Page 57 of Beautiful Ruins
His voice was low.Rougher than usual.
“I feel like I’ve been hit by a ten-tonne truck,” I croaked.
His mouth tightened.He crossed the room in a few long strides.“You’re going to be sore for a few days, a week maybe.”
I blinked at him.“You look worse than I do.”
That made him pause.There were faint shadows under his eyes.A tightness around his jaw that hadn’t been there before.
“Did you even sleep?”I forced out.
He didn’t answer immediately.That was answer enough.
He moved to the side of the bed and sat down without ceremony.The mattress dipped slightly under his weight.He leaned back against the headboard and stretched his legs out, one hand going behind his head.Relaxed.
It startled me.I’d never seen him like that.Unguarded.Not anticipating violence to walk through the door at any moment.Just… there.
It felt strangely natural.Like he’d always belonged on that side of the bed.
I watched him without making a sound.The silence wasn’t uncomfortable.It was relentless, but not strained.
His gaze drifted to the bruising on my collarbone.Then my lip.Then my temple.
His jaw tightened again.
“I’m so fucking sorry I sent you back there, Izzy.”
The apology landed between us and stayed there.
It took me a second to process it.
“It’s not your fault.”
“It kind of is.”
“It kind of isn’t.”
He let out a short, humorless breath.
I ignored the ache.“It’s not your fault.”
“It is.”His voice was flat, adamant.
He turned his head to look at me, and there was something raw in his expression that made my chest tighten.
“I made the decision.”
“And Nathan made his,” I countered.“He’s the one who brought the devil to my door.”
A muscle ticked in Raze’s jaw.He studied me for a long moment.
“Actually,” he said mildly, “that was you.”
I blinked.“Excuse me?”
“Sneaking around in a deserted warehouse in the middle of the night.”
Despite the pain, I huffed out a breath.“I wasn’t sneaking.I was… investigating.”
