Chapter 31


    -MILLIE-


    “Yeah,” I listened to Damian speak with Nancy over the phone. The cool wind of the night carried her


    voice in my direction. It was mu ffled, but her worry was evident. Damian kept nodding, murmuring


    words of agreement, pinching the bridge of his nose from time to time.


    His gaze would slide to mine once in a while, green questioning eyes, seeking what was going through


    my head.


    I pulled his suit jacket closer to my body. We look out of ce in front of the hospital. I was still in my


    royal blue co cktail dress, blood stained the fabric, while Damian was in his dress pants and shirt. He’d


    discarded his tie. The first three buttons of his white dress shirt were undone.


    He walked to me, extending his hand. “It’s Lenny,”


    Sparks tickled the tips of my fingers as our fingers brushed.


    I pressed the phone to my ears. “Hey, mom”


    “Hi, Honey, is everything alright?” She sounded tipsy.


    “Yes, mom… Damian and I just had to get out of there for a bit. Sorry for bailing out.” I pressed my


    tongue on the inside of my checks.


    She blew a breath, giggling. “You missed the good stuff. You should’ve seen the ck eye Nancy gave


    Martha.”


    1


    “What?!” I hissed. A biting pain struck on my left side,


    Damian stiffened; he tried to reach for me but dropped his hand quickly, hesitation written all over his


    face. I smiled at him gratefully. He looked the other way, tucking his hands in his pants pocket.


    I knew Damian’s Aunt Martha. That woman gets off on insulting people, and I try my best to steer clear


    of her radar whenever she’s around. I wonder who invited her, anyway. Nancy would rather cut off her


    fingernails than be in Aunt Martha’spany.


    Mom giggled. I hear Nancy murmuring in the background. “Martha… she told Nancy not to wear a sack


    of rice again and boom!” She was clearly drunk. “Martha came home with a ck eye.”


    I giggled. Wincing again. This time, I felt Damian’s hand over my shoulder. The warmth from his hand


    slipped through the fabric of his suit jacket. I pressed a hand over his, a silent thank you for all he’d


    done for me tonight.


    “Listen, Mom…. I won’t being home tonight. Please tell Nancy thank you for the beautiful party


    “Oh no. Nancy is not satisfied with this engagement party. We will start nning the proper


    engagement party for you two tomorrow.” I could hear Mom shaking her head in the other line


    I pinched my eyes shut. Not another freaking party. But now was not the time to argue with them. I just


    want to sleep this night off. “Good night, Mom. Love you.”


    “Love you, too, honey-“I cut the call before she could say more. Knowing Mom, she wouldn’t stop


    bbering about how Nancy gave Martha a piece of her mind.


    “Thank you.” I gave Damian his phone back.


    “You’re not going home?” Damian inquired, steering me through the parking lot of the hospital. It was


    after midnight. The night was eerie, and I couldn’t stand being in a hospital. The scent of alcohol and


    bleach turns my stomach upside down.


    I shook my head, sliding on the passenger side of Damian’s jeep.


    “Where to?” Damian asked, shoulder checking, backing out of the hospital parking lot.


    09.26 Sat,


    27%.


    I thought for a moment and remembered that Andrea was staying in my apartinent. I didn’t want


    anyone to know what happened to me, at least until I figured out what to do


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    “Uhm. Just drop me off at the nearest hotel we could find.” I said, sporting my clutch bag n the


    dashboard.


    In my peripheral vision. Isas Damian’s jaw tter. “Hotel You want to stay in a freaking hotel?!


    “I don’t want anyone to worry about me. Damian I sighed, looking out the window, watching the city


    light pass like a blur..


    I wasn’t honest with Hunter. He was a cop, but I couldn’t trust the guy. Even if it was a different officer. I


    don’t think I would befortable sharing what really happened in that bathroom. My stomach was in


    knots. The masked my’s words were ringing in my ears like church bells on Sunday morning


    “Just drop me there 1 pointed towards the Orient Hotel, frowning at the driver when he passed by it


    Damian-”


    “There’s not a f ucking chance I’d let you stay in a hotel. Millicent His hands were clutching the steering


    wheel tighty protest died down at his following words “Tknew you lied.”


    ↑ stared at him, eyes wide as dinner tes.


    “Don’t even try to deny it. I know you too well. Millicent, but given what happened. I won’t force you to


    tell me sh it. But I sure as hell won’t leave you alone tonight


    He knew I lied to Hunter? But how? Did he hear what that guy said to me?


    All bghts have left my system. I just want to rest “Where are you taking me! Nancy will freak out if she


    sees my stitches”


    “To my ce”


    I woke up with Damian carrying me through a dimly lit room. The pain pills I drank before leaving the


    hospital made me dose off


    Then I felt a soft surface swallow my entire body. I faintly heard Damian asking permission to remove


    my dress so he could check my wounds and dress me cleanly. When I woke up again. I was alone in a


    queen-sized bed, the sun shining through the gaps of the curtains. The salty and fishy scent of the


    ocean mingled with something delicious. My stomach growled.


    The mouthwatering taste of bacon permeating the air made me push through the biting pain on my


    side. Eyeballing the bottle of pain pilis on the bedside table, I swallowed two, washing it down with


    water.


    I was drowning in a pink dress shirt. Damian’s perfume was faint underneath theyers of Lavender


    detergent and fabric


    conditioner


    Barefooted. I walked out the door, the scent of bacon was my guide. The house waspletely bare of


    any furniture. The


    were blinding white as the morning light passed through the ceiling-high ss walls.


    I found Damian in the kitchen his upper body on disy, a basketball shorts hung low on his hips. He


    turned, holding a pan and spat, shiding a sunny side up on the te by the kitchen ind.


    “Good morning his smile was brighter than the morning sun


    Ihat may by highting the effect of his contagious smile Good morning”


    but hija,


    “Breakfast? He heathed


    our


    “At least one of us woke up on the right side of the bed and cooked breakfast for a tion Teyed the


    bountiful food served


    on the ind


    He harmed, setting the pan on the sink, filling two cups with coffee from the coffeemaker “That’s


    because we’ve got a busy day ahead of us