Chapter Six

Adam knew something was wrong the moment the relief on Naomi's face turned to confusion, recognition, and then to fear. She reached into the safe and pulled out a folded piece of paper. There was nothing about the paper that seemed particularly different, except for the fact that Naomi was terrified of this paper. Her hands were trembling as she slowly pulled it out. It could have been a bomb the way she handled it.

Apprehensively Naomi opened the paper and her face went white as a sheet. She let her knees buckle from underneath her and sat on the edge of the bed with it's rumbled covers. Her hand crumpled the paper in her fist and she closed her eyes, trying to maintain control of her breathing and of her emotions. She wasn't going to cry, the paper had merely been a warning, nothing severe, just a deterrent should she get any ideas, to let her know that they would know if she did something that went against their deal.

WE ARE WATCHING YOU

That was all the warning she would get, and she knew very well to respect it.

"Are you okay?" Adam asked her sitting down beside her, hoping he wasn't crossing a line that would make her draw back from him even more. He had only met her the day before, and only for a few minutes. But something about her tugged at his heart, just like an injured animal. Yet at the same time it was something more than that. He could not deny that he was attracted to her, and that played a part in it. If he was being honest with himself it played a big part in what he was doing. But as much as he was attracted to her that idea inside him was still there. The idea that his mother had taught to him, that he should never hit girls, that he should protect them to the best of his ability. And what his father had told him over fifteen years ago.

When he had turned fourteen his father, a military man, sat him down on the couch, turned off the football game on TV and looked Adam right in the eyes, a serious look on his face. 'Adam,' He had said, 'Now I know that you're not going to understand what I have to say to you right now, you probably won't understand until the moment that you are faced with a situation that will involve my advice, but I'm going to tell you anyway.' He was completely serious, Adam knew that even as a young stupid teenager, and he respected his father. What he said next he hadÂalmost for over fifteen years, 'Women are sacred creatures, they are beautiful and deserve to be respected. If a young woman, or any woman for that matter, is in trouble, you defend her. Even if it means endangering your life. If her life is in danger, if her virtue is in danger, or if she just needs a shoulder to cry on, you be there forher.

The use of those words and the context of them wasextremely old fashioned. To Adam at that time he didn't really think much of it. He knew his father was serious, but he didn't really understand the purpose ofÂthe speech.Other fathers toldtheir son's to make sure theywere using protection, not to defend their virtue. But that speech, whether it was because he respected his father or because some how it had seemed right, or maybe it was a combination of both,had stayed inthe back of his mind. He had never necessarily saved any women from being raped in a dark alley, but he had stopped with every girl at a certain point, refusing to go on. Somewhere inhis subconcious mind he knew that it was the right and proper thing to do.

Many calledhim'old fashioned', but he didn't care.He was going to do right by the women he dated and met.But now that sense of chivalry had kicked up anotch and that involved helping Naomi, whatever it took.

"I'm fine." Naomi replied quietly. But Adam knew she wasn't,she was shivering, surely not from the cold, it must have been ninety degrees inside that room, she was frightened. Whatever was on that paper had made her this scared, and he was determined to find out what was going on.

"What did the paper say?" He asked, deciding that he didn't want to get into a fight with her over the fact that she was shivering.

"Nothing," She said nervously, "It...it was nothing." She looked up at him with pleading eyes. Eyes that begged her not to pressure her anymore, not to try to solve her problems for her. Adam respected her reluctance to tell him what was on the paper, he would eventually find out what was on it, once he had gained her trust. But he wasn't going to let her fight her demons alone. He was going to help her with that, no matter how much she didn't want him to.

"Okay, well I'm going to go back to my room. I hope you can get some sleep." Adam said as he got up to leave her room.

"Wait!" Her desperate cry had him stopping in his tracks instantly. He looked at her his eyebrows raised. "I..." She looked embarrassed now, her face flushing red. "Would..." she sighed and closed her eyes tightly. "Would you stay in here for a little while?" She said it so quickly that Adam had to think about what she said before his mind understood what she had said. "I know that's kind of a strange question to ask, you are after all a guest here and you probably would like to be in your own room. And you only got here today and I've only talked to you a few times and that's a really strange request from a strange woman, but..." She took a deep breath, "I'm scared."

"I'll stay." Adam said without hesitation. He had made his desision when she had asked, 'Would you stay in here for a little while?' If he was determined to protect her and help her he was going to take every opportunity that was given to him.

"Thank you. You don't have to stay in here very long, maybe just until I fall asleep?" She seemed so uncertain, but she trusted him enough to protect her while she slept. "It would just make me feel so much better, thank you!"

"Absolutely." Adam said.

She smiled, genuinely smiled for the first time he had seen, before ducking down under the bed to replace the safe. He settled himself down in a comfortable armchair as she turned off the light and crawled under her covers. He didn't know how she slept with all those blankets. He had noticed at least four when he had sat down next to her. He wondered if she ever grew hot during the night.

"Thank you." Naomi said quietly into the dark.

"Anytime." Adam replied, not knowing truly how much his staying meant to her.

It wasn't long before he heard her quiet, even breathing and saw her slender form curled up under the blankets illuminated in the moonlight. And just because he knew that she might wake up during the night again, he fell asleep, hoping it would give her more comfort.

Author's Note

Let me know what you think!