34

34
Camille

Even before opening my eyes the next morning, a slight pain throbbed in my head, and my body felt heavy, as if it hadn’t fully recovered from the discomfort of the previous day.
I didn’t want to open my eyes, but the discomfort kept me alert. Still, I decided to stay in bed, fearing that any movement would make the situation worse.
With a slow sigh, I turned to my side, feeling the softness of the sheets against my skin. That’s when I noticed something different. The sound of controlled breathing and the presence of someone nearby.
I opened my eyes slowly, and there he was—Javier. Sitting in the armchair by the window, bathed in the soft morning light.
He looked calm, a disturbing contrast to the man I had seen the night before, bloodied and brutal. His eyes shone in a way that was almost strange, and the serene expression on his face left me unsettled.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, his voice low but carrying something I couldn’t identify.
I paused for a moment before answering, hesitating. The weight of his gaze on me made me look away, focusing on some random point on the wall.
“I think I’m fine,” I murmured finally, although the weakness in my body and the slight tremor in my voice told a different story.
Javier nodded but remained silent for a long moment. It was uncomfortable, as if he was waiting for something more from me. Something I didn’t know if I could or wanted to offer.
“You don’t look well.” He crossed his arms, still seated, as if evaluating every small movement I made. “You shouldn’t push yourself. I want you to rest.”
My gaze fixed on him, surprised by the gentle tone, so different from the man I knew.
“I’m already lying down, aren’t I?” I tried to deflect, but the effort to seem indifferent only highlighted my weakness.
Javier then stood up, walking to the edge of the bed. His proximity made me hold my breath as he leaned a little closer, his eyes fixed on mine.
“Camille, you need to take care of yourself. I don’t want anything to happen to you.” His voice was firm, but there was a touch of vulnerability that disarmed me.
I wanted to ask what this unusual behavior meant, but exhaustion prevented me. I simply nodded slowly, feeling the weight of his presence and the words he didn’t say. Something was different about him, but I didn’t know if I wanted to find out what it was.
I ended up just nodding, which made him leave the room seconds later.
Some time later, my bladder forced me to get out of bed and go to the bathroom. The simple act of standing up made the world spin quickly, and I had to lean on the furniture as I walked slowly. The weakness was still there, but I forced myself to ignore it, doing what I needed to do before heading back to the room.
When I returned, I found Suzu sitting at the foot of the bed, her legs crossed, and an expression I couldn’t decipher on her face. She seemed perfectly comfortable there, as if the room were hers.
“You don’t seem as bad as Carmen’s worry,” she commented, with that casual tone that always irritated me. “She left one of the cooks just to take care of you.”
I exhaled forcefully, feeling the fatigue weigh even more heavily on me. I also didn’t understand all the concern from Carmen and Javier. In my mind, it was just a common malaise, a drop in blood pressure, as Carmen had suggested the day before.
“I just need to rest a little,” I murmured, walking over to the bed and letting myself fall onto the mattress with a heavy sigh.
Suzu watched me with an almost analytical gaze, the corner of her lips curled into a half-smile that I couldn’t tell if it was ironic or something deeper.
“We can go to Mrs. Castro’s house today,” she said, completely ignoring my condition. “She’s hosting some ladies, and it would be good for you to be there.”
I groaned softly, covering my face with the blanket. The very idea of attending another one of those gatherings made me feel nauseous, and I didn’t know if it was the malaise or pure disgust.
“The last thing I want right now is to go to a boring ladies’ gathering. You’ll do fine on your own,” I murmured, hoping she would give up.
She let out a soft laugh but didn’t reply. She stayed seated there for a few more moments, the silence filling the space between us. Then, she stood up with the same calculated elegance as always and walked toward the door.
“Rest, then. You look like you’re going to need it,” she said before leaving, leaving the comment hanging in the air as if it were a sentence.
The room fell silent again, but my restless mind kept spinning. It wasn’t just Suzu, Javier, or Carmen. It was the way everyone seemed to treat me as if I were made of glass. Something didn’t make sense, but for now, exhaustion was stronger than my curiosity. I closed my eyes, trying to sink back into sleep.