Page 136 of The Colour of Revenge
The restroom is quiet, muffled music barely seeping through the door.
Carina stands at the sink, gripping the counter with white-knuckled hands. Her breathing is ragged, and her chest rises and falls in deep, uneven gulps.
She hasn't seen me yet.
I step inside and turn the lock.
“Hi, Princess,” I whisper.
She whirls around, eyes locking onto mine in the mirror.
She freezes. Like she can’t believe I’m real.
For a long, breathless second, she doesn’t move. Doesn’t even blink.
Then, something flickers.
A spark.
The faintest ember of the woman I love—of the fire they’ve tried to extinguish.
She launches herself at me.
Her arms and legs wrap around me, her entire body trembling.
I catch her easily, holding her as tightly as I dare, afraid she’ll shatter.I bury my face in her neck, inhaling her scent. It’s different now—not the fresh daisies I love—but it’s still her, and that’s all that matters.
Fuck, I’ve missed her.
“N…Nate,” she chokes out, her voice breaking.
The sound shatters something inside me.
“I’ve got you, baby,” I murmur, my voice rough with emotion. “I’m here.”
She clings to me, her fingers digging into my shoulders like she’s afraid I’ll disappear.
“I’ve missed you so much,” she whispers, her breath warm against my neck.
“You have no idea,” I reply, running my hands gently over her back, trying to soothe her trembling body.
She pulls back, her face wet with tears, and the sight guts me. “I thought—I thought I’d never—” I tilt her chin up, brushing a thumb over her cheek.
“Hey, hey,” I say softly. “No tears, okay? If you cry, then I’ll cry, and trust me, you don’t want to see that.”
She lets out a broken laugh, burying her face in my neck.
And for the first time in months—I breathe.
Her hands tremble as she moves to the mirror, dabbing at her face. “I’m ruining my makeup.”
“Who cares?” I step closer, my voice steady and sure. “You’re perfect without it.”
“He cares,” she mutters bitterly, her gaze dropping.
I don’t need to ask who she means.
A sick, twisting feeling coils in my gut.
