Page 343 of Dark Love

“I’ll be right back with your food. Drink some more water. Do you need me to open it for you?” Vex nods towards the new bottle by the bed.

Since I moved, my body feels a bit more alive. “I’ve got it, but thank you.”

He nods and hurries off.

Never in my life have I drunk this much water. Eight glasses a day has always been a far-fetched dream. Why did it take someone drugging me to get me—Someone drugged me. For no reason. Someone picked me out of all those people to drug.

Vex enters the room carrying a tray. “Dahlia, you’re shaking again.”

I am? It’s only then that I notice the trembling. “Why do I keep doing this? No, don’t answer that. Everything in my head is all jumbled up.”

“Do you want to eat later?” Vex stands there staring at me.

My stomach protests at the idea of him taking the divine-smelling food away. “No. I’m hungry.”

The tray that he sets down over the towel on my legs is more like a little lap table. On one corner, there’s a stunning apricot and coral dahlia. “Beautiful.” I run a finger down its cashmere petal.

“Almost as beautiful as you.”

What? Is he nuts? There’s nothing beautiful about the mess that I am. Ignore the fact that my hair is a rat’s nest and I haven’t showered in who knows how long, my ashen face and raccoon eyes are enough to scare anyone away. The haunted lenses I see the world through make horror movies seem sweet.

“Do you still want the steak? I can get you something else.”

“No. No. The steak looks delicious.” The medium rare ribeye fills up two-thirds of the large black plate—who buys black dishware—and a loaded potato fills the rest. To ‘balance out’ the massive meal, there’s also a salad and a mini loaf of bread with a butter rosette.

Vex stands there silently, waiting.

“Thank you.” How could I have forgotten to say thank you?

He stays right wherehe is.

What is going on? Why isn’t he getting his own food? “Are we going to share this?” There’s more than enough to feed the both of us…though as big as Vex is, I can see him eating this entire thing.

“We can, if that’s what you want.”

Oh. Oh. He’s being considerate again. “There’s no need. I trust you.” I shouldn’t. No sane person would trust this man without some sort of proof. Why do I?

“You shouldn’t.” He stalks out of the room.

Yet I do. The nightmare churning around inside me settles every time he gets close. Maybe all of this is driving me out of my mind. Will I ever get my mind back? My sense of normalcy?

Vex strides back in. Three plates are balanced on one thick arm with a wine goblet in that hand and a tray table in the other.

A tray table!?! “Why do you have a tray table?”

“My interior designer swore I’d need them eventually. Turns out she was right.” He sets the tray table down, opening it in one smooth motion.

“If I tried to do that, everything would be on your pretty floors.” And me.

Vex smiles as he places each plate down precisely on the tray table that faces our movie screen.

“What, no flower?”

A small chuckle escapes him. “Eat before your food gets cold.”

I’d prefer to stare at you, but that isn’t an option. Where do I even start with this amount of food? The logical choice would be to eat the steak before it gets cold, but the fresh bread smells so enticing. Slathered in butter—

“Dahlia—"

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