Chapter 45: She Won't Miss Him

With the sun seeping through the glass window of Christopher's house, Amanda's eyes fluttered to open. She studied the unfamiliar room and found herself resting on a man's well-molded chest.

Earlier at dawn, after they made love for the first time, Christopher had instructed his men to return to Aeros before him.

He accompanied her to sleep, fixing up new sheets for their remaining few hours of rest.

Amanda wore Christopher's oversized shirt from earlier with nothing else underneath it. She flushed, recalling how she had surrendered herself to him. They were intimate for the first time and she thought it was such an overwhelming experience.

Looking up to Christopher's angular face, she carefully raised herself to study him further. He had such a slender and pointed nose. His dark blonde hair was starting to grow in length, yet it did not undermine his appeal in any way. He still looked handsome as the day she first met him.

She traced her fingers on his face, caressing her thumb against his beard. She softly said, "You badly need a haircut and a shave."

Sighing to wake up, Christopher buried his face in Amanda's neck and pulled her closer to him. He pecked on her skin a few times before saying, "Good morning."

His cool breath against Amanda's skin easily gave her a goosebump that she pushed him away from her neck.

"Before I return to Aeros I will shave my beard. I'll have Martin trim my hair when I get back," said Christopher.

"Is Martin better?" She asked.

"Yes, very. We have potions to speed up the healing. He could not return to take care of the house because of the pending need of our nation these days," Christopher explained.

"Is that how your hand healed so much faster?" She asked, curiously.

"Sort of," he answered vaguely.

Christopher rolled over to rest Amanda on the pillow. With his blue eyes starring straight at her green ones, she flushed. She blinked a few times, trying to hide from the awkwardness, but in a fraction of a second, she felt his cold lips once more.

They shared a fervent kiss for seconds before Christopher pulled away. He said, "Amanda, being with you feels amazing. I've never felt like this in my entire life. I want to be with you every second of the day and you constantly fill my thoughts. I want you more than you'll ever know."

He paused before saying, "but I can't take you to Aeros yet. You can't survive going through the gate to our world."

Amanda could not possibly explain to him that she was hiding a powerful force, and that she had been to his world as the green goddess or spirit that they thought.

Looking down, she said, "but I don't have a home anymore. Mr. Kent's restaurant burned down, and it was all my fault. I - I let them believed I did not escape the fire because - because I felt guilty. Andrew - he - he almost got hurt because of my doing."

"Everything is my fault," she said before her expression turned dramatically tragic.

It was Amanda's best effort to explain herself; her mood, and her reason for hiding in his home.

'So that's why she was being emotional,' Christopher told herself.

"Amanda, I'm sure it was just an accident. They will - "

"I don't have a face to show them," she insisted. "I just can't. It's either I stay here or leave Trinity Bay."

"Then, you can stay here. Don't go fleeing anywhere where I can't find you. I can get food for you, but the house is out of power since Martin failed to pay the bill -"

"It's fine. I don't need electricity." She returned her gaze to him and said, "I'll stay here."

He pecked on her lips again and then asked, "So, can you tell me about your new tattoo?"

Christopher held her hand and pointed out to the mark on her wrist.

'Oh, no! I forgot about this.' She concluded she would figure it out later and clumsily said, "I - I just thought it looked cool."

"I wish you hadn't but anyway, it's already there," he said before getting up from the bed.

After changing into ordinary clothes, Christopher left for two hours to get supplies for Amanda. They shared a meal at the house before Christopher acted to leave.

"Amanda, my father may be looking for me. I need to return now. Are you sure you will be fine here without power?" He clarified after putting the dishes on the sink.

She walked to his direction and nodded. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."

"Promise me you won't cross the gate. I don't know what to do with myself if I should ever lose you," he said while walking closer to Amanda.

He tucked her in his embrace and pecked on her forehead before saying, "I'll come by now and then to check on you until the potion is ready. "

Amanda savored his manly scent and nestled her cheek against his chest. She pretended to act as though she would miss him, but the truth was, she won't. She won't miss him because she planned to go after him.

Before going down to the basement. Christopher shared another passionate kiss with Amanda. He earnestly did not want to stop the fire burning from within him, but he feared that his father would come after him.

He still had yet to deal with the matter about Diana, the woman from another nation his father wanted him to marry.

Leaning against the kitchen sink, Amanda accepted the kiss, responding with the same intensity. She could not flee from how Christopher affected him. His touch constantly roused her.

With both their eyes landing on their lips, he gave Amanda one last kiss before saying, "I need to go."

"Stay here," he said. He still feared that Amanda would be in shock, seeing how his basement would open up to a new world. Moreover, if she would ever think of following after him, she would not easily find the gate.

Before walking down to the basement, he bid goodbye again.

In Aeros, armed men were guarding the barricade walls where the redwood tree stood high in the land. A gate to earth existed and was the usual passage used by most of Christopher's men.

From the base, the trunk of the redwood tree slowly liquified, and the men around it, stood attention for whoever may come out of the gate.

Christopher gradually appeared before them. They gave their respects, bowing their heads, and reporting any disturbance after he left.

"Sir, so far the Oscorians have not returned. Some of our comrades have roughly covered the farthest end of the nation and still, there are no signs of them," said on man.

He walked forward while listening, heading to the direction of the castle. He responded, "Good. We can have a little rest. In the meantime, scouting for food is a priority - "

"Someone else is coming out!" Shouted one other of Christopher's men.

With his eyes widened, Christopher turned in fear with his heart racing, fearing for the worst. He watched as the trunk of the tree rippled. Someone was undoubtedly coming out of the gate.

From the giant redwood tree, a girl came out, taking heavy breaths while gazing up the unknown skies of Pelagy.

Christopher's mouth fell agape. For a normal human, Amanda made it through the gate... unharmed. He sincerely questioned his destiny, 'What kind of woman have I chosen to be with?'