Page 12 of Kiss of Ruin (Brutal Empire)

“We’ll let you get some rest. If you need anything, there’s a tablet on the table that connect you to any of our phones. When you wake, we can get all of your things unpacked. Your luggage was sent in a few minutes ago.”

“I can’t thank you enough.”

Isabel takes hold of one of my hands, patting the top with her other. “You don’t have to thank us. Please remember to let us know anything you need while you’re here.”

“I will,” I say to appease her. I refuse to be a burden to Nico’s parents. Not when he wants nothing to do with me.

Miguel and Pedro are the first to leave the room, with Isabel not far behind. “Remember, just use the remote if you need us.”

She leaves the room, flicking off the light in the process. Not that it makes a difference. Sunshine filters in through the windows that line one entire wall of the room. Beyond it, I can see the backyard and large in ground pool in the distance.

Instead of curling into the blankets, I allow myself the opportunity to really look around the room. The care Pedro and Isabel took for my arrival is evident in the little touches throughout the room. The motorized chair, a vase of orchids, my favorite flower sits in the middle of the table.

The views are beautiful, yet for some reason they remind me of everything I’ve lost lately. Places that I hoped we could go together. Now, I know that will never happen. It seems that I might be destined to be alone.

I adjust the pillows behind me and wallow in plenty of self-pity. Not the best thing to do, but maybe if I give into the desire to mourn what I thought would be I can face the time I’m hear with a smile on my face, even if that smile is as fake as my marriage turned out to be.

This time when the tears fall down my cheeks, I don’t try to stop them. I let them fall and drip from my cheeks onto the sheets. Not just once in my life did I choose the wrong man, I’m the lucky girl who did it twice.

No point in fighting the inevitable as the pain medication settles into my body, I cry myself to sleep.

Dreams of little girls with dark hair chase me once again. The girl taunts me as she chases me down the streets. No matter how hard I run, I can’t seem to get away.

I grow tired of running and stop in my dead in my tracks. I can’t let her keep chasing me. That’s no way to live. I turn and let her come to me. As she gets closer, I see her face for the first time and realize, it isn’t a little girl chasing me.

Elena.

My eyes pop open. The room is still lit up, but not as brightly as it was earlier. I push up to sit against the pillows and think about the dream that has plagued me night after night. Elena has been chasing me since I first learned about her. I always assumed it was me chasing her, but the harder I look back on what happened, I realize it’s her who’s been chasing me, waiting for me to come to her. And I, the naïve one, let her get me. If there’s one thing I know, I can’t let her chase me anymore.

I need to learn everything I can about her. When we meet again, it will because I chased her.

ChapterSix

Scarlett

The air conditioning cools my overheated skin when I push hard on the leg machine. It’s the same machine the doctor has been having me work on the entire week, adding more weight each day. I’ve been at the Acosta’s for a week now. Each day working on getting a little stronger.

The doctor came into see me that first night after dinner, promising we would get to work right away. Which he meant. He arrived early the next day with a physical therapist in tow.

I dreaded the work they would put me through, it was better than facing the awkwardness of the dinner the night before. After my nap, I’d gotten Miguel’s help to get into the motorized chair and to the dining room, where I expected my friends to be.

But they were rarely ever there.

A week later and I have only seen Rose or Sophia at meal times. Other than those times, I’ve stayed in my room or come to the workout room, exactly like I did this morning.

Sweat pours from my brow as I pushed down on the machine. It was a simple exercise that I could have done with the lightest push of my hand a few weeks ago. Now, trying to push the measly five pounds of weights, took all my energy.

“You’ve got this,” Amanda says on my last attempt.

“I can’t.” I reply, letting go. The machine snaps back into place with a clang. Any more weight and the sound would be much louder.

“Okay. You’ve done a lot today.” She picks up a tablet, making notes on my progress. “I like the progress you’re making.”

“Really?” I ask. I can’t stop the sarcasm from leaking into my tone.

She lifts a brow. “Don’t believe me?”

I liked Amanda from the moment she arrived. She never let me quit too early. Always pushing me to do more. Her sense of humor keeps me from thinking too much when the only thing I need to focus on is getting better.

---