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“Why are you doing this for me? What’s in it for you?”
His eyes grew more intense. “Oh, that’s easy. You.”
I hauled my eyes away from his in the mirror and turned to face him. “Me? Why?”
He closed the space between us. I could feel his hot breath close to my ear when he leaned in and said, “It’s not a secret that I want you. I have made that abundantly clear since the first time I saw you at the store, but if it wasn’t clear enough for you, let me speak it loud and clear. I. Want. You.”
I rejected his confession. “We barely know each other.”
“I know you more than you think I do.”
I folded my arms and glared at him. “Oh, yeah? What do you know about me, Vito?” I pressed, trying to get him to understand we were just two people who met in passing and that there wasn’t anything between us but a few conversations.
Vito confessed, “I know you’re bruised but beautiful, soft but strong, vulnerable but not weak. I know that you’re confused and don’t know who to trust right now. I know that you feel like you have nowhere to turn. I know you’re in a bad place but will bounce back in no time. I know you’re loveable, and I want you in my life.” He paused, sucked in a breath, and stepped back a few feet. “But I understand your situation, so I’ll give you all the time you need to get over your ex.”
It took a couple of seconds for me to recollect my thoughts. Okay, so he knew a few things about me. Well, he knew more than a few things. What he knew about me wasn’t superficial. He had actually paid attention and knew how I felt deep down. I still couldn’t get comfortable after all I’d been through. “I’m not used to people treating me like this. No one is ever nice to me. Why are you doing it? There has to be more to the story.”
“I would protect any woman that was being abused by her man. I just happen to have fallen for you, so I’ll kill for you. I’ll die protecting you because I’ll die for mine.”
“I’m not yours.”
He exuded confidence with his reply. “Not yet, but you will be.”
I looked around his expertly designed bathroom and wished we had met two years ago. This house would be filled with the sounds of lovemaking right now instead of the sorrow of my abusive relationship. There would be lots of babies in here and even more on the way, and love, there would be so much love in this house.
I shook my head to snap those thoughts out of my mind. I couldn’t daydream of what-ifs. I needed somewhere to lay my head, gather my thoughts, and regroup.
Still, it was hard to accept his help. People didn’t help me unless there was a catch. I remained guarded, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Desi taught me the hard lesson of not always taking people at their word.
A pain swept over me. It hurt to admit, “I have nothing. He has taken everything from me. My family, friends, and job are all gone. I have nothing!” My shoulders shook, followed by more tears.
Vito’s arms enveloped me. “What’s gone is gone. But you are still alive, so you can make new friends and get a new job. Hell, you could even start a new family.”
His words hit home. Maybe he was right. Maybe I could start over again and get back what I lost. “I just don’t know,” I cried.
Vito took a towel from the counter and wiped away my tears. “It’s okay to cry today, so go ahead and shed those tears. Get them all out. Just know I’m going to put an end to your tears and your fears,” he assured.
“Thank you for everything.” I release my apprehensions and wrap my arms around his waist, finally accepting his offer of full protection.
“I got you, Nicole,” he assured, wrapping his arms around me.
After our embrace, Vito finished cleaning my wounds. He gave me a new pair of pajamas and told me, “You can shower here while I go make sure your room is ready.”
I grabbed the towel from the side table and got into the shower. When I finished showering, he knocked on the door and reached his hand in to give me an oversized tee shirt to wear. I slipped into it, then he showed me to a guestroom.
Soft music played in the background as Vito explained how to work the TV.
I situated myself underneath the covers. The soft cotton pillow felt like a cloud, and I could feel my head sinking deeper and deeper into the fabric.
Within moments, the weight of the day was upon me. My eyes fluttered shut, and I was fast asleep.
