Page 17 of Velvet Deception

I trusted him when he was weak and dizzy and sleeping most of the time. Yet, I hadn’t deluded myself into thinking he couldn’t be a threat. I felt his taut skin. I noticed all those muscles. He was a big man, taller and stronger than me, and if he wanted toturn on me and Ramon when he was back to his full strength, I would be screwed.

Still can’t trust him.

It wasn’t just because he was a stranger. It wasn’t only because he was clueless about his identity and therefore unstable in some way. It was because I couldn’t trust any man. And that was the biggest reason I hadn’t given Ramon permission to get any closer to a man who might be gone the next minute.

Because he will be, right?It felt like a massive ticking bomb, a waiting game for when his memories would return. Once—and if—they did, he’d be out of my home and going back to whatever life he had before he was struck unconscious near the hospital.

If he never regained his memory…

Well, I’m sure he’ll still want to leave.

“Sofia.”

I jumped a bit at Pamela looking at me. Rubbing the back of my neck at the embarrassment of her catching me distracted, I raised my brows. “Yeah?”

She smiled and huffed a laugh. “You’ve sure got your head in the clouds, huh?”

I shrugged, flipping through the paperwork I was dealing with. Never mind the fact that I’d reread that line five times now and still hadn’t processed what it said.

“You’ve been distracted all day. I stood here trying to get your attention and saying your name for like a whole minute.”

“Sorry,” I replied, closing the papers to that chart. “Just busy… With Christmas coming and all.” I smiled to make myself soundand look believable. “I’ve been trying to think up what games Ramon and I will do for Aguinaldos.”

She smiled and nodded, also a fan of the nine nights of games and activities most families celebrated in the lead-up to Christmas Eve.

“And tonight is Noche de las Velitas!”

I smiled back, glad she was distracted from nagging me about why I was so distracted.

“You’ll put your candles out tonight?”

“Of course.”If I’m home on time…Ramon loved seeing all the candles and lanterns we put out to celebrate the coming of Christmas on this traditional night.

“Did you need something?” I asked, certain she hadn’t been desperate to talk about the holiday festivities all Colombians enjoyed.

“Yeah. I’m going to run to the hospital for more donations,” she said, arching a brow, likely remembering how much of a fuss I put up at having to go a week and a half ago. “I want one of those fancy coffees from the café there.” She giggled as she handed me papers. “Can you wrap up these discharge docs while I’m out?”

I nodded, taking the papers and exhaling with relief. I didn’t have to go back to the hospital. I dreaded the chance that I would ever have to, but more so now because of what had happened on my last trip there, finding Diego.

I carried on with work, but still, my mind was full of thoughts, questions, and opinions about Diego.

It hadn’t been long, but I was already proud of his recovery. He seemed to improve every day, and it alleviated my worries about a brain bleed or anything more serious.

More serious?I grimaced.As if selective amnesia isn’t serious enough.

I couldn’t help but wonder if he’d lower his guard a little more so I could try to ask him about what he thought happened to him. Like I told Ramon, I believed it was best not to stress Diego out. Asking him about the night that he’d lost his memory could trigger panic and make him more frustrated. Of course, I would be gentle and not interrogate him, but so far, I lacked the bravery to initiate a conversation about that night.

The last thing I wanted to do was overwhelm him in any way.

Would talking about the little he remembers of his past trigger a memory to spark?

I Googled it over my lunch break, and then later, in between my tasks, I browsed some more about how to handle the recovery period of a patient with amnesia.

“Sofia!”

I once again jolted at the sound of Pamela saying my name. Cringing and embarrassed to be caught off-guard again, I gave her a sheepish look.

“You aresodistracted. What is with you, girl?” She walked up close to me, taking a paper out of the stack I had been carrying to the front desk.

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