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“Valeria? Are you okay?”
No, I am not okay.
It was Khalid. Nothim. Khalid was there with me. I was in Azmia. I was with him at the oasis. Relief washed over my body when I wrapped my arms around his neck, hiding my face in the crook. All I cared about at that moment was that I was safe with him.
Khalid Al Latif would never harm me.
He pulled me closer, stroking my hair and back gently, kissing the top of my hair and muttering sweet words in his hoarse, rich voice. He must have heard my pleads and my crying.
I didn’t want to let go of him, of his warmth, so I pulled away only a little to look in the direction of his face. “I… I am sorry for waking you up like this. I—”
Khalid
I cupped her face, tucking back the hair which was framing her face because of perspiration. “Don’t apologize for it. I got worried something happened to you and I walked in to see you having a nightmare.”
I had thought it was Zara. My little sister’s voice crying for help at night. The door to Valeria's room was unlocked, and I had found her thrashing on the bed, whimpering and yelling at someone in her nightmares. I wanted to hurt the person who dared to even think about causing pain to Valeria. To trouble her with nightmares.
Her body was still shivering. I pulled her closer, making sure her hands didn’t wander down my back. That would create too many questions. I had forgotten to wear my shirt when I rushed in to check up on her. It didn’t seem like Valeria cared as she laid her face on my chest. She had never looked so fragile and vulnerable and small.
I swore to God that I would enjoy hurting the piece of shit who caused it. I had nightmares about my past, and I knew how terrible and torturous they all were. To be stuck in your own head, helplessly calling out for help, to stop the pain. It never faded away, welcoming itself at night to trouble the soul.
“You’re okay, you’re with me, sweet one,” I whispered once more, both to her and me.
I poured her a glass of water from the tumbler and unclenched my jaw when she gulped down the water.
“Thank you,” she whispered, her voice back to normal. It was shaky and stuttering before. “For being here. With me. Thank you, Khalid.”
She closed her small palms around my hand. I looked at our hands and at the dainty face with the red nose. “You don’t have to thank me for this, Valeria. You would have done the same.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” I asked in a low voice.
She quickly shook her head, her red hair fanning out. “No.”
I nodded. “Okay. Will you be okay? Should I—”
Valeria clutched my hand harder. “Please stay. I don’t want to be alone tonight.” She let go of my hand, “Um, only if you don’t mind.”
“Of course, my sweet one. Anything you want.”
The small smile curling her lips was to die for.
I was afraid that if she had asked me to carve out my heart to make her smile, I would have.
Fool. I was turning into a complete, utter fool.
But what worried me more was that it didn’t affect me at all.
After turning off the lantern lamps on either side of the bed, I closed the door and slid inside the blankets. She had kept the windows open, so the room was getting cold. I was thankful for her choice because it made us sleep closer to each other to stay warm.
Her fingers had entwined with mine, the feeling far more intimate than it should have been. I couldn’t remember the last time I shared a bed with a woman and just held hands. I don’t think it ever happened.
But holding Valeria’s hand, I was happy and content. Knowing that I would be there to fight off her demons and keep her safe. She would never have to worry about getting hurt when she was here. In Azmia. But especially with me. No one would dare touch her and I would like to see someone try just to give off an example of what would happen if they did.
I knew that even though Valeria was not mine to protect, I would, because she was precious to me.