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What if he truly feels the same?
His hand almost reaches out to take mine, but he holds back. “The pain you feel when you think of the people in your past suggests you still have the capacity for that emotion. Why do you insist on denying love?”
“I don’t know why.” I turn away. Dammit, why is he calling me out like this? “I’ll think about it.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“Ha. Because you live here?”
“Yeah,andI’m keeping an eye on you tonight. The amount of drugs they dosed you with could have put down a horse.” He sets his hands on mine and begins to heal me with his Karma-given power.
I’m well past exhaustion, so I just let it happen. I’ll need my strength for what’s coming.
I doze off to the buzzing energy cleansing my body of the toxins, wondering if Dante’s correct. Have I made it a habit of denying myself love?
20
PRAYER
Iwake to Dante snoring at the foot of my bed. At some point during the night, he grabbed a blanket and pillow and crashed on my floor.
My entire body aches and my head is pounding, so I chug the rest of the water left on my side table.
Then I remember everything that happened the night before, all the way to Dante’s plea to see where this will go.
Ugh. He has a point, but thatisn’tthe point.
Pulling the covers back, I try out my legs by standing, but it exhausts me to do just that, so I lean against the bed.
Dante hears my scuffling and jumps up. “Hey, I’ve got you.” He helps me to sit back on the edge of the bed. “Not feeling much better?”
“Worse. Of course you didn’t ask me, but I really don’t do well on medication—anymedication. I seem to be allergic to most things. For some reason, I can handle booze, but that’s it.”
“Sorry.” He grimaces. “Are you hungry? Aspirin?”
“I just said no meds, but maybe some toast and more water?”
“Be right back.” Dante slips out of my room with a guilt-ridden backward glance.
I stare at my suitcase just inside the closet. The closet door is ajar. When the guys caught on to my spying ways, they must have searched my room. Did they discover Carmen’s book in the hidden compartment? Is my money stash still concealed?
I roll off my bed and stumble to the closet, my legs still feeling like jelly. I unzip my suitcase and open the false backing. It’s all still there. I remove the book and reseal the secret compartment. Crawling back to the bed, I’m able to make it under the covers before Dante returns.
He brings me waterandjuice, as well as a stack of lightly toasted bread that comes with butter, peanut butter, and jam on the side.
I can’t help myself, and a wide smile splits my face. I can’t remember anyone bringing me breakfast in bed before.
Dante looks proud of himself. “I thought you might be hungrier than you realized.” He sets the tray down over my lap. There’s a flower as a garnish.
Handling it as if it might explode, I pick it up questioningly.
“The beginnings of an apology?” He shrugs.
“Hmm.” I sip the water and then some juice.
“Freshly squeezed,” he says.
“Greta?”
