Survival ( Book 2: Stronger Series )

36. Plan

The next morning, I woke up alone and sore as fuck. My entire body hurt while a sting of tenderness throbbed between my legs. I turned my body, resting my head on the pillow, and stared out the window. The sun was low in the sky, just rising above the water and creating a soft, warm glow in my room. I listened to the birds chirp and sing outside, their songs serenading me into a calm I wanted to drown myself in.

I laid there like that for the longest time, just listening and enjoying a small moment of peace that I rarely got to experience since coming into Darren's life. I never thought it was possible to hate someone so much yet need them at the same time. Darren comforted me through my tears last night, never saying a word as he rubbed my back and kissed my temple. I didn't know how he could comfort me knowing he was the cause of my pain, knowing he would continue to cause my pain when he could avoid it altogether. How he could even stand to look at himself in the mirror was a mystery to me.

He had to be a sociopath. It was the only explanation. How could he not feel a single ounce of remorse for me? There was no sympathy. No compassion. Just his never-ending will. What Darren wants, Darren gets, no matter the cost. I wanted to cost him everything—his money, his reputation, his heart, his mental status, and then his life. I wanted him to regret the day he ever laid eyes on me ... and one day soon, I swore I would see that.

Some hours later, it was past 8 a.m., and I decided it was time to get ready for the day. I rolled out of bed and stretched my body like a cat, rolling my shoulders and neck until the tension in my muscles eased away. I stood and padded over to the bathroom, used the toilet, and showered. I did everything I could to avoid my face in the mirror, but I knew I would have to look at myself eventually in order to cover the giant bruise I knew was there on the side of my cheekbone.

When I stepped out of the shower, I towel dried my hair and went to my vanity to begin the cover-up process, but when I raised my eyes to my reflection, I almost broke down in tears. Dark purple, green, and red smudged the side of my face in a massive bruise the size of a baseball, and I could see the exact spot where Darren's knuckles had made contact. They had broken the skin. I almost wanted to leave it uncovered just to spite him, to show him the damage he had done, hoping he might display a human side and express a little fucking guilt for once.

But unfortunately, I couldn't stand the sight of myself. I layered on the concealer, covering it up as best I could, but the dark shadow of purple still lingered under it all. I parted my wet hair so that my bangs would hang over the same side of my face that harbored the bruise in another attempt to hide it. I dried my hair and styled it into soft, loose curls, fanning them out around my shoulders and down my back. My hair was getting longer. It now reached well past my shoulder blades. I didn't typically grow it this long, preferring it to be only a few inches below my collarbone. It was easier to manage that way and was less annoying.

I chose a silky soft silvery blue sundress to wear and the nude flats I had finally broken in months before. I looked down at the diamond studded infinity ring from Tiffany's that Darren had gifted me so long ago. I wanted to chuck it into his mouth so he'd choke on it, but that wasn't gruesome enough of a death for me.

At 8:55 a.m., I slowly made my way down the stairs and found Darren sitting at the table with some paperwork in his hands. He was reading with a focused face when I finally sat down. When I scooted my chair in, he looked up from his work and smiled at me.

"Good morning," he said.

"Morning," I mumbled back and began to make myself some tea.

I could feel his eyes on me, scrutinizing me, but thankfully, my hair fell down the side of my face and blocked his vision from my eyes.