Chapter 6
When I woke up, Damian was sitting on the floor beside me, resting his head against the side of the couch. "Hey." I murmured sleepily.
He snapped his head to look at me and asked "How are you feeling?"
"I'm good. I'm really warm, now."
"That would be because it's a hundred degrees in here."
"We could turn it down a little." I offered jokingly.
He laughed once and said "I'll get it in a minute. Are you hungry?"
"A little. How long have I been out?"
"Most of the day. It's almost midnight."
I stretched and asked "Where's Eva?"
"They went to find you some clothes that fit. They should be back pretty soon."
"Eva's going to get dresses, isn't she?" I asked half-heartedly.
"More than likely."
"Maybe, if I'm lucky, Malcolm will talk her out of it."
He laughed once and jokingly said "I don't think anyone could talk her out of anything."
"You're probably right."
He brushed my hair back and softly said "While you wake up, I'll make you something to eat."
I leaned into his hand and cautiously asked "So, you're not mad, anymore?"
Rubbing his thumb across my cheek, he quietly sighed "No. ... Malcolm did a good job taking care of you, and he did leave an easy trail for us to follow. He even came back for us after he got you settled in."
Looking him in the eyes and smiling slightly, I reached for his hand on my cheek and gently said "I tried to tell you he's not that bad. He just has a certain ... reputation to keep."
"I suppose you're right." He slowly stood up, sliding his hand from my cheek, and added "I'll get you something to eat."
"You want some help?"
"No. You relax. I'll be back in a few minutes."
"Okay." He gave me a small smile and reluctantly walked away, and I stared at the dying fire and lost myself in thought. 'I really hope Eva doesn't get any damn dresses. They're not exactly meant for traveling like this. ... I wonder how everyone's doing back home. ... Mel and Vincent most of all. ... I haven't connected with Mel in a long time. I wonder why. She's usually right there, when I pass out. I hope they're okay. ... I wish we could we all get along, but there's no way Vincent and Damian would go for that. They can't even stand the sight of each other. Not to mention they both love me, and I love them. -Wait! What?! ... No. That can't be right. I'm not thinking clearly. That's ... No. It's not true. ...'
"You know it is." Eva quietly said as she sat down on the floor beside me, sacaring me half to death. She gave a small smile and added "It's nice to hear you sort of admit it."
I shook my head and looked at her with confusion clear on my face. 'It can't be true. I love Vincent. Period. No three ring circus love triangle for me. That's not happening.'
She whispered "You realized it a long time ago. You care for them both. Maybe, not equally, but you do."
'Damn it. How did this happen?'
"You see the good in everyone."
"Then why am I so horrible?" I blurted quietly.
