Page 125 of Tears of Gold

“I can’t wait to see it grow.” I sniff hard. “You will be there with me, won’t you? To watch. I know I have darkness in me, but I’m fighting. And I will never keep a secret from you again.”

“Always.” He leans over and brushes his lips against mine. “You are no monster, you’re my ray of golden sun.”

“Covered in ink.”

“Decorated in art.” He kisses me again and for a moment I just breathe it all in. The baby is okay. Elijah is here with me, fighting with me, my constant saviour. There will be no more secrets and no more darkness.

“Faith.” The way his tone drops tells me what he’s going to say.

“My hands, right?” I offer him a rueful smile.

“Yeah, it’s your hands. I’m so sorry.”

“How bad?”

The deep breath he takes tells me all I need to hear.

“Faith.” I startle a little as I’m called. I must have fallen asleep.

“Mm.” I try to sit up straighter, but I can’t put any weight on my hands, so I have no way of lifting myself up.

“The police are here to see you.”

“Why?” I search Eli’s expression.

“Because you were assaulted, my love. They want your statement.”

I swallow hard and his eyes soften.

“You can do this.”

A woman comes in. Her suit is black and utterly plain; her white shirt is tucked in to the waist of the pencil skirt. “Faith?”

“Hi.”

“I’m CDI Barclay. Rough night I hear?” She smiles and it lifts the severity of her demeanour.

“Something like that.” I want to move my hair from my face, but my hands are wrapped up. Eli, sensing my frustration, leans closer and brushes it away.

“I’ll be outside, sunshine.”

“Please don’t leave me.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

He turns for the door and the woman gives him a sympathetic smile. “Are you happy to come to the station to give your statement later?” she asks him.

He nods and pushes through the door, shutting it gently behind him.

“I’m going to ask some simple questions. Is that okay?”

“Yes?” I answer almost with a question.

“You’ve got nothing to be nervous about, Faith. We have a witness.”

“A witness who happens to be the love of my life.”

Her lips trace with a smile at my irrational statement.