When his breathing started to slow, I stood, crossing the room quietly. “I’ll get you some water,” I said. My voice was calm, even though everything inside me was unsettled.
He didn’t answer right away. When I handed him the glass, he took it and nodded, “Thanks.”
“You sure you don’t need help?” I asked, watching him closely.
He took a slow sip before setting the glass down on the nightstand. “It’s fine. I’ve been having dreams like this since the accident.”
My eyebrows pulled together. “That’s not normal.”
He ran a hand over his face. “It’s the same dream every night.”
“What kind of dream?” I didn’t know if he was going to respond to me or not seeing how unpredictable he had been and his clear coldness to me.
His mouth tightened, “there’s a woman, she doesn’t have a face. She’s always just out of reach, standing there like she’s waiting for me to come to her, but I never can.”
I sat down slowly, “that’s… strange.”
He turned to face me, “It’s because I’m here, with you.”
My heart froze and I blinked, waiting for him to say more but he didn’t. Eventually, I stared at him, confused, “what do you mean by that?”
“I know it’s her. Benita,” he said, like the name meant everything. “The dream, it disturbs me because it’s her. It’s always been her. I should be with her, not here with you. That’s why the dream started again tonight.”
I pulled back slightly, something cold sinking into my chest. He looked right at me when he said it, and I had to clench my jaw to stop my reaction from spilling out.
“We should sleep in the bed,” I said stiffly. “Just… for the sake of it,” I added, “you probably had that dream because the couch was too uncomfortable for you.”
He didn’t argue like I expected him to, instead he got to his feet like he had been planning to take the bed all day and I followed after him.
We climbed into the bed, silence between us. I lay facing the other way, but I still felt it, the slow shift of the mattress as he moved closer.
Then, without warning, his arm slid around my waist and pulled me back against his chest.
“What are you doing?” I asked in a low voice, every inch of me screaming out the confusion that I felt immediately.
“It’s the media, someone could still be watching, don’t overthink it‘
1/3
8:43 pm E
Chapter 16
55 vouchers
How on earth could I not over think it? Rick might not have remembered but my body knew every inch of him and knew it well, it knew how crazy it worked and him touching me like this reignited whatever I had buried long before now.
I didn’t respond. I stared at the wall, my heart pounding, trying to pretend the heat of his chest didn’t burn through the thin silk of my nightgown.
By morning, I was already awake when he got up and dressed. His voice came calm and low, “there’s an emergency meeting with one of the staff at our headquarters here, I have to stay.”
I turned toward him, “what? Can’t I just head home on my own? This doesn’t mean anything for me right?”
He buttoned his shirt and shook his head. “No, we need to be seen together, people talk, if something looks off, they’ll run with it.”
I didn’t push. A part of me wanted to argue, but the other part, the one that still felt shaken around his father, kept my mouth shut.
I watched him leave after he was dressed and when the door shut, I picked up my phone and called Lena.
Her little face lit up the screen. “Mommy!”
“Hi, baby. Are you doing okay?” My voice cracked a little.
She nodded fast, a spoon in her hand. “They made me pancakes! And juice! I ate everything.”
I smiled. “Good. You make sure you eat everything they give you. Be good, okay?”
“Okay, Mommy. But… is the angry man there?”
I blinked. “What?”
“The angry man,” she repeated. “Uncle Rick.”
My chest twisted. I didn’t know what to say, hearing Rick’s name from Lena was something I would never have imagined. I was taken by surprise but I nodded, amused by her nickname for him.
“Yeah,” I finally whispered, “he’s here,”
“I like it here,” she added, “It’s big and shiny,” it didn’t matter how Rick or his family was treating me, the fact that they were being nice to Lena and making her feel the fatherly love I never offered her warmed my heart.
I laughed softly, tears stinging my eyes, “I miss you.”
“Miss you too,” she said before blowing a kiss and ending the call.
I stared at the black screen for a long second. The guilt of staying behind while she was somewhere else ate at me. I couldn’t just sit in this room.
2/3
8:43 pm ED
Chapter 16
55 vouchers
I headed downstairs to the hotel bar and ordered a drink. Something light just so I could have my mind to stop racing but the peace didn’t last.
“Someone like you shouldn’t be drinking alone,” a deep voice said beside me.
I turned to find a man, tall, expensive–smelling cologne, smug smile. I rolled my eyes. “I’m fine, pease leave me alone.”
He chuckled, “come on, just being friendly.”
“I said I’m fine.”
He didn’t move. I stood, grabbing my purse, ready to leave but the moment I stepped away from the bar, he followed. “I just want your number, nothing more.”
“Back off.” I warned.
He reached for my arm. I twisted away, but he caught me fast and shoved me back against the wall. My breath caught in my throat, “I said I just want your number.”
“Get off!” My scream caught.
Suddenly, he let out a sharp cry. His body jerked forward, crashing into the opposite wall. My hand flew over my mouth.
Rick.
He stood over the man, eyes black with fury, “no one messes with what’s mine.”
3/3
