Made in Vengeance

I cleared my throat. “Good.”

He grunted. “Good.”

He threw the cloth over his shoulder, and it joined my dress on the floor.

“I’ll be back,” he said, walking out the door.

I lay in bed for a moment, looking up at the ceiling in a sort of daze. It didn’t take him very long to return with a clean white shirt in his hands.

He pulled me up by the arms and put the shirt on me.

“You know I can do this myself, right?” I asked with some amusement.

I received another grunt in answer.

He pushed me back on the bed and tucked the blanket in around me.

“Sleep. You have bags under your eyes, and I don’t want you to leave this bed until they’re gone.”

“I don’t think they’ll go away with one nap.”

“Try,” was all I got in reply.

I shook my head a little in exasperation, feeling a yawn coming through. Damien watched me with a look in his eyes that I had never seen on him before.

“Damien?” I asked.

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

He blinked, standing so still, I wondered if he was even breathing. I didn’t think I had ever seen a shocked Damien before, but I was sure this was it.

He didn’t say anything as he continued to tuck the blanket in around me. I thought it wasn’t necessary, but I wasn’t going to stop him.

I looked up at him. He moved his hand through my hair, petting me, reminding me so much of that first time I saw him, when they’d first took me to the motel.

How had so much changed in such little time?

My eyes grew heavy, and I blinked again, only my eyes didn’t open afterward.

“I love you too, Catalina,” he whispered softly against my forehead, placing a kiss there.

I smiled and fell asleep swiftly.

* * *

I woke up feeling disoriented.

It took a moment for me to realize where I was and what had happened.

I was in New York.

I didn’t know how I really felt right now. Everything seemed to be happening so fast, but I should be happy, shouldn’t I?

I just felt heavy.

Weighed down.