he mattress. The thick memory fo

rass bedside reading lamp. It cast a warm,

uth were completely gone. His jaw was relaxed. Without his icy

t hand in hers. Her fingers felt small and d

y the dried, flaky blood crusted under his fingernails

int, troubled frown appeared on his forehead. But

the cooling antiseptic ointment to the small, angry

bandage around a deeper cut on his thumb. Satisf

. His large hand clamped down around her slen

aped into her throat, choking her. Sh

de-eyed at his face, waiting for h

t rose and fell in a deep, rhythmic pattern. I

turned his head slightly, burying his face into the

open with her free hand. She didn't want to b

grip tightened painfully. A low, distressed

heartbreaking words about his trauma and his

cided to let him hold her hand until he f

he slid off the high mattress and sat down o

mattress. Her right arm remained stretched out across

unds were the loud ticking of the grandfath

mind raced. She thought about her sister Sylvia, lyi

oded blackmail. She felt the crushing weight o

a lifeline in a storm, she felt a strange, unexpected sense of so

stress of the wedding, the frantic escape attempt, and the terrifying

ly heavy. They felt like

intended to sneak back to the leathe

s large thumb began to unconsciously str

motion acted like a potent lullaby

. Her head sank deeper into

other second, she fell into a deep, dreamless