Page 53 of His Daggered Heart
I make it a point to avoid my reflection in the mirrors as we pass them. I’m not ready to see that yet. I don’t know how my body or mind will respond to seeing the bruises again.
Chapter 34
Alex
Iwakeupina panic, heart racing. It’s pitch black and I don’t remember where I am.
“Shhh, it’s okay, angel. I’m here.” I feel Kohen’s hand in my hair. “You fell asleep with Cora on the couch, so be careful moving around, baby.”
I hear movement, my eyes still adjusting to the dark room. Kohen turns on a lamp and signals for me to come. Memories of how I got here flood back to me as I stare at my beautiful best friend sleeping next to me. She is balled up in a blanket, her head on Levi’s lap, her arm stretched out across my stomach. They are so fucking cute.
We got to the house and Cora saw me and freaked the fuck out, after Levi and Kohen tag-teamed her to get her to calm down. She held me and we cried for about an hour until both of us fell asleep cuddling on the couch. I appreciated Kohen and Levi taking care of me when they got to the dance hall, but I needed my bestie. Cora and I have a connection that no one else can ever replace or understand.
I kiss her on the forehead and then slowly shift from underneath her arm, careful not to wake her. She needs all the rest she can get and I know she feels guilty for not being there for me either. Honestly, I don’t blame anyone, and this time I don’t even blame myself. I did nothing, this is all on Walker. He is the piece of shit who couldn’t face the fact that I’m over him, and happy, healed, and thriving. I hope someone gives him a taste of his own fucking medicine.
I free myself from the constraints of my best friend and pad over to where Kohen is standing, watching me. He’s looking at me as if I’m the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen. My heart flutters because I am the luckiest girl in the fucking world. To do all the things I’ve done not just to him but in my life, that I, Alex Monroe, have a man who chooses me, loves me unconditionally, and would destroy the world to protect me.
He reaches for my hand and I grab it. We make our way upstairs and halfway up, he picks me up. “Queens don’t walk, angel,” he says.
“Oh my gosh, you are so cheesy,” I tease, rolling my eyes.
“Cheesy for you,” he says, a wide smile on his gorgeous tan face.
He puts me down at the top of the steps, his tall frame towering over me. I love how much bigger he is than me, I feel so safe, but also love that he can just throw me up against a wall and fuck the shit out of me at any moment. He leads the way into our bedroom and I gasp. He has dozens of red and white roses all around the room. Different sized bouquets line our dressers and nightstands. There is a small path from the door to the restroom, and from the restroom to the bed that we can walk through. “You did this for me?”
“Yep,” he says, and I look at him, the dimple on his cheek deep as his smile gleams.
“Why?” I ask, bewildered. He never ceases to amaze me.
“I wanted you to know you were loved,” he states simply.
“When?”
“As soon as you fell asleep I had them delivered and I helped set them up around the room. Go check the restroom.”
I rush down the small path, careful to not bump into any of the vases. The last thing I need is an injured foot. I’m lucky that Erica just cracked my toenail and that it only looked worse because it bled. Cracked toenails are something I’m used to with dance, I just hadn’t ever bled that much.
The most beautiful scent floods my senses as I pass the threshold of the restroom. Kohen has the mirror frosted like they do in restaurant windows for holidays and I am fucking obsessed. He knew I didn’t want to see myself yet. The entire mirror is painted and on the top right corner are trees, and ravens, with the words,“Rainy days don’t stop Dom and C they won’t stop us.”
“The Ravenhood,“ I whisper as I continue to look at every piece of this work of art he had done for me. I move from right to left as I try and decipher what the next painting is. There is an infinity symbol and a quote fromPride and Prejudicebut alsoAfter,“Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same,”I say and he joins me.
“His and mine are the same.”
I look at him, wishing words to come from my mouth but my throat is thick with emotion. “She is my Elizabeth Bennett”is also in the center of everything. I keep reading, my hand over my swollen heart. On the left side of the mirror is a cupid with a bow and arrow pointing at the saying,“Every Romeo needs his shortbread.”
I burst out laughing. “My Dark Romeo,” I say excitedly, “you listened to that one with me on audio.”
“Yup, it was good. One thing I liked was how she was bratty like you,” he admits.
“You are so cute, handsome,” I say, smiling.
I move down, working from left to right as more of my favorite things are painted over the mirror. A lightning bolt with the words,“Tell me about it, stud.”A stethoscope with the words,“You are my person,”are written under them. There are cherry blossoms with,“You’re my pink and I’m you’re black,“ and so much more.
“It’s beautiful, Kohen.”
“No, angel,” he says,”you are beautiful, but I know you don’t feel beautiful right now. I also know you thought my love for you could fade because he had his hands on you, but let me reiterate.”
He closes me in against the sink, his hard cock pressing against my leg. “I am just as obsessed with you, possessive over you, and madly fucking in love with you as every one of these book dudes are of their girls. Make no mistake, you are to me what their women are to them.”