Page 81 of Kiss Away Your Pain (Wounded Hearts 2)

Nicco:Okay. I love you.

Enzo:Glad you’re both safe.

I start the car as Candi wraps a blanket around herself then gazes out the rain-streaked window at Dom’s grave. I pull away and drive down the path. She’s quiet the entire drive back to her house. From time to time, I peek over at her. She stares out the window, vacancy veiling her expression. Empty. Void. Detached.

I’m helpless. There’s nothing I can do to fix this for her. Nothing I can do to take away her pain. All I can do is love her and watch her suffer. And it kills me.

Candi

Wild emotions overwhelm me. Confusion. Rage. Pain. Sadness. Betrayal. Physically, I’m an impossible dichotomy of freezing cold and burning hot. Nauseous. Claustrophobic. Weak. Heavy. Numb. A strange rush of fear invades the air surrounding me.

How is this even possible?

Destiny pulls down the street from my condo to find a parking spot. The rain has tamed to a drizzle that feels like thousands of needles stabbing my skin as we get out of the car. Silent, we bring the blankets up to my condo. Going in, we remove our wet shoes at the door and pop the blankets in the dryer. Still not saying a word, we head to my bedroom, peel off our soaked clothes, and dig around in my drawers for warm, comfortable clothes. I pull out an oversized sweatshirt that will fit over her belly.

Dressed in warmth, we go to my bathroom. I sit on the toilet lid, shoulders hunched, brain foggy, eyelids heavy. Grabbing a towel, Destiny wraps it around my hair, trying to soak up the bulk of the rain-water still drenching it. Hanging the towel on a hook, she grabs my hairdryer from under the sink and turns it on low. Weaving her fingers through my hair, she focuses the warm air on my scalp. I breathe, letting her love and the warm air soothe me. When my hair is mostly dry, she wets a washcloth and wipes my face clean of haphazard makeup. Silent, I watch her, so attentive, so gentle, so loving.

Once she’s done, she takes my chin in her hand, lifting my face to meet her eyes. The corners of her lips lift delicately. I wrap my hand around her wrist and close my eyes, grateful for her.

“Thank you,” I say softly. “I’ll be right out.”

She turns and leaves. I stand up and stare at my reflection in the mirror. My face looks distorted, like puzzle pieces that don’t fit together. I drop my head and release a breath.

When I go out to the living room. Destiny’s on the sofa, sipping hot cocoa. There’s a warm mug, overloaded with marshmallows, waiting for me. I take the mug in my hand and sit down next to her, curling my leg under me and hugging a pillow to my chest.

“I wish we had cupcakes right now,” I say, half joking and half serious. My soul craves comfort.

She smiles a knowing smile.

Lifting the mug to my lips, I sip the warm cocoa, sucking in a few marshmallows. Then I set it down and look over at her, wanting her to give me answers she doesn’t have, she couldn’t have.

“This is fucking crazy, right?” I say, still in disbelief.

Her entire torso nods in agreement.

“Is it real?” I ask, rampant visions of what Enzo described vibrantly flashing through my mind, filling in the missing snippets of what I learned had happened from the doctor at the hospital.

She reaches out, taking my hand in hers. “I think so.” Her words shards, cutting me with the truth. Her touch compassion, trying to erase my pain.

Confusion rattles my thoughts. Though I want to believe it’s impossible, he saw Dom’s picture on Destiny’s phone and said he was the man who pulled him from his car, saving his life.Only to watch him die.Inexplicable rage blazes through me. Every word he spoke is seared in my memory, igniting imagery that suffocates me as I stand helpless in my mind watching the car smash into Dom. Overwhelmed, the sadness I’d buried resurfaces from the crater in my soul with insurmountable force. Guilt ravages my core as I’m consumed by the thought that Dom is dead because Enzo is alive.

“What —” I suck in a breath, the air sandpaper, scratching my throat raw. “What do I do with all this?” I choke out, flailing my hands up and down my body, unable to stop the whimpers strangling me. “He’s here and Dom’s gone.” Hot tears squeeze out of my swelling eyes. “How is that fair?”

Her head pitches to the side. “Honey, it’s not fair.” She squeezes my hand with love. “It’s also not Enzo’s fault that Dom’s gone.” She pauses, letting me hear her words. “Of course Dom would do what he did and save a man’s life, that’s who he was. That’s part of why you loved him.” Her brows curl together. “It’s not Enzo’s fault.”

“But I want to blame him. I want to be angry with him.” Fire streaks across my flesh as I huff out the words.

“No.” She shakes her head gently. “You don’t want to blame Enzo. You want to be mad at Dom for leaving you.”

The sides of my mouth pull down, the gravity of heartache. The skin on my face tightens inward as my shoulders hunch forward, slumping my torso. “He left me.” Uncontrolled tears pour out. My lungs burn as I gasp for breaths.

I roll into her lap once again, seeking solace, peace, healing I know she can’t give me.

With a loving touch, she strokes my hair.

“I know you want to be mad at him. It’s okay to be mad. He didn’t leave you though. He was taken away from you.” The words echo in my head, bouncing around like a pinball.

It’s true, I’ve blamed Dom for leaving me. Leaving me here. Alone.

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