CHAPTER THWENTY THREE-MR. RABBIT

As Imara slammed the door shut behind her, Thorin sighed as he rolled his eyes then pushed himself up out of his chair and came to the foyer. “Unless you’re planning on paying for that glass out of your own pocket, young lady, I suggest you treat the door a little kinder.”

Imara threw herself down into a chair beside the hall table and panted heavily as she fought back her tears. “This is as much my house as it is yours. I’ll break out every window if I want to.”

Thorin knelt down in front of her and looked up in her face. “I take it your evening didn’t go as expected, sweet girl.”

As tears escaped her eyes, Imara chuckled to herself. “You know something? I think I must be cursed, Thorin. Cursed to never be happy. For Pete’s sake, why did you hire him for me? All he ever does is hurt me and make me look foolish. Oh God, I’m so stupid for caring about him. What’s wrong with me?” 

Thorin cupped Imara’s face in his hands and pushed her tears away with his thumbs. “No honey, there’s nothing wrong with you. You’re a beautiful soul, Ben’s the one who’s lost right now. But you have to believe me when I tell you that you two belong together Imara. If you look deeper, you’ll know that I’m right.” Thorin pulled her into his embrace then kissed the side of her head. “Alright, darlin. Get yourself upstairs and snuggle up in bed. I’ll have Aster bring you some hot cocoa or something. You’ll feel better in the morning.”

Imara licked her lips and nodded. “Fine. I don’t want to see his face anymore tonight anyway.”

Thorin smirked and shook his head. “You don’t really mean that, do you? It doesn’t sound like you at all.”

She sighed then pushed her lips together as she shook her head. “No. I’d rather see him every day like this then never see him again.”

Thorin kissed Imara’s hand then nodded towards the stairs. “Go on now. Get some sleep. You’re far too pretty to be worrying yourself like this.”

While Imara climbed the stairs, Ben and Haldir came inside then went to the parlor. Thorin sat leaned over in his chair with his head in his hands. He looked up then blew out a long breath. “We need to tell her.”

Ben threw himself down into a chair and shook his head. “Absolutely not.”

Thorin slammed his hand on the table beside him. “Dammit, Ben. Things are starting to stir in her head. Do you want her remembering everything and thinking you’ve not wanted her all this time? She’ll be crushed, she already is. I told you, you had to be careful with someone like her. Now this thing is happening whether we want it to or not, you’re just torturing her, and yourself, for no good reason at all.”

Ben rocked back and forth in pain then finally leaned over with his hands on his head. “I don’t know what to do Thorin. No matter what I do, she’s going to die. That man’s going to take my baby away and there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Thorin went to Ben’s side and knelt by his chair. “Ben if it’s going to happen anyway, just let her be happy. Let her have a few wonderful moments before that monster comes for her. If something happens tomorrow, Ben, if we’ve been wrong about the timing and he comes for her before we’re ready, do you really want her leaving this world thinking you don’t love her anymore? Is that better than her just knowing the truth? Oh, Ben. Eventually that will come to light anyway. It always does.”

“You’re so damn silly, Imara. What did you think would happen? He told you he made a mistake.” Imara looked at herself in the mirror and shook her head. As tears filled her eyes, she curled her swollen lips under and swallowed the bitter truth. “He doesn’t love you. You’re an idiot. Shaw would be so angry with you for being so foolish after he told you to not get involved with him in the first place.” Imara looked at herself in confusion, then she glanced at the door as the knocking returned. “Is that you, Shaw?” When he didn’t answer, she looked back at herself. “Where has he been anyway? This isn’t like him at all. He would’ve done whopped Ben into oblivion for what he did to me.”

When Imara left the washroom, she heard Ben and Thorin speaking loudly downstairs. “Serves you right, Ben Logan.” 

As she crept quietly down the hall to her room, she passed Thorin’s bedroom and noticed an old trunk at the foot of his bed. 

Imara heard the faint laughter of a child and thought she must finally be going crazy. “What is that? Is someone there?” Imara heard the men talking in the parlor room, so she pushed the bedroom door open and went inside then knelt before the trunk.

As she looked around the trunk, she twisted her lips to the side. “Hmm, no key. Wonder what you did with it.” As the sound of distant laughter filled her ears again, Imara took a hair pin from her hair and shoved it in the lock. After she jiggled the handles and fidgeted with the locks, she finally heard a pop. Imara smiled as she congratulated herself internally, because she never has been very good at things like that. She pushed open the locks then opened the lid. 

The smell of must and stale air wafted from the old things inside making Imara cover her mouth as she choked back the stench of it. 

“What in the world are you doing with an old wedding dress, Thorin? Is it Momma’s? I didn’t even think that lace existed that long ago.” Imara lifted it up to her body and looked it over. There were several buttons missing from the back. “Oh dear! I definitely hope that wasn’t Momma’s,” Imara said as she cringed at the thought of her father ripping it apart on their wedding night. “Such a shame though, it’s ruined. Look how yellow it is. Honestly, Thorin. You really should’ve taken better care of Momma’s things. I could have worn this someday.” 

As she set the dress aside, the brief flash of a memory of her looking in a mirror wearing her mothers pearls returned to her. Imara looked around as she searched her mind for an answer. “What was that? Is this thing haunted?” Imara sighed and shook her head. “I’ll have to sage this place tomorrow. I hate when they watch me.”

“What do we have here?” Imara picked up a large velvet bag. She squeezed it as she wondered what it held. As she pulled out the toy, she closed her eyes and heard the laughter again. Imara looked over the handmade stuffed rabbit with a button nose, then another flash came across her vision of a dark-haired baby smiling with two sharp front teeth.

She held the bunny in front of her then pressed it against her face. Imara inhaled deeply and the faint smell of a baby’s fuzzy head invaded her senses. “Sofia, you made this didn’t you? You said…wait.”

Imara stood then looked down at the rabbit in her hand and searched around her mind. “Is that real?”

Imara looked back to the wedding dress and then she closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she looked down at her finger and the brand she tried so hard to ignore was suddenly visible again. “What the hell’s going on?”

Imara’s shaky hand slid up to her neck and fingered the scar as she remembered how her knees buckled underneath her as Ben’s lips pressed against it. As the knocking in her head became unbearable, she put her hands to her ears and closed her eyes. “What happened to me?”

Suddenly, a flash of headlight beamed through the window and a car beeped its horn. Imara’s heart began to race as she realized something just wasn’t right.

“Thorin!” Imara walked out of the bedroom then down the stairs, as she crossed the house another flash on the green-eyed baby crossed her vision and she shook it away. “Thorin!” She picked up her pace until she reached the parlor, then she threw open the doors. “Thorin!”

As she came through the threshold, Thorin saw the rabbit and he stood up wide eyed. “Thorin, what happened to me?”

He wiped his hand across his mouth as he tried to quickly think of what to say. Imara raised her hand and showed him the rabbit. “Whose toy is this?” She looked at the headlights passing outside. “This isn’t right. What’s going on? Where’s Shaw? He wouldn’t just leave me like this.”

Ben leaned over with his head in his hands and sobbed. He had forgotten all about Mr. Rabbit. How could he forget about his baby’s favorite thing in the world?

Imara walked towards Thorin as Haldir shut the doors behind her. Tears started streaming down her face and her voice faltered. “Tell me, goddamn it. What happened to me?”

Haldir gently placed his hands on Imara’ shoulders and whispered in her. “I’m sorry kiddo, but there’s no easy way to do this.” As Haldir willed it so, the door to the dark corner of Imara’s mind opened and the memories came flooding from it like a swollen river. 

“Eliza! No!” Imara cried out as her knees buckled. Haldir caught her in his arms then lowered her to the floor. She pushed herself to all fours and wailed for her baby. “Oh, God! Why? Eliza!”

Ben rushed to Imara and pulled her up into his chest. “Ben, he killed Eliza! I’m sorry. I couldn’t stop him. Shaw tried to get her back but he…Oh God! No!” As she sobbed against his shirt, Ben looked to Thorin then he lifted Imara up in his arms and carried her to bed. 

Ben put his knee into the bed as he leaned over and laid Imara down then crawled in beside her. As he pushed her tear-soaked hair off her face and wiped her cheeks, he looked in her eyes. “I’m sorry for not telling you, baby. I didn’t want this for you.”

Imara shuddered and put her hand over her mouth as new tears began. “I’m going to get him, baby. I promise you.”  Ben kissed her forehead and whispered, “Shh…” As Imara fell under his spell, her heavy eyes closed.

Watching Imara sleep soundly in his arms, Ben suddenly realized what a fool he’s been since the courtyard. “I’m so sorry baby. I love you more than anything. Please forgive me”