Dimitri
I watched the subtle movement of Evelyn’s chest rising and falling in a steady, deep breath.
Her features—usually sharp and alert—now looked fragile and peaceful. She seemed smaller wrapped in my shirt that swallowed her small body, clinging tightly to me. Lying beside her, I counted the rhythm of her heartbeat, pulsing like a soft melody. She almost looked at peace… if not for the faint tremor of her eyelids revealing the storm of dreams tormenting her.
Proof that a violent tempest lived inside that woman’s mind.
Her words still echoed in my ears, as gentle as they were painful.
"Thank you for protecting me tonight. No one has ever protected me."
The simplicity of that statement struck me like a stake through the chest. I knew the weight those words carried. No one had ever
