a's

eeding, he's solid muscle and dead weight. My small Honda groans under his bulk

keys while supporting his weight against my s

words from the alley. His voice is weaker now, but still

he lights in my treatment room and help him onto the e

se. For someone who felt impossibly heavy to move, he yi

, antiseptic, sutures. My hands are steadier now that I have a purp

I warn, approaching wit

had

over the deepest wound, expecting him to flinch or curse. Instead,

he asks as I begin cleaning th

use. "Does

in my ruined silk dress, still damp from the

ll disappear from my life after tonight, or because those silver e

The words come out flat, matter-of-fact. "Tonig

tightens

? Yeah

to mine. "Any man who wou

oesn't even know me, yet he speaks like David committ

d that should require dozens of stitches and leave permanent scars. But

hisper, leaning closer to

when it

aces through my veins like liquid fire. Every nerve ending lights up at once, and for a moment I can't tell

completely. Not healing... cl

ack, gasping. "W

moments ago was torn open and bleeding, is now unmarked

His voice is rough,

he means. That connection, that imp

tops, running his hands through hi

s healed chest. "People don't heal like tha

ees quietly.

makes his muscles ripple under skin that shows no sign of recent tr

houl

erate than I intended. "I need to un

mouth opens, closes. Those silver eyes h

ays finally. "Someone you

that speaks of perfect health. No sign of the m

el.

of his name on my lips,

see yo

is final, absol

into the pre-dawn darkness

only evidence of what happened is my ruined dress and the smell of antiseptic

racing through my veins at his touch. My palm tingles where it pres

ge out of my destroyed dress into scrubs I keep here for emergencies. But I can't stop th

ft gray light. I must have dozed off in my chair because I wake

reall

furious

y that after the worst night of my life, David's betrayal destroyed everything I thought I

ven human, if wha

in my head. Twelve hours ago, my biggest problem was planning

ext from David: "Clara,

without read

d in that alley, that goes deeper than betrayal and broken promise

en he

back to my normal life. But as I sit here in the growing daylight, still feeling

ected us in those brief moments isn't gone. I can feel i

ouldn't see

as w