Welcome to Hell
Chapter 206
Magnus Hale
Adrian grabs a towel and begins to dry me with slow, careful movements. He passes the towel over my chest, arms, and back,
moving down to my legs. There is nothing sexual about this moment;
it is almost devotional. Every touch is precise and attentive, as if I
were a valuable object that cannot be damaged.
When he’s done with me, he dries himself quickly, lacking the same
delicacy he showed me.
し
“Lie down on the bed, my love. I’m going to apply the ointment.” His
tone isn’t a request, but it doesn’t sound like a violent order either.
It’s just… Adrian being Adrian.
I do as he asks. I walk to the bed and lie face down, already
anticipating the discomfort. Soon he approaches with the tube in his hands. I feel the cold ointment spreading over the bruised and sensitive skin. He spreads it with his fingers in a slow, almost professional manner, taking care not to apply too much pressure.
“This way it won’t hurt.” His voice sounds focused and steady.
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And even though I don’t want to, I think about how much it’s going to
sting when I sit on a chair in the cafeteria. When he finishes, he gives
a quick kiss to my damp hair.
“All done. Now stay lying down for a bit so the ointment can dry.” He
steps away to get dressed.
I just watch him dress peacefully. He looks satisfied with himself.
Then, he makes a comment that puts me on alert.
“Remember I said you deserve a present for finally accepting me?”
“Yes, I remember,” I respond suspiciously, which makes him laugh.
“Your present should arrive in two days.” His expression shifts,
becoming serious. “If it doesn’t arrive, I’m going to be very irritated.”
I don’t even want to imagine who he will take that irritation out on. I
almost feel pity.
“I hope it’s a good present, I respond, still wary.
He looks at me and smiles. But it’s not a normal smile; it’s cruel, so
sharp it gives me the creeps.
“It will be an excellent present, my love,” he says, as if it were the
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most natural thing in the world.
I don’t even know if I want to know what it is.
“Right… we’ll see.” I try to end the subject. “Changing the topic… I
don’t think I want to go to the cafeteria today,” I add in a low voice.
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“My ass will only get worse if I sit on a chair. Go get food for us.”
His eyes shine with a childlike enthusiasm.
“Of course! I’ll ask TJ to make the best meal ever.”
He approaches me and gives me a quick peck, his lips soft and warm
against mine.
“I’ll be right back, love.”
I watch him leave with calm steps. I’m left alone in the room, still
lying on my stomach, smelling the scent of the ointment mixed with
the soap.
What could this “gift” be, and why does it make him so excited that he
looks like a child?
I can’t imagine.
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Maybe something simple–winter clothes? The cold is already
arriving, and without proper clothing, even breathing in here
becomes a torment. Could that be it? I don’t know.
All I know is that it intrigues me how he managed to push everything forward to two days. Whenever there were shipments here, they took
an eternity to arrive because of the storms that sweep across this
mountain. The wind is strong; nothing arrives fast. But he did it.
He said he needed to talk to his father. I still don’t fully know this boy
-and maybe “boy” isn’t even a fair word anymore.
I urgently need to get to know him.
Maybe that’s what I need to do now. He knows everything about me-
every piece, every story, every scar. And me? I know nothing about
him, just fragments, loose ends.
Am I afraid of what I’ll find if I dig too deep? Yes.
I’m afraid of the madness that might emerge, of what this “love”
means to him, and of what he’s already done or is still capable of
doing.
C
But I need to know. I need to see who this boy who calls himself mine
really is. If he’s going to be in my life–and it seems he is–I can’t stay
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blind.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I don’t know if I’m going to
find an abyss or a person.
I don’t know if I’m going to sink even deeper or if I’m going to
discover that there’s something human in him that I haven’t seen yet.
But for the first time in a long time, I feel like trying.
I want to know Adrian.
Not the maniac.
Not the psychopath.
I want to know the boy.
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
