𝐁𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐄 & 𝐂𝐋𝐘𝐃𝐄. ˡᵘᵐᵃˣ

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐗𝐈𝐈

But the real pain came when she was forced against the floorboards, breaking them with such force. As she left the house and the man who had abandoned her, she felt as if she were falling into a dark and endless abyss.

Her body trembled. And then she grabbed the sheets... and opened her eyes ecstatically, listening to her desperate and accelerated breathing. She sat on the bed with one hand on her forehead, trying to regulate her breathing.

It was Roy. The memory was still etched in her mind. The image of his bloody body on the floor still terrified her. She tried her best to push the image to the back of her mind, but it was impossible to forget. She shook her head to banish the bad thoughts.

The only pain she still felt was her stomach. Not only nausea, but also hunger. She looked at the left side of the bed. It was empty. Morning had begun some time ago, judging by the large yellow light streaming in through the half-open blinds.

They had arrived at Hellfire three days ago. In those days she had spent time with dear Jane, skateboarding and even playing D&D with the boys. Lucas had also told her about Erica. She talked to her a few times to get to know her better and she liked her strong personality.

Erica appeared to be a cinnamon roll, but in reality she is capable of killing someone, although she has a soft heart like her brother. She seemed to care about other people to the point of defending and protecting them, but she tried not to show that affection too much. She was a little reluctant to make new friends or to make peace with Lucas. Perhaps she needed more time.

Max put her feet over the side of the bed and stretched, yawning.

She noticed the small bouquet of flowers on the bedside table. She smiled, picked up the flowers in shades of yellow, white and purple and smelled them...they had a fresh smell like lavender, and they were pretty. Lucas didn't bring her breakfast this time, but at least he brought her flowers.

He was like that, softer and more romantic since they slept together. In fact, he always showed his affection for her through small gestures. Now it was her turn to do the same.

She never liked to show affection in a loving way or with sweet words. Until now, she wanted to be cautious and take a look at the space better before to make sure she could lie down.

To be sure if she could surrender and trust Lucas without resentment or regret. Whenever they got close, she would take a "step back" as if they were treading on forbidden ground. But that had to stop because she couldn't live halfway with Lucas. He didn't deserve this.

Until then, he had been flawless with her. He's a man with flaws, indeed, but he's a man who would do anything for her. She knew it, and she loved him.

She smiled again and looked thoughtfully at the flowers. She had to put them in a jar of water before they wilted. But first she was going to take a wonderful, long and well-deserved shower. And then she had to find out what Sinclair was up to.