Xavier took off his shirt, he felt comfortable painting half-naked. He took his brush and got set to paint. Then discovered he hadn't anything to paint.
He closed his eyes and zoned out for a while. With a smile, he opened his eyes and set to paint.
He had been painting for half an hour when he needed a shade of blue, so he dropped the palette and went in search of it.
He didn't notice anything odd about the room when he got in. When he found the paint he heard someone groaning from the back.
" Mother?! " Vica shouted.
Xavier recognized the voice and rushed to where it came from.
" Please Mother, don't leave me! " she kept pleading, shaking her head violently. Xavier took her in his arms and tried to calm her down but nothing worked.
" No! Mother, please don't leave me alone with him, Mother please. " she kept begging and crying in her sleep.
" Hush!! " Xavier tried to coax her while hugging her. " You are here now, "
"Mother, listen to your Bambina. " She cried some more. "He'll kill me, mother, please, don't leave me with him. "
A confused Xavier hugged her tighter. He was confused about what to do. At the moment, he didn't even bother to think of how she got to this part of the building.
" It's okay, Vica. I'm here now nothing would be of harm to you. " he encouraged hugging her.
Vica calmed down but still didn't wake up. She made herself comfortable just to suddenly wake up as though beaten by an ant.
" What are you doing? " She asked immediately, her eyes cleared up. She wasn't expecting anyone to find her so easily. She pushed Xavier violently and got up.
Despite her attitude, Xavier was still very much concerned about her and the nightmare she had. " Are you okay? "he asked with so much concern, trying to touch her face.
Vica let him but didn't answer, she realized he just heard her.
Xavier pulled her in for a hug, tapping her back gently. " We are going to fix you together, " he assured her.
Vica felt solace being in his embrace, she hated that she wanted to stay that way longer, she had to be selfish.
" I've been looking all over for you. " Xavier informed, letting her go. " Come, hmm... Let's go get you something to eat. "Xavier said, taking her hand.
" I'm not hungry! " Vica retorted. She hated the extreme care, and Xavier kept using the plural, which scared her so much.
Xavier sighed heavily, he didn't want to go through the stress of having to beg her. " Lizzie said you haven't had anything since I left, "
" What makes you think I'll have something now, then?"She asked, sarcastically.
" Because I want you to! " Xavier responded angrily. "Do you ever care about your health? "
" I have been for days longer than this without food. I don't look unhealthy to you, do I?" She retorted, pulling her hands out of Xavier's grip.
" Come with me, " Xavier carried her in his arms. He doesn't understand why every moment he shared with her gave him the urge to liberate her from the clutches of her past life.
Vica unconsciously placed her right hand on his bare chest and felt shivers all over her body. She wanted so much to take her hand off his chest but it felt right, she felt her hands belonged there.
******
Xavier walked into Vica's room, with a smile on his face. " Have you ever actually gone shopping? " he asked with a chuckle.
" What prompts such an inquiry? " Vica replied, dropping the book in her hands.
" The way you acted at the mall earlier proved you are a novice. " answered Xavier with a smirk.
" I'll leave you to your judgment, then. "She smiled at him.
It's been two weeks since Vica recovered, and it sometimes bothers her why Xavier hasn't brought up the incident in the drawing room. He didn't ask about the dreams or how she got to find that part of the mansion.
She was keen on waiting for the time bomb, for she knew he was going to ask.
Xavier on his part was worried about her behavior lately, she doesn't act aloof or indifferent, and she seemed a little happy and almost comfortable around him.
"Dr. Inna is coming in tomorrow to do a scan. " He informed her while sitting down on the little couch in her room.
Vica took a deep breath adjusting her messy updo. " I don't think it's necessary, I'm fine. "
"I know that. " said Xavier. " And yes! A head scan is necessary."
" The portrait in the art room, who is she? " She asked, with an unblinking eye.
Xavier smiled, staring at those unusual amber eyes. He still doesn't know why they seemed so strange to him. " I have many portraits in the art room. Which of them are you talking about? "
" The one at the center of the art room," she kept an intense gaze.
"My grandma," he said, getting up and walking towards her.
"I suppose she passed away," Vica replied, maintaining her stare.
" Those amber eyes, who gave them to you?" Xavier walked towards her and sat on the edge of her bed.
"My creator,"
" Does she always come to your dreams?" he asked, this time in close contact with her.
Their faces were just an inch from each other, they shared the same breath.
"The Maker made a big mistake giving me to her. " Vica didn't feel bothered by their sudden closeness.
" Blue eyes would look better on this face, " Xavier said, passing his hands slowly over her face. Vica felt chills all over her body but couldn't let Xavier notice it.
" Too bad we can't play our maker. Can we? " she asked with a wink while biting her lower lip.
Xavier touched her lips and let his hand linger on it for a while. "Don't do this ever again. " he warned.
"Don't let your fantasy play you. " She said with a devilish smile. "I'm your hell. "
"Come with me, please"