Chapter 94 I'm So Sorry
Chapter 94 I'm So Sorry
She kept whispering it, a soft, broken refrain against my skin.
"I'm sorry... Cole, I'm so sorry..."
Over and over, the words drifted from her lips, growing softer and more slurred until her breathing finally leveled out into the deep, heavy rhythm of sleep.
I didn't move. I held her there against my chest for a long time, the silence of the bedroom heavy around us. I waited until I was absolutely certain she was dead to the world, her body completely relaxed and heavy in my arms.
But as the room grew quiet, her whispers echoed in my head.
What was she actually apologizing for?
Was she sorry for lying to me about how she left? Was she sorry for the panic she had caused? Or was she apologizing for the secrets she was keeping—for the person she was so desperately trying to protect from me? The questions swirled in the dark, but I forced them down. Tonight was about taking care of her.
Slowly and careful not to wake her, I slid my hands to the zipper of that damn green lace dress.
The fabric was a glaring reminder of the Daniel, of the hands that had touched her, and of the nightmare she had just escaped.
I didn't want to slide it off gently. With a quiet, controlled snap of my wrists, I ripped the green lace clean off her body, tearing it away until there was nothing left of that vile night clinging to her skin. I tossed the ruined fabric to the floor, kicking it away with my feet. I'll burn it myself tomorrow morning...
Leaving her wrapped safely in the sheets, I slipped out of bed. I stepped into the adjoining bathroom and took a rapid, freezing-cold shower, washing the sweat, the adrenaline, and the phantom heat of the drug off my own skin.
While the shower ran, I started the bath, letting the tub fill with deep, steaming warm water.
I walked back into the bedroom, scooped her sleeping, bare body back into my arms, and carried her into the warm bathroom.
Celene stirred slightly, her eyelids fluttering, but she was too exhausted to wake. As I gently lowered her into the warm water, she let out a soft sigh, her body instantly relaxing against the heat.
I slipped into the tub right behind her, pulling her back against my chest. Her head lolled back against my shoulder, nodding back off to sleep instantly.
With a soft cloth and gentle strokes, I slowly washed her body, wiping away the sweat of the fever and the lingering grime of the club. I held her secure in my arms, keeping her floating in the warmth, protecting and washing her while she slept...
Once she was clean, I turned off the tap and let the warm water drain. I stood up, grabbing a plush towel to gently dry her off while she remained half-asleep, resting her heavy head against my shoulder.
She whimpered softly at the loss of the warm water, but quieted down the moment I wrapped her securely in a dry, soft sheet and lifted her back into my arms.
Taking care of her was the easiest thing for me to do.
I carried her back into the bedroom, where the air was cool and quiet.
I laid her down on the fresh side of the bed, pulling the heavy duvet up to her shoulders to keep her warm. She instantly curled onto her side, her face burying into the pillow, her soft afro curls spilling across the fabric like a dark halo. So fucking beautiful...
I stood over her for a quiet moment, just watching the steady rise and fall of her chest.
Leaning down, I pressed a soft, lingering kiss to her forehead, inhaling the clean, sweet scent of her skin.
"I've got you," I whispered into the dark room. "Always."
I slid under the covers beside her, pulling her back against my chest until her spine was flushed against my front. My arm wrapped securely around her waist, anchoring her to me.
With her warmth filling the space in my arms, the noise and suspicion in my head finally began to quiet down. I closed my eyes and let the darkness take me, holding her so tight she couldn't possibly slip away from me...Never again.
The morning light filtered through the heavy velvet curtains, but the warmth beside me was gone.
My arm fell flat against the mattress. I bolted upright, my eyes snapping open as my gaze swept the master bedroom.
The sheets were cold. The bathroom door was wide open, the room completely empty. Celene was gone.
A sudden, violent jolt of adrenaline slammed into my chest. After everything that had happened last night...the lies, the wiped security feeds, the drug—finding her gone made my blood run cold.
I grabbed my phone from the nightstand, my fingers rapidly dialing her number. I held the device to my ear, my jaw clenched so tight it ached as the line rang.
On the third ring, she picked up.
"Cole?" her voice came through the phone, soft but incredibly clear. She sounded tired, but the madness from the aphrodisiac from the night before was entirely gone.
"Where the fuck are you, Celene?" I demanded, already throwing the duvet off my legs and swinging them over the side of the bed. "I wake up and you're not in our bed."
"I'm sorry," she sighed softly, the sound of a gentle morning breeze rustling through the receiver. "I didn't mean to worry you. I just... I couldn't sleep. I needed some fresh air, so I went for a walk around the compound to clear my head."
I let out a ragged breath, the tight knot of panic in my chest loosening just a fraction. But the protective, possessive instinct in me was still on high alert.
"You shouldn't be wandering around alone. Not after yesterday," I growled, standing up and pulling on a pair of dark sweatpants. "Stay exactly where you are. I'm coming down."
"No, Cole, please, you don't have to," she said quickly, her voice pleading. "The guards are everywhere. I can see three of them from here. I'm perfectly safe inside the gates. I just needed to breathe."
I closed my eyes, running a hand through my hair. I wanted to drag her back up to our room, lock the doors, and keep her hidden from the rest of the world. But I knew I couldn't smother her, not if I wanted her to keepp trusting me.
"Fine," I conceded, my voice dropping into a low warning. "But the moment you feel dizzy, or the second you're done, you come straight back to me. Understood?"
"I will. I promise," she murmured.
There was a brief pause on the line, and then I heard her take a quiet breath.
"Oh... your mother is up early, too," Celene added, her tone shifting. "I see her walking down by the rose garden. I'm going to go say hi to her."
My chest tightened.
Knowing Isabella, she wouldn't let last night go. She’d start poking, and asking questions Celene wasn't obviously ready for, and the last thing Celene needed right now was an interrogation from my mother before she'd even had breakfast.
"Celene, wait...don't," I said. "Just come back inside. Let her be."
"I'll be fine, Cole. I'll see you in a few minutes. I love you," she said softly.
Before I could tell her to stay put, the line went quiet...