Almost soft
956 Words
Jane didn’t realize she was bleeding at first.
The adrenaline had carried her halfway down the east corridor before the pain finally struck — sharp and burning across her side.
She stumbled against the wall.
A broken vase lay shattered behind her, pieces of crystal glittering across the marble floor. One of Richard’s guards had grabbed her arm during the argument downstairs, and in the struggle she had fallen hard against the antique table beside the staircase.
Now blood slowly soaked through the thin fabric of her shirt.
Jane pressed her trembling hand against the wound and sucked in a painful breath.
“Damn it…”
Warm blood slipped between her fingers as another wave of pain hit.
The mansion was quiet tonight. Too quiet.
The room felt heavy with unspoken tensions.
She forced herself forward, determined not to let anyone see her weak. Especially not Richard.
But the moment she reached the end of the hallway, his voice cut through the silence.
“Jane.”
She froze.
Richard stood several feet away near the library doors, dressed in a black shirt with the sleeves rolled to his forearms. His sharp eyes immediately dropped to the blood staining her side.
The air changed instantly.
“What happened?” he asked dangerously.
“It’s nothing.”
His expression darkened. “You’re bleeding.”
“I said it’s fine.”
Jane tried to move past him, but pain twisted through her body so violently that her knees nearly gave out.
Richard caught her before she hit the floor.
The contact startled both of them.
One of his arms wrapped around her waist carefully — almost too carefully — while the other steadied her shaking shoulders.
“Who did this?” he asked quietly.
Jane avoided his eyes.
“It was an accident.”
“That isn’t what I asked.”
For a moment, anger flashed across his face. Not at her.
At whoever touched her.
“It doesn’t matter,” Jane whispered weakly.
Richard stared at the blood on his hand where he’d caught her. His jaw tightened.
Then, without another word, he lifted her into his arms.
Jane stiffened immediately. “Put me down.”
“No.”
“I can walk.”
“You can barely stand.”
His voice wasn’t cold this time.
It was tense.
Controlled.
Like he was trying very hard not to lose his temper.
Richard carried her through the dim hallway while the guards nearby immediately stepped aside. Nobody dared speak. The entire mansion seemed to hold its breath whenever Richard looked this furious.
Jane hated how safe she felt in his arms. Safe was dangerous when it comes to Richard Ashford.
That frightened her more than the injury itself.
He pushed open a bedroom door with one hand and carried her inside.
His room.
The realization made her heart race.
Dark wood shelves lined the walls, and rain tapped softly against the massive windows overlooking the estate grounds. Everything about the room felt like him — expensive, controlled, intimidating.
Yet strangely lonely.
Richard placed her carefully on the edge of the bed.
“Don’t move.”
Jane watched silently as he disappeared into the bathroom and returned moments later with a black medical kit.
“You have a medical kit in your room?” she asked softly.
“I like being prepared.”
Of course he did.
Richard knelt in front of her and gently lifted the edge of her bloodstained shirt. Jane inhaled sharply at the sting.
His hands paused instantly.
“Sorry,” he murmured quietly, his fingers immediately became gentler against her skin.
The apology shocked her more than the pain.
Richard Ashford never apologized.
He cleaned the cut carefully with a damp cloth, his movements surprisingly steady for someone known for violence and control. Jane studied his face quietly while he worked.
For once, he didn’t look the terrifying man who controlled the mansion. He looked tired and somehow that made her uncomfortable.
He looked exhausted.
There were faint shadows beneath his eyes she hadn’t noticed before.
“You should’ve told me you were hurt,” he said after a long silence.
Jane laughed weakly. “You’re the reason I’m trapped in this mansion in the first place.”
The words should’ve created distance between them again.
Instead Richard lowered his gaze.
“I know.”
Something inside her shifted at the quiet guilt in his voice.
He wrapped the bandage securely around her waist before finally looking up at her again.
“You think I enjoy this?” he asked quietly.
Jane frowned.
“This life. These guards. Keeping you hidden.” His expression hardened slightly. “You have no idea what’s waiting outside those gates.”
“Then tell me.”
Silence filled the room.
Rain continued tapping against the windows.
Richard leaned back slightly, exhaustion etched across his face.
“I can’t.”
Jane should’ve been angry.
Instead she saw something unexpected in his eyes for the first time since meeting him.
Fear.
Not fear for himself.
Fear for her.
“You really believe you’re protecting me,” she whispered.
Richard gave a bitter smile. “I would burn this entire city down if it meant keeping you alive.”
The words should’ve terrified her.
Maybe they did.
But beneath the darkness in his voice was something painfully real.
Jane looked down at the fresh bandage around her side.
Then back at him.
“Why?” she asked softly.
Richard’s eyes held hers.
And for the first time since arriving at the mansion, he answered honestly.
Richard’s expression finally cracked. Just for a second.
Enough for her to see something raw beneath all the control.
“Because losing you would destroy me.”
- Writer
