to think about tonight.

One last order...

I thought about how best to keep Isalie completely out of it, but I also knew that she would certainly not let me go voluntarily. She was too observant and too intelligent for me to just pretend, so my eyes fell on the small white wall cabinet behind us, which with the mirror looked like it was meant for medicine.

"Done," Isalie snapped me out of my rigid state and, smiling, I turned to her, where she was about to divide the rice among three plates. Hector helped her and cut the meat into thin strips, after which the two of them really enjoyed making the plates look like we were in a fine dining restaurant. The two of them were probably just as lonely on the inside as I was and enjoyed being together, so I helped them as well and we joined them with the full plates at the laid wooden table in the corner of the room.

"Bon appetit", I heard from Hektor and we ate together and talked mainly about trivial matters, although I didn't miss the fact that Hektor kept throwing wistful looks at me while Isalie said that she was glad that the worst was behind us.

"So, tell me. How did you come up with the idea of taking in so many dogs and cats?" my butterfly wanted to know at some point when we were already enjoying the fruit salad and looked at Hector curiously, which I did the same to her.

"Well," he said and smiled as he looked out the window next to us and seemed lost in thought. "They're just so selfless. You can't compare their affection and gratitude to that of humans."

"That's right," Isalie retorted immediately, looking out the window as he did while I got up and grabbed their plates.

Without disturbing the two of them while they were still talking, I put everything neatly into the sink and quietly opened the medicine cabinet, where I immediately noticed the sleeping pills, which I hesitantly took in my hands with a guilty conscience.

The idea of mixing something like that into her tears me up, but I didn't see any other option and I didn't have much time to think about another solution.

"What are you doing?"

Caught, I turned to face Hector and slipped the packet of pills into my pocket without him noticing.

"I was looking for a headache pill," explained and I immediately recognized the skepticism in his eyes. Apparently you couldn't fool him that easily.

But he didn't say anything else and leaned over to hand me a small pill afterwards.

"I hope she helps."

He looked at me thoughtfully and then turned back to behind us, Isalie, who was still sitting at the table, a cat now sitting on her lap.

"Would you like to accompany me?" Hector asked her, pointing to the wooden door. "I have to feed my dogs."

"I'd love to," she replied with a smile, but before following him with the cat in her arms, she padded over to me and gave me a gentle kiss on my cheek.

"See you soon."

I winked at her seductively, and now that I was alone in the rustic hut, I grabbed a glass and poured some of the fruit salad into it, then topped it up with lemonade.

With sweaty hands, I then took the sleeping pills out of my pocket and squeezed four of them out of the packaging. It said three, but I didn't want her to notice anything.

"What are you doing here?" I asked myself reproachfully, still continuing to betray the love of my life. But she would know it was for her own good.

What would be the alternative?

to take you? Unthinkable... lying to you? Impossible... She would see through it... The truth? She would hate that even more than my betrayal.

So I crushed the pills with a spoon and poured the powder into the jar to mix it all up with a ton of guilt.

Then I took a deep breath and waited for the two to come back, which they did after a while, making me even more nervous than I already was. But I didn't let it show and picked up the glass to walk towards her.

"For you," I said with a mild smile, and although she looked at me gratefully, everything in me overturned just at the thought that she would be grateful to me for that as well.

We sat down at the table again and it took a while until Isalie had finished her glass and started to yawn more and more often.

"Are you tired?" I asked her, but of course she faltered and shook her head.

"No it is -". She stopped and yawned again so sweetly that my heart leapt at the sight. "Yes. I'm terribly tired," she finally giggled and I looked over at Hector, who was pointing to one of the three other doors.

"It's just a fold-out couch. So don't expect a good night's sleep."

She nodded to him and I used her hand to help her up from the table to lead her into the small side room, which consisted of nothing more than a bed, a small closet and a window.

"Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?" she asked sweetly while helping me unfold the couch.

"Of course," I replied naturally and after everything was as it should be, I lay on my back and pulled her close to my chest, which she snuggled up to and took deep breaths again and again.

It didn't take long for me to be sure that she was asleep and I kissed her forehead tenderly and got up carefully, now wiping out the last bit of chaos that stood between me and my happiness.