An Expected Arrival

Brennan

I put my arms behind my head as I stared at the sky, trying to find one cloud in the vast blue seemingly endless view above me. I was missing Leah even more today, which was made worse by the fact that her bed no longer held her scent. She had even taken her perfume, so I couldn’t use it to pretend like she was still there. I sighed. I wasn’t going to group that evening. I needed an emotional break. I had spent almost every day since she left in a group. As I looked up at the sky, I wondered if she still cloud gazed. I missed the times we spent doing it together.

My watch beeped, and I grumbled when I saw the movement alert. I silenced it. 90% of the movement alerts I got were deer or coyotes. After all, Eden was set back in a forest to prevent the activities from within from being seen. I sat up when my watch alerted me to movement again; this time it was closer to the gates. I pulled my phone out to look at the security system app, my eyes widening a little when I saw Nathan driving along the road that led to Eden’s main gate. I pushed myself up off the ground, racing toward the gate. If he was here, then that only meant one thing. He had found Miriela.

When I was a few yards from the gate, I slowed down so I could open it with my phone, coming to a halt just inside of it. My breath was stolen from my lungs when I saw the badly bruised, weak, and pale woman in his arms. She was dressed in men’s clothes and wrapped in a blanket, which only served to make her look more fragile. I couldn’t help but grimace at her appearance, trying desperately to beat down the need to find whoever had done that to her and remind them that just because they could didn’t mean they should. I dragged my eyes away from MIriela to meet Nathan’s.

“I’ve been expecting you. Welcome to Eden,” I told him.

“She needs a shower, some food, and a safe place to sleep,” he told me, obviously exhausted himself.

“Right this way. She can have the Adams’ house.”

I spun around, struggling not to show how upset I truly was over losing Leah’s house. However, I knew Miriela was important to her, and Leah was important to her, so because of that, I would do my best to help Miriela. When Nathan stumbled and almost fell, I reached out to put my hand on his arm. “Nathan, do you want me to carry her?” I asked.

“No! I got her.”

The way his arms tightened around her told one that he wasn’t going to let anyone touch her. Ever again if he had his way, which I understood. I felt the same way about Leah, but I didn’t have a choice in that matter anymore. I unlocked the door before pushing it open for him. He followed me down the hall to the bedroom, where he carried her into the bathroom. I heard a terrified squeak after the water started, and being concerned for Miriela, I walked in. Nathan was in the process of removing her clothes, but he spun around to glare at me with a fury I hadn’t thought he was capable of. I held up my hands.

“It sounded like she was distressed. I—”

“GET OUT!” Nathan yelled. “I don’t need your help. Neither does she.”

I looked at Miriela, who was staring at the back of Nathan’s calves, clutching the blanket tightly around her. I quickly backpedaled out of the room, leaving it cracked a little so that I would be able to see the edge of the tub but not the tub itself. Maddie may trust him, but I didn’t. Not even close to it, and now he was alone with a woman under my protection; I was going to make sure she was okay. I sat on the edge of the bed, watching the little crack in the door as he bathed her almost lovingly. I was a little surprised with how thoroughly he washed her hair and body before gently reaching down to lift her out of the tub. I jumped to my feet to pace across the room, not wanting to see her naked.

Even though Eden was full of people who walked around nude, it was their choice, and right now Miriela was not capable of making that choice for herself. When he finally guided her back into the room, she was dressed in one of Leah’s nightgowns. She lowered her eyes when Nathan turned toward her, keeping his eyes on me.

“Miriela, this is—what am I calling you while I’m here?” he asked me.

“R. H. M.,” I instantly answered.

“This is R. H. M.” He tilted her face up. “He is not going to hurt you. We are here to help you. You are safe here. Everyone here in Eden will protect and help you.” He tucked her hair behind her ear. “Are you hungry?”

She lowered her eyes as much as she could while her bottom lips trembled. “If you say that I am hungry.”

Anger flashed across his face, and I took a step in his direction, worried about what he would do, but his grip never tightened on hers as he scanned her face.

“You haven’t eaten in almost a day. You are hungry. I’m going to make you some food, and I want you to eat it,” he told her softly.

“Yes, sir.”

His jaw clenched, but he led her out of the room. I gave them a little time before following them to the kitchen, where he was scrambling some eggs for her. When he put it in front of her, her head dropped more until he walked around the counter to put a fork in her hand.

“Eat, Miriela. You need to rest.”

I leaned against the wall in the shadows, simply watching their interactions. The more he ordered her around, the angrier I got, but I stayed out of it. I was learning a lot about both of them. If he got out of line, I would step in. He had brought her here, so I knew he didn’t have ill intentions toward her, even though we were going to have a very intense conversation after we left. She slowly ate, glancing at him with every bite, but he never reacted. When she had eaten the last bite of eggs, he quickly cleared the plate and fork from in front of her before cursing. He stomped over to the refrigerator, grabbing the orange juice out of it, and poured her a glass.

“I am so sorry. I forgot to give you a drink. Here you go.”

She took it with trembling hands, and I straightened up when he leaned across the bar to cup his hands around hers to hold it steady so she could drink. I knew that look in his eyes. I saw it in Joey’s eyes every time he looked at Madison. I had seen it in my own eyes in the video footage of me and Leah. He was in love with her. Upon making that realization, I excused myself from the house, telling him that I was going back to my office and making him promise to come talk to me once he got her settled. I sighed as I laid back down on the ground. God, that look. It was all in that one single fucking look. It made me regret not giving Leah the words she craved. I sighed heavily as Nathan sat next to me on the grass, pulling me from my rambling thoughts.

“If you’re going to tell me to leave, I’m taking her with me. She is not staying somewhere that I can’t protect her,” he said seriously.

“I wasn’t going to. I know how it feels to lose someone you’re in love with. I won’t do it to someone else. So, how do you plan on handling this situation with her?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t plan anything past finding her,” he admitted, massaging the back of his neck. “Tell me what to do.”

“Well, the last girl that came to me from a similar situation did really well with Rose helping her for the first few weeks. Once she began to adjust here a little, Doc started her healing plan. It took her almost 6 months before she was able to be around a man without flinching with every word he said. I can’t tell you that it will work because that woman wasn’t with that group of men as long as Miriela was.”

He sat quietly for a moment before nodding. “Yes, maybe a woman would be the best person to work with her. I would like to meet her before she works with Miriela. I won’t tolerate any threats to her.”

I nodded as a cloud drifted into view. “I’ll set it up. Give me an hour.” I waved a hand over my head toward the office. “Why don’t you go get cleaned up? I know you probably want a shower.”

“And some food,” he told me as he got to his feet. 

“Help yourself.”

As he went up to my office, I climbed back to my feet to go speak to Rose. I didn’t want to blindside her. After a lengthy rundown of what was going on, I walked back out onto the porch, sighing when the sun had set. There went my cloud gazing for the day. I hurried back to my office before pausing at the gate. I looked up at the moon, and once again I was transported back to when she was in my arms. Back when I could pretend that we could have forever. If I had just been honest with her and not the selfish coward I truly was, we would have never ended. I sighed as I stuck my hands in my pockets, closing my eyes to keep my sorrow inside and not running down my face. Again, anyways.

"I never thought that I would need someone as much as I need you. Please come back to me. I swear that if you do, I will selfishly love you for all of time. You will never go another day without being sure of my love." I sank to my knees as I closed my eyes, which did absolutely nothing to stop the flow of tears. "I love you. I should have told you then. It kills me to think that I might not ever get the chance to tell you now. I know I don't deserve another chance, but please, come back to me," I begged, not knowing that roughly 400 miles away, the woman in question was making the same wish about him.