Troy always balked at the concept of "love at first sight" when it was nauseatingly perpetuated in the songs and movies he enjoyed growing up. He was much too rational to believe in such mystical forces. Love always felt so much weightier than something one could experience at a glance; it was a connection, emotion, understanding, patience. It should never be tossed out haphazardly, without adequate forethought and some semblance of sureness. All of that still feels true.
Theoretically, then, he should not believe in love at first sight. In recent years, however, something has started to bug him.
Whenever he analyze the process by which he'd come to experience strong feelings for someone — feelings that have or could have resulted in romantic love — he'd noticed the sequence always starts with a distinct flurry of inexplicable chemistry. His memory has captured these things.
At16, with his first crush, sharing witty banter at their desks, getting lost in his gray-blue eyes. At 21, with his first adult relationship, locking gazes across that crowded bar, slowly trading glances and sips of their drinks until he finally walked over to her. At 24, with his ex sex mate , a flutter of anger snapping to the surface at a difference of opinion, in such a heat wave of irrational attraction he couldn't stop recalling it for months.
These notable moments have forced him to acknowledge that those early, irrational, impulsive things might be the canaries in the coal mine of a complicated phenomenon. They prompt a rush of why-am-I-acting-this-way, WTF-am-I-feeling processes, that evades total comprehension by his brain's left hemisphere.
If not "love at first sight" (or "love within early days"), then he would have still felt something right away for Amber. The feelings he had when he picked Amber up in dirt and pool of blood is still something Troy couldn't understand or explain to himself till this day. Something strong, like he'd never loved before. Like a shot of tequila mixed with an internal car crash, strong, familiar emotions, long dormant in his chest, will leap, whirr, pulse or snake their way to the surface and…boom!.
"Please," Amber thought to herself, this man is so beautiful, how did I ever get so lucky? My eyes are misting up and I'm afraid he thinks I'm upset. These tears are happy tears, but how do I get him to be himself; to take what he needs from me if he thinks he's hurting me? Troy, I need you, all of you. I don't want you to hold back because you think I'm too fragile. I may have been, but you have brought me back a stronger, fiercer, loved woman. I want all you need to give me. I need to know I'm giving to you in return. That is how I will repay you for your kindness."
The look on his face tells her that she had said the wrong thing, but what? She thinks he is counting to ten to get his temper in check; like taking time out before scolding a petulant child.
God Dammit, Amber! This is not about a payment you feel you owe. I need you! I want you more than I wanted the newest Star Wars action figure when I was ten. I love you like I have never loved anyone. Even before I knew your name I knew you were mine. I didn't nurse you back to health for payment of some debt you think you owe. How many ways can I say it, Baby, you're it for me.
I don't need months of courtship or a long engagement to prepare for a lifetime commitment, Amber. I... Love... You! I want to grow old with you, have babies with you and spend the rest of my life trying to deserve you. Marry me? Those better be happy tears since I'm not taking no for an answer." Almost reverently she whispers,"
"Yes."
He fuses his mouth to hers and at the same time shoved deep. He swallows her screams as her body milks his for everything it's worth. He pumped his body twice more and follow her over into never-ending bliss. Troy hopes and pray that the more time he spend with Amber and he sated by her, that his endurance will last a little longer. He could barely control himself
Troy thought to himself: It's common thing to hear stories of people who claim to have experienced "love at first sight." There's a lot of appeal to the belief: It swirls together the swoon-worthy ideas of destiny, soul mates, true love, and "the one." But can you really fall in love with someone you've just met? And do those feelings really lead to a happy, healthy relationship?
Love at first sight isn't necessarily dangerous or unhealthy, and there are plenty of happy couples in healthy relationships who claim to have fallen in love at first sight. That said, because the feelings associated with love at first sight are usually more based on physical attraction and infatuation—as opposed to the enduring, committed care and intimacy that are hallmarks of lasting love—it's possible to get invested too quickly in a relationship that may not actually be healthy or with a partner who might not actually be compatible with them.
Early feelings of love don't necessarily mean two people are a good fit for each other,
The idea that 'love conquers all' is quite misleading," Having an initial sense of deep knowing and loving connection with another person can serve as a strong base, but healthy and happy couples are also compatible in their approach to daily life, use communication and conflict resolution skills to overcome inevitable challenges, and work hard to stay in tune with each other as they evolve.
Whether or not you want to call it love, Troy believes it's Ok to lean into those initial feelings of passion, desire, and connection in the early stages of a relationship. When we act on those initial feelings of connection and attraction, we can allow ourselves to develop the feelings of love.
It is mid-morning by the time Amber finds the energy to stretch. The morning plays over in her mind, and she could not process how fast she went from being a captive for a week to rescued and engaged−in what, ten days? What would her dad and sister think? You are bat-shit crazy, is what they would say. This is the most impulsive thing she had ever done and definitely not part of her life plan; but being kidnapped and tortured wasn't, either.
Of course, she wants to get married and have kids someday, but that came after finding the perfect job. She needed to be independently stable for her peace of mind. Wow! Life throws you through a loop, knocks you down, picks you up but puts you on a different path. She is astounded by how accepting and at peace she is with this new path.
Not that she couldn't still have a career but now using her degree to help battered women seems much more gratifying than teaching Psychology in a stuffy classroom. Maybe once they rescue her sister and the other women, Troy and her could set up a safe house to transition the women back into the real world of normal people, away from monsters.
The concept of "Monster's" has become a different realization for her. When she was young, her sister and herself feared the monsters under the bed. They used to jump from their beds to the light switch, so they didn't have to touch the floor by their beds. In their teens, they never thought they could walk among monsters daily, or that being in the wrong place at the wrong time would become their own personal nightmare.
Troy said Jake is going into one of these types of houses tomorrow. It definitely sounds like the same house she was in. It can't be a coincidence with the missing girl and dead guards. She needs to convince Troy to let her help get her sister out and save the other women. She believe it's her fault that they ended up in this mess, and she needs to be a part of fixing it. She just don't think Troy will be too keen on the idea.
Troy needs to get up and call Jake. He needs this new information about Amber's sister. He feels like the worst selfish bastard already and know that once they know whether or not Tori is in the house, Amber will stop at nothing to get her out. Her focus will be on Tori, and he's afraid this happy little family bubble will burst. Amber will truly never be happy until her sister is safe and they are both reunited with their dad. He will do anything to make her happy even at the risk of losing her or not having her all to himself.
"Baby, why don't you go take a long hot bath and then meet me downstairs for some breakfast?"
She nods her head, and then looks at him shyly as if looking for confirmation that everything that has transpired is real. Troy kissed her forehead, her nose and then her soft lips. "I love you, Amber. Everything is going to turn out just fine."
Sliding out of bed, he heads for the closet. Still sitting on the floor in the doorway is his gun and under his pants sits the kitchen knife. He quickly snatch up the two and hide them from Amber's view, so they don't remind her of that trauma. He placed them in the safe and locked it back up. Grabbing a pair of sweats and slipping them on, he strolls out to see her rising from the bed naked.
"Damn, I am one lucky son of a bitch".
She looks embarrassed as she rushes to the bathroom and closes the door softly.
He chuckles to himself. He will give her a reprieve now, but she will learn that she belong to him, and he will have access anytime he wants, as will she. They may as well get used to being naked with each other; it will happen often.
Quickly moving down the stairs, he heads to the kitchen. He'd only brought a few necessities when he came up here and grabbed a few others while waiting for his meeting with Jake. Her diet that has consisted of chicken broth and Jell-O is not much to sustain anyone. She will need to start off with soft and easy to digest foods, so she doesn't get sick. He settles on scrambled eggs with toast and coffee.
The tub is heaven. Amber was amazed at how huge Troy's bathroom is. Expensive jacuzzi and wall tiles and marbles. The surrounding jets are placed in just the right spots to rub out any sore areas someone may have. The controls let you focus on just your back, feet, or any specific area, or they can all be on to create a jacuzzi effect. She reaches for the shampoo, and her only option is Suave plus conditioner, and the only soap is Dial. All his? she's assuming. She's just glad he didn't bring her leftover products from a previous lover that left them behind. She stayed in until her fingers and toes are all pruney then rinses off and climbed out. Wrapping a towel around her body plus one around her hair, She moved out of the bathroom and into the closet. She grabs another t-shirt and a pair of boxers that she have to tie in a knot.
She needs to get her own clothes. Not that she minds wearing his, but it's not like she could go into public dressed like this. She moved back to the bathroom to hung her towels, combed out her hair, then pinched her cheeks a little to give her some color. She haven't seen the sun in weeks. In her normal life, she spent time in the sun then throws on a little mascara, and she's good to go. Amber guessed Troy had seen her at her worst and still wants her desperately, so she's okay with being a plain Jane.
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GOT IT