First Look

Tommaso

My mind tore itself in two separate directions as I stared down at Paige.

She’s real, the first part of me whispered.

Her cheekbones were more prominent than when the picture was taken, but her eyes still sparked with the same fire. Her red hair hung down to the small of her back in waves. That flimsy, half-see-through silk robe hung open to expose her body, but I didn’t look at anything but her face.

She met my gaze, and time froze. My heart raced. Whatever had been burning in my chest these long months sang.

The second part of me demanded violence, rivers of blood. The whole left side of her face was swollen into one massive bruise. Her hair was long but lank, clearly unwashed for some time. The stitches of a fresh cut cupped the top of one of her breasts. The stitches were so prominent, black against her pale skin, I couldn’t help but see them. More injuries, some older, threaded across every limb.

Time seemed to restart. She ducked her head, gathered her robe around hersel