Page 29 of Heart of a Villain

“I’m joking, of course.”

Although enraged and hardened, of all the words that could describe her as she lay curled up like a kidney bean, the one he settled on was cute.

Borderline innocent.

She slept as if sleep, right there in that moment, under this roof, was the only peace she’d known in years. For the sake of his sanity, he tried not to consider the fact that it probably was.

Regardless of what he’d said, he wouldn’t sleep next to her. There was an extra room that he was sure Thanasis wouldn’t so much as glance at. If not the extra room, there was a sofa that converted into a bed on the first floor.

“Good night, Sayeda.” He smoothed her hair and kissed her hairline as he rose to his feet. “Sweet dreams, querida.”

Before turning out the light, he took one last look behind him. Satisfied that none of this was a dream and that she would still be alive tomorrow, he flipped the switch. Then he heard when she jolted awake, but he didn’t hear her movements for long. All sound was overtaken by an ear-piercing scream.

A pillow whizzed by his head.

“Stay away from me.”

“Sayeda, it’s me. It’s Adrían.”

She tossed something else, but it was too dark to determine what, even as its semi-hard body clipped his shoulder. It hit the floor with a resounding thud, like wood striking wood.

The lights came on.

She looked over his shoulder.

“Hi, Sayeda,” Ayesha greeted. “I like your white T-shirt. I sleep in T-shirts sometimes, but they’re always Joel’s. I’m surprised he still has clothes to wear because of me.”

Sayeda examined her shirt, her knees pressing into the bedspread.

“Are you comfortable in here? Do the sheets feel okay? What do they feel like?”

Sayeda looked from Ayesha to the sheets. Then she curled her fingers into the fabric.

“They feel…soft,” she said.

Adrían tried to keep half of his body blocking Ayesha in the event of any further projectiles, but she placed her hand on his forearm, squeezed, and stepped in front of him.

“Sayeda, what about the air conditioner?” Ayesha pointed to the ceiling and drew a circle in the air. “Is it too loud? It’s new, but if it’s too loud, we can get someone out to fix it asap.”

“N-no.” Sayeda shook her head. “I don’t think so. It’s not too loud.”

“How do you like the decor?”

She looked around. “It’s…it’s nice.”

“Tell me five things you like that you can see.”

“I like the paint…um, the neutral paint. Pretty lamps. I like the pattern on the sheets. The door handles. The floors…I like this wood. It’s a nice color. I like, uh, lighter wood. As in color, I mean.”

Ayesha’s thighs touched the bottom edge of the bed. “Can I sit on the bed?”

Sayeda nodded.

Ayesha took a seat.

“Will you sit next to me, Sayeda?”

Sayeda unfolded her limbs, crawled over, and settled next to Ayesha.

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