Beth's mind was all over the place. There she was pitting dates - one of the stickiest, greasiest and unattractive jobs in the kitchen. Her mind should be on the sole purpose of getting them pitted and cleansed, but how could she when Caydrick was sitting on the floor, grinding flour?

Shirtless and kneeling on her floor with her mortar and pestle, a light sheen of sweat was beginning to form on his scarred, muscular back. Down his arms, veins were popping up from the force he was using to grind the gentle flour corns into fine powder. His head was bent, and unlike her, he seemed totally focused on his task. Or more like, the task he had forced her to let him do.

"You can take a break, you know," She nervously said when he just kept grinding the flour, even though he was panting slightly. "Do not kill yourself over it."

He suddenly stopped and looked up, as if being brought out of a trance. "What? Oh, right. Sorry."

"What are you apologizing for?" She softly chuckled, while pitting the last date. "For doing your job too well?"

He swallowed and let go of the pestle. "I-I do not know. Sorry."

"Never mind it," She smiled and rinsed her fingers from the sticky date-residue. "I think the flour is fine enough now, anyway. Thank you."

"You are welcome," He said and stood up, beginning to bag the finely grated flour into a bag. "So what is next?"

"Next I just have to put the berries away," She replied, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. Her kitchen had gotten a wee bit hot with him in it. "They just need to go into those small baskets right there, do you mind bringing the berries?"

Caydrick immediately took the berries from the wheelbarrow and brought them to the kitchen table. "Here."

"Thank you," She smiled. Tonight – despite the unfortunate events – had been nice. After they cleaned up all the mess (and also decided he had to stay there one more night, until the curfew lifted, where he could then make a run for it) they had begun putting away all her new supplies - the ones she had gotten from the market. One of her thoughtful customers had seen her wheelbarrow and had been so kind as to bring it to her. As a thank you, Bethia had promised her a whole week of free bread.

Now they were almost done and were getting ready for bed. They just needed to sort out the berries and that was that.

"What berry is your favorite?" She asked, while she begun sorting them. "I like blackberries the best. Something about them just tastes nice to me. They are kind of like the darker version of raspberries, only more sour; The sour brother."

Caydrick chuckled quietly and shook his head. "I do not know. I have never tasted berries before."

"You what?" Bethia gaped. "Are you serious?"

He shrugged calmly. "I never had the luxury. Berries were not exactly on the army's menu."

"Then what was?"

"Meat. Loads of it."

Bethia scoffed loudly. "Well now is your time to see what you have been missing. Here," She picked up a blueberry and held it up to his mouth. "Open up, soldier."

He hesitated for a moment, but then slowly parted his lips. He opened his mouth and Bethia plopped the little berry into it. As his lips sealed around it, they brushed the tips of her fingers. A chill went through her body, and she noticed something flash across Caydrick's face, too. But that could of course be the effect of tasting a blueberry for the first time.

He slowly chewed, taking a very long time to swallow the single berry. Finally, he did. "That was possibly the best thing I've ever tasted."

Bethia could not help but laugh nervously. "We are only just getting started. Now raspberries," She said, picking one plump raspberry up from the bunch. "Open up."

He did, and just like the first time, he took his sweet time chewing it. He let out a soft sigh as he swallowed. "So sweet. So juicy for something so small."

Bethia could not stop smiling like a fool. Watching him experience the sweetest things in life for the first time, was something so satisfying to her. Almost blissful. "Then try the blackberry and see what I mean."

"The sour brother?" He mused, a small smile tugging at his lips, as she picked one from the bunch.

"It tastes different to everyone. Open up," She said with a little smile back. She put the berry in his mouth, and this time, his tongue grazed her finger. She swallowed hard.

- That should not have felt so good.

Caydrick chewed slowly and for some reason gripped on to the edge of the kitchen table. He then swallowed and nodded. "You were right. More sour, but still sweet. I like the aftertaste."

When he slowly licked his lips from residue, she could have died right them. It looked so sensual, so seductive it made her stomach tighten and had a wetness flowing in between her legs. She swallowed again.

"I saved the best for last," She whispered, nervously picking up the big red berry by its green stem. "Strawberry."

He opened his mouth before she had the chance to say it this time. So instead she closed her own and looked into his shades as she brought the berry to his lips. The moment he bit down on it, his lips met her fingers, just as a drip of the strawberry's juice escaped his mouth and ran down his chin. Instinctively, she reached out and brushed it away, but just then his hand caught her wrist. They both froze, and Beth looked up into his eyes.

"I am sorry," She quickly whispered, dropping her hand and taking a step back.

Caydrick shook his head and chewed on the strawberry. After swallowing, he licked his lips. "No, Bethia. That was the best thing I have ever tasted, and most likely ever will. Thank you for that."

"It was nothing," She breathed, trying to get her rapid-beating pulse back under control. "S-so which one was your favorite?"

"Strawberry," He said and licked his lips again to catch any last residue. "Definitely strawberry."

She nodded a little and then begun to nervously fidget with her apron. There was something that had been bugging her the whole day and she could not stop herself from asking anymore. Not after this.

"Caydrick? What is it that you know?" She carefully started. When she noticed his body tense up, she quickly placed a hand on his arm. "Please, Caydrick, do not close down on me again. I know you know something, and that is why they are searching for you. Is it not?"

He worked a muscle in his jaw before he looked down and sighed. "I could tell you what I have done, Bethia and I could tell you why they are searching for me. I could. But in the end, it does not matter," He said and met her eyes with a hard face. "The information will be useless to you, if anything it could harm you to know such secrets. Look at what it has done to me. So why tell you?" He paused, perhaps watching how her face sunk. "I will be gone in a few hours and your life will continue on without my interference. It will go back to being quiet and peaceful, the way it should be."

A long silence stretched. Beth did not know how to reply. He was right. Whatever he knew could hardly benefit her life in any way. The only reason she wanted to know, was to sate her own curiosity and it was selfish. He was right not to tell her.

"I apologize," She replied after a moment, and meant it. "I should not have pried."

"I know it is frustrating for you," He said, now taking her hand. His warm rough hands folded over hers and cupped it gently. "I would be too if it was me. But you have to believe me, I am doing it for your safety."

She nodded and smiled a little. "I know." She then cleared her throat and looked away. "W-we should probably get finished here and head to bed. Tomorrow is Sunday, everyone will be in church, so it will be easier for you to sneak away unnoticed. You should get a good night's sleep."

Caydrick slowly nodded, but seemed to reluctantly let go of her hand. "You are right. Thank you again, Bethia. For everything. These past two days has been like a haven for me. I cannot thank you enough."

"Then go to bed instead," She smiled. "I will put the berries away, you go ahead."

He gave a final nod before he quietly – but again while clicking his tongue – left the kitchen and headed up the stairs. After a few moments she heard his footsteps upstairs and then silence fell. Both in her house and in her heart.

Not many minutes later, Bethia was done cleaning up and begun her march up the stairs to her bedchamber as well. She thought she heard something, a voice in her room speaking, and it only took her a second before she realized what it was.

Glancing through the small crack in the door that stood ajar, she saw Caydrick kneeling in front of the couch, his hands folded and his head bowed. He was... praying?

His voice was so fragile and sounded more exhausted than she had ever heard it before. But even so, she still managed to make out his words. Even if they were hushed and gravelly.

"Alright God. I doubt you still bother to listen to me, because of all the times I have insulted you, but this time I wish not to question your way of doing things," He whispered and drew in a deep breath before continuing. "All along, I blamed you for never being there for me, for never looking after me. I never realized before now that you did. You gave me the strength to carry on, you showed me light in my darkest times, and gave me the aids I needed to survive. I see now that you had to put me through years of misery, to make sure I could survive what lied ahead. You taught me that good things make us weak, and bad things make us stronger. So today, I selfishly ask for you give me strength one more time. I promise it will be the last, but I need this. I fear I will not make it without your merciful hand."

Caydrick suddenly paused and Bethia was scared for a moment that he had heard her listening. Her heart was beating so loudly, he had to have heard it. Even her neighbors should. But to her surprise and complete shock, Caydrick let out a sound that sounded almost like a silent sob. His head tilted even lower until he was practically touching the couch with his forehead.

"Please, God... I am losing my willpower," He begun again, his voice cracking. "I cannot keep doing this. I just cannot. For every minute that passes, my willpower weakens. I feel her getting closer and I cannot fight her much longer. Please, give me the strength to carry on. I beg of you, please help me. My senses weakens we are in the same room. I forget everything but what I want to do, and it makes me vulnerable. She is killing me slowly, even now, as we are apart. Please; Help me to be strong. And if you shall choose not to, I beg of you then; Have mercy on my soul.

"And bless her. Bless sweet Bethia," He then said and suddenly lifted his head. "Please let her be safe. She is so generous and truly one of your angels from above. I thank you for bringing her into my life. Do not let my impure heart and path infect her way. I am frightened of what my presence have done to her already. I feel I have tainted her with my compliments and violated her with my lies. Watch over her, please. Watch over her when I am gone. Amen."

Bethia did not realize she had stopped breathing until he made the holy cross and stood up. He rubbed his face and now put on his shades which she had not realized he had taken off. He then ran a hand through his blond hair and sat down on the couch, sighing heavily.

Beth was stunned. His prayer had been one of the purest things she had ever heard. The most sincere submission to God and his way, as if he had already accepted his future and knew it would be grim. He did not hate God for it, instead he thanked God for... her. For giving him her. For allowing him to have her for just a moment, however short it may be. He had called her an angel.

Yet, at the same time, he had also talked about losing his strength around her, how he could barely fight her anymore. She did know even realize that he was. Did that mean what she thought it meant? Was it even her he was talking about? Was there more than one her in his life? She did not think so. After all, he had been in prison for 3 years...

Swallowing, she took a deep breath. Then slowly, fighting back the heartfelt tears in her eyes, she begun making footsteps on the stairs, making it sound like she was ascending. After another moment, she then opened the door and walked in.

Caydrick looked up as if being brought out his deep thoughts, then stood up and gave her a smile, as if nothing was wrong. Bethia returned it.

"All done?" He asked.

She nodded. "All done."

"I guess we should go to sleep then."

- She was going to do this. Her heart was beating fast, but she was really wanted to do this. There was nothing she wanted more.

So Beth released a shaky breath and started untwining the lace of her bodice, slowly opening her dress. She saw Caydrick slowly turn his head and look at her. A muscle in his jaw twitched, when she just kept untwining while he watched what she was doing.

He then slowly released a breath and turned to fully face her. "Are you not going to ask me to turn around?"

Pausing for a second, she nervously met his eyes. "Do you want me to?"

She could literally see his face crumbling with something that had been guarded well and for a long time. If she did not know any better, she would call it... his heart.

Then, he set into motion and slowly walked up to her. This time he did not click his tongue, even if past experiences had told her this would be the perfect moment for it. But he did not. He stopped in front of her and carefully, and extremely gently, cupped her face as if he was afraid his bare touch would appall her, or maybe even hurt her.

Bethia released another shaky breath and looked up into his shades. She really wished she could see his eyes. "Caydrick..."

She could see the indecisive look on his face, the struggle between what he wanted to do and what his head told him not to do.

- Bethia could not wait for him to make up his mind.

Without hesitation, she stood onto her toes and then pressed her lips against his. For one brief, shining and absolutely incredible moment, she experienced Eden on earth. The touch of his lips was so soft, softer than she thought it would be, and much more perfect than what she knew was possible. But then when he did not kiss back, but instead completely tensed up, she quickly withdrew, feeling the humiliation sting in her heart.

"Oh God, Caydrick, I am so s—"

He crashed his lips down on hers and buried his hands within her pinned-up hair, urging her towards him. His other hand pressed at the small of her back and drew her closer, just as he angled his head to kiss her deeper. He kissed her so passionately Beth felt like she was losing not only her footage, but also her mind. She gripped onto his shoulders and drew him even closer, mingling their scents along with their lips. It felt like nothing was going to draw them apart.

And just like that, Beth knew exactly how she wanted to spend her last night with him. Even if when morning came, he was gone.