Chosen (Partners in Crime Book 1)

Chapter 12

Once she was finished crying her eyes out, Chloe decided to take a shower. She didn't even know why she had been crying. She just had.

She went into the bathroom and lifted her shirt up just enough to check her wound. The bandage was pretty tight. The doctor had told her to take off the bandage in the shower, then put a clean one on after. So, she started to unwrap it.

When it was finished, she examined the wound. It looked awful. Right on the side of her abdomen, there was a long cut held together by many stitches. Too many to count.

She pulled the bandage off her arm as well. That one also looked nasty. She was in rough shape. Her arm, her side, and plenty of bruises.

In the shower, she gratefully accepted the hot water. She was careful and tedious around the areas by her stitches, but managed to get the job done.

After she stepped out, she spent around fifteen minutes wrapping her arms and side. The arm was easy, but wrapping a bandage around her middle section was quite the challenge. She would've loved help, but asking Dominic was not an option.

She decided on skinny jeans and a nice t-shirt. She really didn't want to wear sweatpants and sweatshirts while Dominic was around. Embarrassing.

Once she had changed, dried her hair, brushed it, she laid on her bed and pulled out her Bible. She really needed some inspiration. Flipping through the pages, a verse caught her eye. "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." -Psalm 73:26. Yeah, her flesh and heart were failing right about now. It was a good reminder that God was in control. Another one came to mind and she paged to it. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs." 1 Corinthians 13:4-5.

Did she love Dominic? No, but right now she was keeping a record of wrongs, she was angry, and she was definitely not being kind. "And now these three remain; faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love." Yeah, she needed that. Sending up a prayer of thanks, she closed her Bible and headed to ask Dominic to forgive her.

Her hand hovered over the doorknob. Was she ready?

Emotionally? Yes, God gave her strength.

Physically? No, her bones ached.

Mentally? Let's not go there.

Opening her door, she started down the hall. The sound of a clatter from the kitchen stopped her. "Chloe!" He sounded surprised. "Don't move!"

She froze, standing stock still. "Dominic? Is everything okay?"

He appeared in front of her, "Everything is fine. Sorry to scare you." He backed up to let her walk down the hall.

She walked past him and stopped at the end of the hall.

She brought her hands up to her mouth. No words came to her.

In front of her stood the most beautiful thing ever. Her dining table was set perfectly for two. A bouquet of roses was in a vase. A scrumptious looking meal was at the table. Candles were everywhere. A wrapped present sat on the end of the table. "You didn't..."

She turned around to find Dominic's eyes searching her own. "Do you like it?"

"I love it." She whispered.

"I'm sorry." They said at the same time.

"You first." They said again. They both grinned.

"Go ahead." Chloe told him.