Sticking my face into the stream to wash away the rest of my tears, I finish showering and step out. Damon laid out a fluffy, white towel and I take my time drying off. I have so many cuts and bruises that I’m sure I’ll be a sore mess in the morning.
Walking over to the sink, I swipe my hand at the steam-covered mirror and stare at my reflection. There’s already a nasty bruise forming on my temple and my lip is busted where my attacker struck me. I look worse for wear.
Physically, I know I’ll heal.
But mentally…I’m going to be afraid every time I go running now. Afraid of getting attacked again.
My vision blurs as tears fill my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. I unleashed my emotions in the shower, and I refuse to shed another tear over what happened to me.
Gripping the towel tightly around me, I open the bathroom door and peer into Damon’s bedroom. He’s nowhere in sight, but I spot the clothes he laid out for me on his bed.
The large sleigh bed takes up most of the room. There is a dresser, a nightstand and a small closet that take up the rest.
The rest of his apartment matches this room — sparse and simple. If I didn’t know any better, I would say that Damon just moved in, but he had mentioned living here for a little over a year.
He does have a job that probably keeps him from home most of the time, so maybe he’s just not interested in sprucing the place up.
I unfold the clothes he set out and can’t help but grin when I see the black Nirvana t-shirt. Since Damon’s usually donning tailored suits or other expensive clothes, a concert tee is so out of the ordinary for him.
I pull it over my head and stick my legs through a pair of his boxers, rolling up the waistband so that they actually stay put.
Combing through my wet hair, I pat it dry before hanging up my towel in the bathroom.
Then, I walk out of Damon’s bedroom in search of him.
I find him lounging on the couch in a navy-blue tee and gray sweatpants. It’s quite the change from his usual attire, and I decide that I like it. I like it a lot.
He opens his arms for me, and I have to force myself not to run to him. When I lie on the couch next to him, he pulls me closer and places a kiss on the top of my head. It feels so damn good to be in his arms, and I’m surprised by how much I’ve missed him over the past week.
I lean my head against his chest and listen to his steady heartbeat. “What made you decide to run in the park today?” I ask.
His heart beats a little faster as he answers me. “I know you usually run in the park in the morning, so I thought maybe I’d run into you. You’ve been ignoring me, and…well, I was going crazy without you, Victoria.”
His confession hits me hard. I think in a way I was going crazy without him too. I don’t know what’s going on between us, but it feels like we’re meant to be. And today simply confirmed it.
It’s a miracle that he was in the park at the right place at the right time. If he wouldn’t have been there…
“Are you cold?” he asks when I shiver from the horrible thoughts running through my head.
I relax further into his arms. “No,” I whisper.
His heart beat lulls me to sleep, and I close my eyes, unable to keep them open any longer.
It’s much later into the night when I feel Damon tucking me into his bed. He curls up beside me when I stir. “I won’t let anyone ever hurt you again,” he vows before pulling me into his arms. Running his fingers lazily through my hair, my eyes flutter close.
And the last thing I hear him say is “Sleep, my sweet Victoria.”
CHAPTER 22
VICTORIA
SOMETHING HAPPENED TO Damon after I spent the night at his place. I can’t really explain it myself, but the entire dynamic of our relationship shifted somehow.
Damon has changed.
But in a good way.
I think me spending a few nights in his personal space was the first step in building a lasting foundation to our relationship, and I couldn’t be happier.
