I laugh as he points out the cuts on my hands and knees from where I fell onto my broken cup.
We don’t talk while he makes us a tea and coffee. But I can sense he wants to ask me something. So, when he places the cups down on the table and takes a seat opposite me, I ask him what’s on his mind.
He takes a few minutes to gather his thoughts.
“I don’t really have any idea of what you went through. I do know that it was bad, but I just…I’m sorry I shouldn’t be asking.”
“Hey.” I reach over, placing a hand on his arm. “We’re friends, Dylan. I won’t go into detail of the things that I went through, but if you have a question, please ask me.”
His face softens, and he chews on his cheek. “I know it’s only been two months since it happened, but do you think you’ll ever heal, like in your head?”
I wrap both of my hands around my cup and pull my legs up onto the chair and crossing them. I take a minute to think about my answer. Knowing that Wrath is behind me, sensing him, I want to be honest.
“I think I have a long road ahead of me. And as much as I would love to say I think I’ll heal mentally; I don’t think anyone truly heals from this sort of thing, not completely.” I take a sip of my hot tea and then tilt my head just a little, glancing over my shoulder. “But being surrounded by the people that I love, and by people that love me, it helps. I know that I’m safe.”
“Out,” Wrath demands of the prospect. He nods, gets up from his seat, places his half-drunk coffee in the sink and leaves without a word.
I watch Wrath as he makes himself a coffee and grabs some fruit and yogurt out of the fridge before taking a seat beside me. I raise an eyebrow at him, knowing full well the fruit is for me. He scoops some of it up onto the spoon and then holds it up to my lips. He gives me a smirk and I open my mouth allowing him to feed me.
“The counselling sessions, they are helping, aren’t they?” he asks, worry in his tone.
“They are baby. It’s just…”
“Hey, it hasn’t been that long. I don’t expect you to be ok, not yet. Nobody does. It takes as long as it takes, ok?”
I nod as I take another spoonful of fruit and he places a kiss on the side of my head. I’m still not ready for anything more, but I’m comfortable with kissing.
“How was Church?” They aren’t meant to talk about what is discussed in Church, but as it’s about Snake, I figure he’ll give me some info. He sighs letting the spoon drop into the bowl.
“Fuck Firecracker. I wish I had better news, but I don’t. We still haven’t found him. I’m sorry.”
I pick up the spoon and continue eating, realising I’m actually hungry. I catch him smirking out of the corner of my eyes. Smug fucker.
“It’s ok.”
“It’s not. We should have found him by now. But we will. I don’t care how long it takes; I’ll never stop looking for the bastard. And when I find him, I swear to you I’ll kill him.”
Epilogue
She sleeps better now. It’s only taken six months for her to finally feel safe enough to sleep for more than an hour at a time. She doesn’t sleep any more than five hours but it’s definitely better than one.
“Shhh.” I try to calm her as she stirs in my arms. I check the time on my phone and smile, a little over six hours she’s slept this time. Finally.
“Morning,” she says in a sleepy voice, fuck, I love her.
“Good morning, Firecracker. You actually slept longer,” I whisper.
I like to give her time to come around on her own, we’ve established when she first wakes up her anxiety is heightened if there is too much noise or too much going on or if people are rushing around, it can send her into a tailspin. She cuddles into me, and we lay in silence for the next thirty minutes.
“I have to go to the studio today, I have two bookings,” she tells me, her eyes still closed.
“I’ll get the prospect to drive you.”
“It’s ok, baby. I can drive myself. I’ll be fine.”
I grab her and flip her on top of me. “Don’t argue with me, Firecracker. You know the rules. You don’t go anywhere alone.I have club shit to do today, so the prospect will go with you, or you don’t go.”
She leans down and kisses me, her tongue pushing into my mouth, and I smile around it, kissing her back before gently biting her lip.
