Beautifully Broken

I follow him into a small dusty room. There’s only one couch and a tiny TV. Dust particles dance in the air all around us.

It’s not much, but it’s perfect.

“The bedroom’s through here,” Damian says, and I follow him into an even smaller room. The furnishings are sparse, consisting only of a bed and closet. I watch as Damian pulls all the bedding off, then he shakes it all out before making the bed again. “Get in.”

He doesn’t have to tell me twice, and I don’t care what condition the bedding is in. I just want to sleep.

I crawl under the covers and find a comfortable position for my tender body.

Damian takes a bottle of water from the bag and places it on the floor, next to the bed. He leaves a box of painkillers too. “I’ll check on you in a while. Get some rest.”

“Thank you,” I whisper as he turns to leave the room. “For everything.”

Damian gives me one of his rare smiles that makes the air whoosh from my lungs, and then he leaves. He doesn’t shut the door, so I can hear as he moves around the cabin.

The sound is comforting.

It’s quiet out here, and I love it. No people. Nothing but us.

It’s my last thought before I drift off to sleep.

The smell of food wakes me. I don’t know how long I was asleep.

When I move to get up, pain starts to pulse in my abdomen, and I quickly reach for the painkillers. I down two with the water, then go look for Damian.

I find him in the kitchen where he’s stirring something in a pot.

“You’re cooking?”

“Yeah, just some chili. I got some fresh bread too, and some other stuff.” He points to a coffee pot.

“Always my hero,” I joke as I prepare a cup of much-needed coffee for myself. Taking the mug, I walk out onto the small porch, the wood creaking beneath my feet.

I glance over the nature surrounding the cabin, and when I don’t see any other homes or people in the near vicinity, I feel a flutter of something close to happiness.

I hear movement inside, and glancing over my shoulder, I see Damian’s stripping all the bedding off again.

When he places new bedding on the mattress, warmth trickles into my chest.

I don’t deserve him.

I wish I had the energy to help him, but I’m already tired again. It feels as if something is draining every drop of strength from my body.

I finish the coffee and rinse the cup, then go to the bathroom. There’s only a bath, sink and toilet. I hesitate for a second before I shut the door.

Panic rises in my chest as I stare at the door.

You can do this.

You have to.

I quickly relieve myself, flush the toilet, and rinse my hands before yanking the door open.

Damian’s right on the other side, a smile tugging at his mouth. “You closed the door,” he states, sounding proud of me. “That’s good.”

When Damian walks to the kitchen, I make my way back to the bedroom, and a grateful smile tugs at my lips as I climb under the brand-new bedding.

Letting out a sigh, I close my eyes, and soon I fall asleep to the sounds of Damian moving around the cabin.

DAMIAN

When the chili is ready, I scoop some into a bowl for myself. Cara’s still asleep, and there’s no way I’m waking her. She needs as much rest as possible. She can eat when she wakes up.

I take my bowl and a bottle of water and go sit on the old beaten-up couch. I have a clear view of Cara, and my eyes never leave her as I enjoy the food.

Once Cara’s better, we’ll need to talk. The thought of going to South Africa and killing that good-for-nothing uncle of hers has been playing on my mind. I need to put an end to them hunting her before we can build a future together.

The day I got Cara from that container, I never thought we’d end up like this.

God, I never thought there’d be a woman out there who would make me give it all up. Even if there can never be a relationship between us, just having her with me will be enough.

When midnight comes, and it’s clear Cara won’t be waking up, I quickly bathe. I hate bathing. I need to install a shower.

I pull on a pair of sweatpants and then slip into bed next to Cara. She’s lying on her side, with her back facing me. I stare at her silhouette for a few minutes before I move closer to her. I make sure not to jar her as I push my arm under my head, and then I slowly pull her against me.

It feels like I’ve only been asleep for a couple of seconds when movement wakes me. I open my eyes and see Cara’s sitting on the edge of the bed.