The Night I Was Saved

Chapter Fourteen

"And this is my old room," Hero says while opening the last door on the first floor. He then steps aside and moves his head for me to walk on first.

Daisy is protesting in my arms as I walk into the room; she is hungry, and after Hero noticed that, he offered me to show his old room so I can feed her in private.

His room is somehow exactly how I imagined it to be even though I previously haven't given it any thought. There is a queen-sized bed in the corner, and next to it is a small desk with a chair in front of it. Above his bed hangs a poster of two crossed hammers, and on the floor at the end of the bed lies a football. Next to his bed on the wooden floor lies a brown carpet, and two big windows offer a view onto the square that must be the one that Hero told me about.

"It's nice," I smile while walking to the bed and sitting on the edge before I take my breast out and offer Daisy my nipple. Her squirming and little cries made me nervous so giving her what she needs as fast as possible is probably best. "Sorry, she was hungry and I wanted to avoid a huge charade."

Hero chuckles, his gaze lingering on Daisy for a moment before his eyes find my face. "She's a persistent little thing, isn't she?"

I nod and smile. "Your old room is nice. Very much like you."

He smiles and looks around the room again before strolling to the chair behind the desk. He sits down, his face towards me and I turn slightly as well so we can look at each other. "It is. I love this room. I hated the idea of moving out."

"Really?" I ask surprised, to which he nods his head. "Then why did you?"

He shrugs and moves his hand through his hair. "I figured it was time. I was twenty-two, had a decent job, and an apartment came free that was just too good to be true."

"How long ago was this?" I ask, trying to figure out a time frame. Also, I just realized that I don't even know how old he is.

"A little over a year ago. Don't get me wrong, I love my apartment, but sometimes I just miss home, you know? Or maybe I miss the times where everything was simple and I was just a kid that came home to a decent dinner and a clean bed."

I smile and nod, even though I have no idea what that must feel like. Having a decent dinner and a clean bed is not something I was privileged to have since I left Australia. It's a sad and sickening thought, and I shake it off as fast as I can. "So you're twenty-three?"

He nods his head. "Yeah. November sixth." He hesitates for a moment before he asks, "you?"

Even though it's very common to return the question, I'm surprised that he does. He's never asked me something personal; he always lets me decide what I want him to know. It's one of the reasons I feel as comfortable with him as I do. He doesn't pressure me in any way and takes my feelings and limits seriously.

"I'm twenty-three, too," I tell him. It's surprisingly easy, to be honest; I want him to know things about me as well. "My birthday is on August eighteenth."

"Really? So you're older than me?" He grins, and somehow his expression is contagious. "I guess so." I smile.

For a moment silence fills the room, the only sounds that disturb the quietness are the ones that come from Daisy, who sometimes whimpers or sobs while she drinks.

"Your family is very nice. I feel so welcome and I'm so thankful that your mom invited Daisy and me. I couldn't wish for a better first Christmas for her," I tell him while looking at him. His face lights up immediately, clearly pleased that I'm feeling comfortable in his childhood home.

"I'm happy you feel that way." He smiles. I feel like he wants to say more, but he doesn't. Instead, his eyes flicker from my face to Daisy again where his gaze lingers. Surprisingly enough, I don't feel on display.