I was still awake, staring up to a blank ceiling, the light of my candle illuminating small features in the huge room. I lay thinking of today, although I was not sure on the current time.

The cover crinkled as I shuffled, pulling it close to my chest, rolling onto my side, clinging to myself tightly. My stomach caved with the thought of that gorgeous woman going to sleep in agony and pain.

The cover flew away as I swung my legs out of the bed, moving to pick up the candle and move slowly through the room and to the door.

"This is stupid", I found myself muttering, opening the door and tiptoeing down the corridor.

The wood froze my feet, each shaking step I took felt like stepping on needles. Ice cold needles. I moved hesitantly, slowly placing my feet onto the floor.

I found the door, trying to open it. It clicked from the other side, a slim tear stricken face meeting mine. Her eyes looked sunken in, a hollowness to her beautiful blue.

"Lydia..", She paused, peering just past me to look at the closed office.

I stood in horror, watching her, feeling her fear in myself. In my chest, in my stomach. With a caressing hand I led her backwards into the room and locked the door behind me.

The bed was disheveled, a lamp lay on its side on the floor. She was still wearing her dress, her makeup plastered down her cheeks.

"Its okay", I found myself saying, although I wasn't sure it helped in the slightest. I set the candle down on a thick table, bringing my hands to hers and then moving to sit her down.

Bending down slowly, I picked the apparently broken lamp up and set it down on her bedside table. I stood up and took in the room around me, and the fact it still smelt so damn good.

"Lydia..", She croaked again, bringing her hand to mine and pulling me down to her. I rested on my knees before her, drinking her in. But it wasn't the same touch as before, and she wasn't the same person as a few hours ago.

She cradled my face in her hands and I sat there, letting her touch every aspect of my insecurity whilst I admired her perfect features. I ran my eyes along her arms, inspecting where he might have dared to touch her.

We sat with eachother in the dim candlelight, soaking eachother up, holding onto eachother dearly.

"What did he do?" I spoke confidently to her, resting my hand on her knee calmly, feeling her tense underneath my touch.

Her eyes searched my face, her fingers touching my lips, caressing my neck.

"You can tell me", I sighed exhaustedly, reaching a hand up to touch her neck timidly.

Antoinette stood up broadly and begun taking the dress down on her body, a deep bruise already set along her hip. I grimaced at how it pulled along with her stretching movements. I didn't sit staring at her for long; but found my hands crawling along her skin and bringing her into a gentle embrace. Her skin felt cold under my matching extremities, but also uncomfortably warm in parts too. 

I rose up and sat next to her, still holding onto her body as if she might disappear.

She fell back to lie on the bed and I still held onto her, even when I swear she almost cried for the first time in my arms. I stayed with her and still held her, not too tightly so that she could shrug me off, but she held me back and breathed into my neck deeply.

I brushed her hair softly, feeling its silky texture in my fingers as I wrapped it around them. I felt her bury her head into me a little more. She slipped backwards, lying on her back and sighing deeply.

I let her go and pulled the large covers on her bed, before turning my attention back to her.

"I need a bath, I think", She spoke softly, propping herself up on her elbows.

Her eyes looked elsewhere whilst mine studied her body. The silvery stretch marks along her belly, which rounded slightly. Where her ribs were raised and more apparent. Her waist snatched in what I could only presume as an uncomfortable fashion. But she was gorgeous. I couldn't look away, not even when she caught me staring.

She smiled at me and stood up, leaving the room. I listened to the bathroom door click, so I set to tidying what I could for her.

——

The bed was made and a beautiful deep red, possibly Antoinette's choice. The drawers were pushed shut, the lamp was moved and the shards along with it.  The door opened, Antoinette walking in with nothing but her damp hair and a towel around her chest.

Thankfully, the candle did not highlight my red cheeks as I offered a spot on the bed to braid her hair. Antoinette took it, sitting upright in front of me, brushing her black hair behind her shoulders.

"I love your long hair, its so soft and shiny", I mumbled, quickly passing my fingers through it. Antoinette nodded slowly.

I let go of the braid, sweeping it to her shoulder, letting my fingers graze her skin slowly.

"Lydia...", Antoinette uttered, craning her neck to see me. The feeling was in my stomach again.

I stood up quickly, moving to pull a nightgown for her to slip into. She moved closer to me on the bed, sitting with her head cocked.

"What about the red one?" I questioned, not turning to look at her as I continued rooting through her belongings.

"That's a lovely choice, Lydia", She mumbled, a soft seductive tone to her voice. I turned slowly, a small smile playing at her mouth, her legs uncrossing as I approached her.

My face was burning up defensively as I offered the gown to her. Her hand reached for it, her crimson nails running past it and to my wrist, which she held gently. I stood, eyeing up my wrist and her hand as she slowly pulled me towards her.

Antoinette lay back on her elbows as I found myself inches away from her face, one knee to the side of her and one hand resting against her neck. Her hands guided me up the bed with her, and I was following each move she made.

Her head reached the pillows and she sat up, not taking her erotic eyes off of me. Her hand rested on my neck, my hesitation clear as I crawled between her thighs and up past her navel. The towel had long since slacked and she lay naked under my touch. I grazed my hand along her waist as my face came close to hers again.

She hummed against me, her hands flying up to each side of my neck, her nails playing tentatively through my hair. Her legs wrapped around me, pulling me down against her breasts. My hands pinned against each side of her neck. Antoinette's eyes washed over me with a calm flurry. Her hands played with my hair and her knees dug into my sides.

Abruptly, her hands let me go, her gaze left mine. Antoinette's eyebrow cocked up, a smirk playing at her face as she watched me piece together what had just happened.

"You need to get some sleep, Lydia", Antoinette teased, watching me stand up quickly and escape the room.