The Island and Beyond
By LashaLaura
Chapter 3
''WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN, I TOLD YOU NOT TO LEAVE THE HOUSE WHEN I WAS OUT ON BUSINESS!'' screamed Stavros, he had finally let go of his death grip on Laura's hand. Laura knew she could not calm him down after the numerous times she had been unsuccessful in the past! She had to ride this out until he had calmed down,
''Stavros, I was fine. I just needed to take a walk, where could I go on this god forsaken island, I would have to jump off a cliff, besides I was with….. Stefan.'' Stefan, she the name to herself as she said it out loud. For some reason she wondered where he had gone, she had actually wanted to continue talking with him, he seemed so easy to talk to. Where had he disappeared to??
''WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT DISOBEYING ME LASHA!!! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH AND YOU REPAY ME WITH DISRESPECT!'' Laura was totally prepared for what she knew would come next, her punishment. She was already to feel Stavros' hand coming across her face, but it never came.
''BROTHER!'' Stefan had not meant to yell but he knew Stavros too well and he knew if he didn't intercede Laura would be hurt.
''Stavros, I have been away from the island for six months and this is the hello I get, please come and talk with me, you can reprimand your wife properly later.'' Stavros put his hand down and walked away from Laura and toward Stefan. Stefan motioned toward the library so Stavros began to walk in that direction.
While all of this was going on Laura was baffled, she couldn't believe that Stefan agreed with Stavros' ways of punishment, had her judgement of Stefan been so off balance, that had never happened before. As she turned in disbelief toward Stefan who was walking behind Stavros, he came over to her quickly, leaned over and whispered in her ear, ''If you need me….'' And walked out of the room.
Laura didn't know whether to cry or thank him, her judgement of Stefan had been right all along, she knew now that she could trust him and she realized that was the first and only comfort she had felt since arriving on this dreadful island.
Then the silence reached her and she realized she was all alone, which in this house and being who she was, was not a good idea so she turned around and walked toward the staircase and to her room, it was getting late anyway.
That night Laura went to sleep and had no bad dreams, she thought it was because Stavros had not joined her later on in the evening but it may have been because someone had eased her fear more than she could have hoped.
Meanwhile, in the library, Stavros had fallen asleep several hours later in one of the reading chairs while Stefan stood by the window, thinking to himself, ''Thank God I came in the house before Stavros unleashed his temper on her. It was so hard for me to stand there and agree with his version of punishment, how I wanted to throw him against the wall for even considering the thought of hurting her.'' Stefan then turned to Stavros, he decided then and there that he would do anything to protect Laura from his brother, but the reason for his decision was one that he was could not admit to himself..at least not now!
© 1997 
