In the thick silence of night, the past always finds me.
No matter how warm the bed is, no matter how steady Lewis's arms feel around me, memories still creep in. The betrayal. The humiliation. The violence. It's like an old wound that healed badly closed on the surface, infected underneath.
Lewis has given me safety. Respect. A mate's protection.
But Camilla…
Camilla is still a thorn buried deep in my spirit. I can't pull her out. I can only wait for the pain to fade or for justice to rip her free.
Sleep refused to come again.
Carefully, I slipped out of bed and got dressed. The house was quiet when I went downstairs, but the living room lights were still on.
Julian sat there alone, a cigarette between his fingers. The ashtray was overflowing. He must have been there for hours.
He glanced at me. "Why are you still awake?"
"I can't sleep," I answered honestly.
