She woke up with a start, staring at the blue sky. Not knowing where she was, she reached out and felt the sea. The water was all around her, in her hair and on her dress.
Looking at the water, she saw her face, puffy and confused.
Her dry, cracked lips told the story of what she'd been through. She was starving, desperate for food and water. But the idea of eating anything from the sea made her feel sick.
In a daze, she saw a tall, good-looking man. "Sunshine," he said, and went to kiss her. Suddenly, the waves pushed her to the shore. She fell onto the sand, and her ankle hurt badly."Sunshine..." How did he know my name? She smiled, enjoying the dream. The sun set, and she found an old boat to sleep in because the beach felt scary.
She woke up to birds singing, toads croaking, crickets chirping, and fireflies dancing. Then, it started to rain hard, with lightning and thunder that scared her.
"I'm cold... help me!" she whispered, her voice shaking. The boat smelled like dead fish, and she threw up. "Ugh, that's gross!" she said.
The rain stopped, which felt good for a moment. But then she heard footsteps. She hid in the boat, scared. "Is it a god, like my friend said? Or a person?" she thought.
"No way!" she told herself, trying not to be afraid. She looked up and saw a person nearby. She was so cold she was shaking.
"P-please h-help me," she whispered. Before she could fall, the man caught her. He carried her to his bed, trying to control himself.
He left and then came back, sitting and gently touching her face with his long fingers. He put her brown ombre hair behind her ears.
"Hey pretty... what are you doing to me? Are you charming me?" he whispered. His lips were close to hers, but he stopped. He liked the touch. Even with the bruises, your lips taste like honey. I love the turmeric smell on your skin," he said, breathing in her scent.
He kissed her, their bodies close. His hand found her breasts, and he got excited. He got hard and wanted to...
"Holy crap..., why now?" He's little friend in his trousser was seeking a way out. He stood up quickly and left before he did something he shouldn't. She laid there without knowing what the gentleman did.
"I'm thirsty, can someone help?"
"Aha-aha," she coughed, waking up.
Suddenly, this tall, handsome man emerged from the shadows with a glass of water. He possessed an angelic face with full red lips. His eyelashes were thick and long, resting gently on his eyelids with each blink. Despite being hairy, he maintained a neat hairstyle with a shaved mustache, giving him a youthful appearance.
He had a broad chest and a muscular body with smooth, chocolate skin. His stomach was flat, and his abs were visible through his sheer clothing.
"Oh... you're finally awake, here you go." He offered her the water.
"I'm Hansen, and you're Sunshine, right?" "How did you know my name?" she asked, looking at his chest. Although he was hairy, his chest was bare.
"Your name tag on your shirt," he said.
"Wow, who made you? You're so handsome." She looked at him and swallowed. He smirked at the compliment, but then he saw that she was looking at a certain part of his body, and she blushed.
"What's making you blush?" he asked, looking serious and a little evil. Sunshine shivered. She touched her face and realized she was blushing.
"I-I'm not l-looking at you?.." she said, looking away. He looked in the mirror. "Damn it." He cursed. The idea of being half-naked in front of her made him grab a coat and put it on.
This made Sunshine laugh, but she stopped when they looked at each other. Hansen tensed up and slammed the door as he left.
That night, Hansen was walking around his couch. He couldn't sleep because he brought Sunshine home. Even though his house had many rooms, he let her stay in his room so he wouldn't have to move around.
He usually studied when he couldn't sleep. But instead of reading his newspapers, he stood at the window. He opened the window quietly and leaned on it.
The wind was cold. He liked watching the stars when he remembered what he did to her earlier. He was still thinking about it when he heard her scream.
"Let me go! I don't want to go with you... you're all evil... you'll all go to hell."
Hearing this, he ran to her and saw that she had a fever. He closed the window and used a towel and warm water to lower her temperature. He gave her medicine afterwards.
Back in the city, a beautiful woman in her early forties sat on the floor, crying like a baby in her messy room. Her black ombre hair was in a messy bun, with pieces falling down her face.
She was crying when she heard footsteps in the hall. She quickly stood up, wiped her face, and pretended to clean the room. A boy of about twelve came in annoyed. When he saw his mom, he yelled.
"Mom, have you been crying?" he asked, not sure. "No, Kane, I haven't. I'm just very stressed... 'mmh.'" She stretched, looking tired.
"Look into my eyes, it seems something has fallen in them." She knelt down to her son's level and opened her eyes wide.
Kane hugged his mom and said, "Mama Cruz, you can cry in my arms. I know you've been crying because your eyes show it."
"I'm here for you too. I missed her too," he said with tears on his face.
"When did my little boy become older?" She messed up his hair, pulled his cheeks, and kissed him on his forehead.
The morning sun warmed the rocks as Sunshine sat, playfully kicking her feet in the water. Her hair which constantly swept by the breeze, demanded her attention as she tucked strands behind her ears.
She was dressed in a large gray-sleeved shirt, likely borrowed from Hansen, and paired with snug black shorts, she seemed at ease in the moment.
Her large eyes, perfectly complementing her long face, were locked on the sea, her skin, a blend of dark and light tones, glowing in the morning light. She possessed an angelic quality.
Her appreciation for nature was evident when she spotted a seagull struggling in the water. Without hesitation, she plunged in, swiftly rescuing the bird and bringing it to shore. Upon closer inspection, she realized its wing was broken.
"Oh, poor little thing," she murmured, gently wiping the water from the seagull, carefully examining its wing, and eventually, with a delicate touch, aiding it in taking flight.
Hansen, watching with a smile, was captivated by her. "She's beautiful," he whispered.
"Sunshine!" he called, making his way toward her. "I've been looking for you. Enjoying the sea?" She looked up, meeting his gaze as he approached.
"Yeah, it's fun to be around the sea," she replied shyly, her hands clasped behind her. "So, then why are you wet?" The question just popped out without him realizing.
"I was admiring the view and slipped, but it was amazing. Come on, let's try it!" With that, she playfully tugged him toward the sea, and they both reveled in the moment of pure fun.
Days blurred into weeks, and those weeks morphed into a month, yet Sunshine remained within the confines of the house. Exhaustion settled upon her, a heavy cloak woven from the threads of captivity, and she resolved to maintain a silence with Hansen.
The breakfast table was thick with unspoken tension as Hansen joined her. "You're making this difficult, Sunshine," he said, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Why won't you eat with me?" "Because you're the one holding me captive, and you're annoying. I don't want to be around you either." She stood, her plate in hand.
Hansen's grip on her wrist was like a physical restraint, and Sunshine's patience was wearing thin. "Let go, I'm not a child," she snapped, but he simply pulled her back down. "I'm protecting you, so sit and watch," he said, his eyebrow arched in a challenge.
She rolled her eyes, collapsing into the chair. "Protecting me from what?" she muttered, but he ignored her. "You're so annoying," she added, forcing a saccharine smile. Hansen's lips twitched, but he continued eating.
"Anything to say?" he asked, his voice a low rumble. "No," she replied, her tone laced with sarcasm. "Good girl," he said, and a spark of irritation flared within Sunshine.
After a long stretch of awkward silence, Hansen decided they would venture out for a bit of "fun." As she entered the mall, onlookers couldn't help but stare. Her outfit, a bold choice, revealed a glimpse of her long, slender legs.
The attention soon turned vulgar. Crude comments were hurled her way. "I bet she'd be good in bed," one man leered, licking his lips. "Ha, she's pretty! I wish I could have her right now!" another chimed in, his voice laced with lust.
Hansen, who had been strolling with a confident air, drawing admiring glances from women, abruptly quickened his pace. He had heard the comments.
As he reached her, he grabbed her waist. Sunshine who was caught off guard, was speechless.
He produced a black, puffy overall coat to cover her dress, but the unwelcome comments continued.
"Damn it, these people won't stop staring," he growled, his voice tight with anger. Sunshine could only stare at his furious face.
"Let's go," he said, pulling her towards the exit. She didn't resist. As they walked, she realized a smile had crept onto her face. A strange sense of satisfaction bubbled within her.
"What are you smiling about?" Hansen asked, his eyes narrowing as he noticed her expression.
"Nothing," she replied, the smile still playing on her lips. But in her heart, she knew the truth, she was smiling because she had finally gotten a reaction from him.
Back in the house, he was a coiled spring, volatile and ready to explode at any perceived offense. He removed his coat, hanging it up the moment he entered his room.
He was struggling to control his rising anger when his phone rang. "Ping, ping, ping!" The caller ID displayed an unknown number, but he answered quickly, needing the distraction.
"Gotcha, it's your cousin Lucas. I knew you wouldn't answer if I used my number. Anyway, I want to come and spend the holidays with you since you're lonely at the top. Can I c...?"
"No," he snapped before Lucas could finish his sentence.
"Why?" Lucas asked, his voice laced with annoyance.
"Hey, I said no. Don't get on my nerves," he yelled, throwing the phone onto the bed.
"He's acting strange today. What's gotten into him?" She rolled her eyes and pulled the pillow over her head, still able to hear him from the next room.
Later, she found him in the kitchen, rummaging through the fridge with a restless energy. "What are you doing?" she asked, approaching him cautiously.
"Looking for something to eat," he replied, his voice still tight with agitation.
"You haven't eaten all day?"
"Yeap...all thanks to you."
She watched him, her curiosity piqued. "Who is Lucas and what happened to him?"
He froze, then turned to her, his eyes blazing with a sudden, intense anger. "It's none of your business," he growled, the words sharp and laced with a dangerous edge.
She flinched, but stood her ground, her voice steady. "Don't talk to me like that."
He stared at her for a long moment, the anger slowly receding, replaced by a weary sigh as he ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry. I'm just… stressed."
"About what?" she pressed gently.
He hesitated, his gaze drifting away. "It's complicated." He looked back at her, a flicker of something unreadable, a mixture of protectiveness and frustration, in his eyes. "It's about… the way people look at you," he finally said, his voice barely a whisper. "It makes me angry."
She stared at him, surprised by the admission. "Why?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
He shrugged, still avoiding her gaze, the intensity of his earlier anger now replaced with a hesitant awkwardness. "I don't know. It just… does."
She took a step closer, her voice softening, understanding dawning in her eyes. "You're jealous?" she asked, the question gentle.
He looked up at her, his expression unreadable, a mixture of defensiveness and vulnerability. "Maybe," he admitted, the word barely audible.
She smiled, a genuine, warm smile this time, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "Well, you don't have to be."
He looked at her, the last vestiges of his anger finally fading, replaced by a hint of confusion and a flicker of hope. "What do you mean?"
"I'm here for you" she said softly, her voice full of reassurance, "and that's all that matters."
He stared at her, the weight of his emotions finally lifting, then slowly reached out and took her hand, his fingers interlacing with hers. "You really mean that?" he asked, his voice raw with emotion.
She squeezed his hand, her eyes meeting his, a silent promise passing between them. "Yes," she affirmed, her gaze unwavering.
A small smile finally touched his lips, a genuine, relieved smile that reached his eyes. "Good," he murmured the word with a sigh of contentment.