Jasmine POV
The more time I spent with Mark the more I learned. He told me about his sister and how she didn't make it. It was shortly after her 22nd birthday and she just had her baby. The baby ended up passing away during childbirth. Several months after she was diagnosed with cancer and when they found it, she was already stage 4, she only had days left. I lost my mother when I was three, so in a way I knew how he felt, but in a way I didn't.
Losing a sibling vs a parent is different. My family blamed me and turned abusive when I got old enough to understand. The state didn't do anything, except come in and look at me. The bruises and everything would already be healed and long gone. That was only when they received enough complaints. Finally, I got old enough after I graduated.
I packed several bags and hid them well. At night I made my escape, and I had already put my luggage outside in a spot where they never looked. All I had to do was take a rope out of my window, grab my things and run. So I did, and I went as far as I could go. Mark was very gentle and understanding. He took his time with me and he was sure to be gentle.
He gave up his bed for me, and he took the couch. Any time he did come to lie with me was when I had nightmares so bad that I began screaming and crying in my sleep. In some ways, he was my angel, and he let me stay as long as I needed. If I didn't know any better I would say he liked me, but I didn't know to what extent. While Mark and I talked he also mentioned that he was the head of the Mafia. He seemed so sweet and generous to be a part of something so horrible.
Honestly though, he also told me that he is more family based. So the way he is has been shaping the Mafia to help others, and be devoted to family. We were slowly warming up to each other. He was protective of me and I didn't mind considering what I had been through. Today has been a long day so I decided to sit in the jacuzzi tub, and let my aching joints feel the heat. I had been in the tub for maybe five minutes when I heard a knock.
Thank goodness I filled it with Epsom salt and bubbles, because it was Mark checking on me. My wrist still hurt, so, of course, he offered to help wash my hair. I liked Mark and I hope he likes me back. I am, of course, in this situation, where I am now debating about asking for a woman, but then I decided I trust him enough. He came in with a fresh towel for me, some new pajamas, socks, a toothbrush, some of my special toothpaste, and a bunch of other stuff. He went through all this trouble to get me some new things.
I haven't had anything new in a long time. He opened a new bottle of shampoo and began messaging my scalp. It felt so good to be taken care of vs being beaten to a pulp almost every day for no reason. He next moved on to my shoulders and began messaging them as he washed my back and my arms. Being tender and gentle when he reached my right wrist that had been fractured. I began humming the more he massaged each piece of my body slowly.
He gently rinsed me off once I was done. When he noticed I started to get tired, he, of course, pulled the plug and held up my towel for me. As I struggled to get out, trying to keep my weight off of my right hand until I could put my brace back on.... He simply smiled and sighed as he walked over to help me out by gently wrapping the towel around me. I guess he had enough though, because before I knew it he opened the bathroom door, took all my clothes into the bedroom and came back swooping me up into his arms.
He carried me into the bedroom gently setting me down on the bed, and then he began getting me dressed. Not once did he care that I was naked, he just looked at my face. After we spent a half hour looking for my brace he put my brace back on. We had a good laugh when we found it. It somehow landed between the night stand and the bed. We laughed until we couldn't laugh any more. It felt great to laugh.
Before I knew it, I was cuddled up in bed with him and the darkness came to my tired body. In the darkness, I kept hearing" We will get you. I began crying and screaming as I ran away, only to be shaken awake... Jasmine... Jasmine wake up... it's ok. I sobbed even harder when I realized it was just a dream. It felt so real even though I had been gone a few months already. I may have been gone for a few months, but I was still in fight or flight mode there was no doubt about that. Mark just held me close and gently rocked me as I cried.
I had no idea what to do. I felt his gentle hands rub against my back as he held me close with the other. " shhshshshsh... It will be alright. Nothing will happen to you as long as I am here." Said Mark. I knew I could trust him, but to what extent. For the night I fell back asleep curled up into his arms.
When I awoke the next morning I was still laying with him. He had his arms wrapped around me. He made me feels safe. He in a sense, became my rock even more so over the next several days. I knew I could trust him. That being said, just because he is my rock does not mean I like being held down figuratively speaking. I tried to wiggle my way out so I could go potty, but that didn't happen as I had planned.
I tapped his arm to wake him up. All I got was.... "huh what time is it? " Mark asked. Time to let a girl up to go potty. I giggled as I said it aloud. He let go really quickly as I took off to the bathroom. It was only 3 a.m. and I was ready to be back into bed. Curling up in his felt amazing.
As I laid down and he wrapped his arms around my waist. It felt good to be close to him. I could feel his body heat under the blanket as the cold heavy air roamed around the room. I drifted back to sleep. Feeling him made me feel comfortable, special, and I felt happy for the first time in a long long time. I learned who I could trust, and he was the main one.