Page 75 of After Midnight

I cringed, then brushed my lips over his scraped knuckles as tenderly as possible. I just needed to touch him, and keep touching him to prove to myself this reunion wasn’t all a dream. “We had no idea how to find you. We’re so lucky Olivia remembered going to the factory.”

Dominic’s eyes got big, and he asked, “Olivia has been inside that place?”

“I’m sorry to say, she was at some point. It sounds like her and Alli were made to wait around there while you know whokept questionable company. Had she not been, we’d never have known where you were.”

Dominic shivered, then after running his hand over his face, he said, “I owe that girl a week’s worth of ice cream.”

I shook my head in mock sadness. “Worse than that, I’m afraid. You’ve got months’ worth ofThe Princess Brideviewings in your future.”

He groaned dramatically but it had nothing to do with being in pain.

“You know you love that movie as much as the rest of us.” I smiled and pushed the tears away again. “I was so scared for you, babe. For your family too.”

“Yeah, me too,” Dominic said, and I leaned over and kissed him.

As I moved back, a nurse arrived and sent me out, saying we needed to give him time to rest. Once he’d received all the fluids and the doctor said he was okay, they’d send him home.

I kissed him again, this time slow and lingering, before I left his bedside. I returned to the waiting room and relayed to everyone what the nurse had just said about Dominic’s impending release.

Jeffrey came back as I finished talking. “My Lord, I feel like I’ve just bought a house. I swear, that was the most paperwork I’ve ever had to sign. Now, what did you just say? They’re going to discharge him?”

I nodded, and Jeffrey did a little dance praising Jesus. “If you all will excuse me, I’m going to go call my mother to give her an update. God help us all, there’ll probably be more family here by morning.”

I fell into the seat next to Papa K and laid my head on his shoulder. He reached up and rubbed my head, then hugged me.

The last several days had been madness. I felt drained and exhausted, but also relieved. When the doctor came outsaying we could take Dominic home, and the cops made their appointment with us for the next morning, Jeffrey and Ashton took him home while I rode with my parents.

When we got into the car, me in the back seat, I reached forward and put my hands on their shoulders. “Thank you both for being here. I know it’s sort of silly, given how new Dominic and I are, but this felt important. Your support, for both of us, means more than I can say.”

Before I could stop myself, I was crying in full sobs, and instead of driving home, both my dads got into the back seat and held me until I calmed down.

“Shh, no more silly talk discounting how deeply you boys care for one another,” Papa K said. “Don’t try to justify emotions, you’ll fail every time.”

Dad just shook his head. “Your father is trying to tell you it’s okay to feel what you feel, honey. And from everything I’ve seen and heard, that young man you’re smitten with seems to be worth all those feelings, okay?”

I nodded. I could feel the meaningful looks that passed between my fathers. They had always done that, like they were in sync with each other. Just like I hoped to be one day with my own husband, maybe Dominic.

Chapter thirty-five

Dominic

Before leaving the hospital, the doctor gave me medication to help me relax and sleep. By the time I got home, I was about to fall asleep on my feet.

Of course, seeing Miss Rita was like breathing fresh air. I honestly never thought I’d see her or anyone else in my family again. Uncle Jeffrey helped me get upstairs, and I peeked in on the girls. They were both asleep, and I didn’t want to wake them, so I wiped the silent tears away and let him lead me to my bedroom.

I was still wearing the robe the hospital gave me, so all I had to do was shrug it off and fall into bed. I thought about a shower. God I knew I stunk, and the hot water would do wonders for my body, but I needed sleep more. Nothing felt better than falling asleep in my own bed, especially since I didn’t think I’d ever do so again. How quickly life could change in just a few hours.

I woke the next morning with what felt like a hangover. I could hear voices, so I figured everyone must be downstairs. I made myself crawl out of bed and into a heavenly shower.Bliss.According to the police, I had only been gone a handful of days,but that’s all it took for me to appreciate things like hot showers and comfortable beds that I’d taken for granted before being abducted.

As I scrubbed off the horror of the previous days, I thought about the dark room and about the horrible woman who’d put me in there, then left me to die. My breath quickened and I could feel the beginning of a panic attack. I put my hands on the shower wall to steady myself and inhaled long deep breaths to stop the shaking, reminding myself I wasn’t in danger. I was home.

I’d been told Margarette was dead when I asked if she’d been arrested. I had no intense feelings about her death at that time, which shocked me. My biggest emotion was relief. Reminding myself the witch was gone for good helped more than anything to quell the panic attack.

I crawled out of the shower and dressed, then after stripping off the smelly sheets and tossing them in the hamper, I decided to lie back down on the top of my comforter for a few moments to get my strength back before going downstairs.

A few moments later, I heard a knock at the door. “Dominic, it’s Miss Rita. Can I come in?”

“Yes, ma’am,” I replied and heard my own scratchy voice. Days without speaking made it sound rough and unused.

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