Scars (Marked #2.5) by Lynch Marti, Elena M. Reyes Page B

shower.
    Immediately, my body relaxed under the hot spray of water. Muscles loosened, and the pounding at my temples resided just a bit. Enough so that I could turn my focus on the man standing beside me, taking care of me as if I were a fragile doll. His touch and concern were the sole reason I felt my anxiety lessen.
    “Thank you.” Exhaustion hit me then as he, with a careful hand, washed my hair. I slumped against him. “I’m sleepy, Jaime.”
    He laid a gentle kiss on my neck. “Relax, I got you.”
    Those were the last words I heard before my hold on reality exited the room and I let the darkness take me under again.

    When I awoke next, it was nighttime out. The city lights glowed in the background, illuminating my room and casting a soft glow over my sleeping companion.
    A small smile overtook my face as I listened to his low snore. He’d stayed. Like always, Jaime was my saving grace.
    “Quit watching me sleep, creeper.” His succulent lips quirked up at the corners, and it was a cute trait. His eyes opened next, and he just watched my face for a few minutes in silence, reassuring himself that I was okay. “You look well rested.”
    “I feel it.” A small twinge of discomfort loomed around the edges of my consciousness, but it wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle. I’d been through worse. The feeling was a distant memory of what had transpired just a few short hours ago.
    In that moment, I felt better, and it was all thanks to the man now smiling up at me. It could also have to do with the fact that I was lying down, resting, and not running around as I tended to do when so much was at stake.
    “Welcome back, babe.”
    Leaning forward, I placed a tiny and innocent kiss across his soft lips.  “Thank you.”
    No other words were spoken after that. We just lay there, me with my head on his chest, both lost in our heads and basking in the quiet comfort we each provided. Words weren’t needed.
    Jaime understood me better than I did myself most days; he’d brought me back from the dark edges so many times in the past. Too many to count, but I remembered each one.
    This last episode had been the worst I’d ever faced, but I was determined to make it my last. Once I had her out of the picture, all would be right in my world. She was the poison running through my veins causing me this pain.
    Maya was responsible, but after I disposed of her, Talan would make it better. He had to.

9

     
     
    The light of a new day brought on a series of complications I was all too familiar with— exhaustion, heaviness in my limbs, and shortness of breath. Everything felt more pronounced, especially the trembling in my legs.
    Mentally, the effects of this breakdown were too much to deal with at the moment. They caused me to question all the choices I’d made as of late.
    Luckily enough, I was stubborn enough to push forward and not let this simple blip in the plan deter me. It wouldn’t allow me to quit. Didn’t let me walk away from the man I loved with every fiber of my being.
    That thought was what set the rest of my day in motion, pushed me to drag my tired butt out of bed and toward Talan’s shop. Leaving Jaime behind was tough. He was snuggled up behind me, arm around my waist as he slept with a small smile on his face. The bed was warm and he was almost too enticing to leave, but Talan was worth it.
    “Love you,” I whispered into his ear before giving him a chaste kiss. This man deserved more than the disaster I was, deserved a woman who’d give back as much as he gave.
    Problem was that I was too selfish to let him go.
    At least not yet. First I needed Talan to make me whole, and then I would help him. Set him free.
    I could barely keep myself up as I made my way to the bathroom. Too many thoughts plagued my mind, and I couldn’t continue to rest knowing our relationship was up in the air. Talan had to atone for his sins—his mistreatment of me ever since that cunt walked into our lives.
    Abandoned. Lost.