By the moon, I swear

AFFECTION

A few minutes later she met the person Gabriel had entrusted her sisters safety with and he looked like a trustworthy person. After personally leaving instructions, they headed out to enjoy what was left of the day. Gabriel took her to shopping malls and when she refused he pleaded with her. The man had been so generous with her. Somehow she did not take well the frown that formed on his face from her refusal. He had done nothing wrong for her to deny him what he asked from her. Come to think of it, that was the first time he asked something of her and if she were to be honest with herself extra clothes wouldn’t hurt. To make him happy she would purchase at most two at least then she would be comfortable with herself. She would have put a smile back on his face without thinking guiltily of the amount of debt piling up. Of course she was going to pay him back though it might take her working back in his dinner on her free shifts while give the little she earned from her current employer. Give or take five solid years would be enough to set her free of all debt. If all went well that is.

Amber went through all clothes in the department store but still found nothing that appeased her. Each time when she picked up a cloth and went into the fitting room she got disappointed and came out with her same clothes. Gabriel was sited in one of the chairs waiting patiently not commenting a word even though if tables were turned and she was the one waiting for his decision after going through three different clothe shops she would have stormed out and left him alone with curses following closely behind. She went and sat next to him with a defeated sigh.

‘No success?’

‘I can’t seem to find what I like. I don’t know what’s wrong?’ Amber gritted through her teeth. Who knew shopping could be so tiresome. No clothe did her justice not the ones she chose anyway. She was trying as hard as possible to choose something simple, classy but cheap. It hurt her ego enough that she couldn’t afford even to pay for her own clothes. When that excuse of a father died, she promised herself that she wouldn’t take anything from a man again but here she was. Back to where she started. Anyhow there was an aura about Gabriel that made her feel comfortable. He was a good man. She could tell. If anything life had taught her to be a good judge of character.

Gabriel merely grinned at her before he got to his feet, ‘Allow me.’ Amber stared helplessly as he went through racks of clothes humming to himself. After ten minutes, he walked towards her and led her to the dressing room with a bunch of dresses he had selected despite the protests from the sales woman who insisted that that was too larger a number of dresses allowed. Gabriel just threw her an annoying threatening glare before she retreated away just leaving them both.

‘I expect to see how each dress looks on you,’ Gabriel told her before he threatened, ‘If you don’t then I’ll come in there and check them out myself.’ His threat made her wince just as he thought she would. He never meant to but it was for her own good. The whole day he had noticed her reluctance and had tried to shove his anger down when she refused to treat herself. He didn’t want to be hard on her or force her into doing things like her scumbag of a father but a little push into the right direction would do her no harm. Besides it was Tristan’s unlimited credit card and he promised William to make her day worthwhile.

Amber tried on the first dress but was too embarrassed to open the door. It was a perfect fit but too damn expensive. The life she was then experiencing she wasn’t used too and it felt as if she were in a dream. Someone was actually buying her clothes. Someone actually cared enough. It felt so good. Pushing down her un-shed tears, she opened the door and stepped out.

 He stared at her critically, his mouth agape almost dropping to the floor. ‘Perfect. The dress was made for you. You look….’ Gabriel was at loss of words. She was breath taking. In his eyes she had always been beautiful but with the dress, she was breath taking. No words could describe the feast his eyes were having. ‘Try on the next. Were definitely taking that one.’

‘But…’

‘No buts,’ he cut her short before she unwillingly nodded and headed back into the changing room. She came out again with another dress only to receive a firm NO. Another, f**k NO then GOD YES to a matching skirt and top. The rest of the minutes went by with relatively the same responses until they were done. Thankfully most of the clothes he agreed with were ones she was most comfortable with. While changing back to her initial clothes, she sorted in her brain which clothes she was going to purchase and which to return. She couldn’t keep all of them. It was just too much.

On her way out she only grabbed the ones she intended to keep and went upfront to the cashier. ‘I would love to purchase these please. If you don’t mind could you please grab the other clothes in the dressing room and put them back. I’m afraid I’m not sure the exact location each was picked from,’ Amber tried to justify her actions which thankfully the cashier seemed okay with and didn’t inquire further. The truth was a part of her suspected Gabriel wouldn’t have allowed her to leave something behind that he clearly approved of. Too bad the man was hard headed for his own good. He came from behind her with the rest of the clothes and purchased them all turning a deaf ear to all her protests. To make matters worse he insisted they weren’t done. He shoved the bags into the car, locked it and pushed her towards the shoe stall. He forced her to sit then asked a male sales clerk to tend to her. She was forced to try shoe after shoe which had astonishingly large prizes and though she refused, again no one paid attention. The salesman only obeyed Gabriel. They left the store him having bought her ten pairs of shoes without him even being overwhelmed at the huge amount of money that he had spent on her and her sisters. On her sisters it was well spent but one her, he was more careless.  Amber couldn’t keep herself from just wondering how loaded the man was and most importantly why he would waste it all on her?

They went back to the hotel just in time when her sisters woke up. Gabriel again ordered a very delicious room service food which they all devoured while chatting and cracking jokes. To be sincere there never has been a day when her sisters smiled so wildly and most importantly from their hearts. They seemed to be very comfortable around Gabriel as was he around them. It was as if they had known each other for a long time. To add onto the weirdness Cassie was allergic to the same things as was he. What a coincidence. Amber couldn’t help but wonder if they would like Tristan too. He had been nothing but kind to her if you push past his nagging nature of course. Quickly retreating from her thoughts she joined in on their game and they all played for a long while.

Later that night after they lay the children to sleep Amber said good bye to Gabriel thinking that he was leaving seeing that there were only two rooms booked with only two beds in each and a door linking them. Gabriel though left her dumbfounded when he got into her room, took the extra sheet, blanket and pillow from her king sized bed and laid them on the floor saying he wasn’t leaving and until William came for them they were under his protection. After much assurance that she would be safe but would feel much better if he would sleep watching over her sisters in the mini bed in their room, he complied and left making her promise she would call her after him in case of anything.

Though still terrified of being alone and imagining her mother stomping into the room and snatching away her sisters, Amber tried to remind herself that they were safe with Gabriel around. Listening to the soothing rhythm of her sisters’ breath, her body finally gave in and she drifted off to sleep.

Amber awoke up at night scared and her body stiffened against the hard rock body that had just sunken the mattress and pulled her towards him. Had it not been for the hand that gagged her mouth she would have screamed for help as her legs which were kicking the intruder were soon trapped granting her helpless. There was only one man who did that to her over and over again over the years and she would be damned if she would allow anyone to man handle her like that again. She bet his arm and he shrieked in pain allowing her enough room to almost jump out of bed. Almost, before he lunged forward and grabbed her leg pulling her back to him while soothing her. ‘It’s just me. Sorry for scaring you. I just didn’t want to wake you.’

‘Tristan? Is that you?’ she whispered.

‘Yes. Yes it is.’

‘What are you doing her at this hour?’

‘I just couldn’t stay alone. Not tonight.’

That was the one time since they met that she had tried to sleep alone. Truthfully speaking, lying next to him made her feel safe but she was trying to be independent. To fight her own battles without relying on anyone for help. With him at her back and call that was impossible to achieve. She was just about to pull away when with the moon light she noticed a glittery orbs of wetness on his cheeks. He was crying. She didn’t know why and dint press further instead she draped one arm over him and held him tight. ‘Sleep tomorrow you’ll feel better.’ With that they both sighed in unison their heartbeats matching each other before they both fell asleep.