Page 32 of Dark Love

“When something bad happens, I fix it or take care of the problem so that it never happens again. Please don’t ask me questions you don’t want the answer to.”

Take care of it. Never happens again. “You… You...”

“I made sure you are safe.” His eyes plead with me to understand.

How can I understand? We live in a world full of laws. A world that would say what Vex did is just as bad, if not worse, than what that man tried to do to me. But it doesn’t feel worse. It doesn’t feel wrong. Am I messed up because I think that way? Maybe it’s the drugs. “I’m safe.”

He punctuates those words by squeezing my hand.

This might be a safe place, but it’s not my own bed. I want my own bed with my own blankets and my own sheets. Sheets that don’t smell like Vex. My arms wobble as I attempt to lift the blankets off of me.

“What are you doing? Do you need something?” Vex looks about ready to jump out of his skin to get whatever I might want.

“I want to go home.” There’s got to be a way to get these blan — “WHAT AM I WEARING? Where is my dress?”

Vex lets go of my hand, stands up, and starts pacing across the endless void of black that is the floor.

“Answer me.” He told me I was safe. Nothing happened. Then why aren’t I wearing the dress I left the house in yesterday? Which certainly wasn’t the navy blue t-shirt that’s currently on my body.

“You passed out in the bathroom of my club. I couldn’t just leave you lying in—But you don’t have to worry, I didn’t—I wasn’t—A doctor cleaned you up and changed your clothing.”

“What?”

“The club has several doctors and EMTs on staff. Barb was on site last night. She took care of you. Then she stopped in while you were out to change your clothing and get you cleaned up. She also made sure that you didn’t need any further medical care. Nothing happened. I made sure you were safe.”

“Barb? Can I meet her?”

“Barb isn’t really a people person. She’s a bit prickly to be around.” He stops in front of one of the floor-to-ceiling windows. “But if it makes you feel better, I’ll give her a call later.”

Later? “I want to go home.”

“Dahlia, stay here. There’s everything you could ever want right here in this room. Just tell me what you need. I’ll get it for you.”

The Vex standing in front of me isn’t the Bone Crusher that Diane and Mindy know. There’s fear and desperation in his voice.

Does his fear match the fear that’s boiling in the pit of my belly?

“Please stay here. Let me take care of you.”

Can I do that? The burning was better when I held his hand. Do I really want to sit alone, obsessing about what I don’t remember? “All right, I’ll stay on one condition.”

I Get To Pick

Dahlia

Vex hesitates a moment. “What condition?” There’s a wary edge to his voice.

“We don’t watch any boxing. I don’t mind any other sports, but boxing…” A little ick shiver runs down my spine. “It’s just too violent for me.”

“MMA is out too then.”

“MMA?” Do I even want to know what that is?

“Mixed Martial Arts. It’s like boxing except you can kick a person, too.”

“Ouch. Why would people do that?”

He shrugs. “It’s not as bad as it seems.”

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