part of fourteen hours, which wasn’t enough for Tia’s taste. Michaela joined them a few minutes later to look over her wounds. The old woman seemed to be pleased with Ramon’s work, and only went so far as to wash the cuts and change Lena’s bandages.
While Michaela worked, Tia begged Lena to tell them what had happened last night. Lena couldn’t refuse their eager request, so she told them everything that she could, starting with dinner. The women listened, enraptured. They both let out a little cheer when she told them about how she’d broken the glass over Damien’s head, and they both swooned when she told them about how Ramon had pulled him to the ground and embarrassed him in the middle of the living room.
Lena had never told them everything that had happened between her and Damien, but she didn’t need to. They sensed what was wrong when she came home unexpectedly from school a month before graduation. They’d both known what men like Damien would do to women like Lena. If there was anyone in the world who hated him as much as she did, it was Tia and Michaela.
Both women had always liked Ramon, the told Lena. They thought he was nice. Well mannered. Respectful. And very handsome. Lena rolled her eyes at them and made a sound of mock disgust. If they had liked Ramon before, they were now his biggest fans. Or at least among them.
When Lena’s story was over and her bandages refreshed, they left her to rest, smiling at Ramon as they walked past his chair by her bedroom door. Lena caught a glimpse of his leg through the door as it opened and closed, and thought for that split second about calling out for him. But she hesitated and the door closed and so she found herself again in solitude.
Damien did not stop calling or texting her. Every time he blocked his number, he got a new phone and harassed her again. She’d hoped that he’d learned his lesson last night, but Damien wasn’t really the learning kind.
Bolstered by food and a set of fresh painkillers, Lena found herself drifting back to sleep, thinking about the man sitting outside her bedroom door.
Ramon
Ramon was supposed to be writing his first security report for Zeus. He’d finished most of it, and was happy with the changes that he’d recommended, but as he got closer to the end, he found himself frequently distracted. His thoughts were with the young woman lying in bed in the room next to him. It was his job to keep her safe, and he had failed at least in some respect. It would always have bothered him professionally, but what he felt now was more than that.
He did not care to admit it to himself, and certainly not to anyone else, but he found himself caring more and more for Lena. He empathized with her life here. He knew first hand how much a home life full of trauma can stifle a soul, and she had lived with it longer than he had. She’d never had the chance to go out and make her own way. Never had the opportunity to prove herself.
And still, she was stronger than Ramon had guessed. He felt like a fool for underestimating her.
He took a deep breath and set his report aside. A walk would do him good, and he needed to inspect the outer walls of the compound.
It was nice outside. Hot, of course, and humid too. But Ramon loved it. It felt like home to him. He started with a short walk around the house, looking for any way that someone could get into the house besides the front door. He made a few notes and walked over to the outer wall. The compound was laid out in a big square. On the north corner of the square was the house. In the east corner was the pool and patio. The west corner had the garage, and the south corner was the entrance
While Michaela worked, Tia begged Lena to tell them what had happened last night. Lena couldn’t refuse their eager request, so she told them everything that she could, starting with dinner. The women listened, enraptured. They both let out a little cheer when she told them about how she’d broken the glass over Damien’s head, and they both swooned when she told them about how Ramon had pulled him to the ground and embarrassed him in the middle of the living room.
Lena had never told them everything that had happened between her and Damien, but she didn’t need to. They sensed what was wrong when she came home unexpectedly from school a month before graduation. They’d both known what men like Damien would do to women like Lena. If there was anyone in the world who hated him as much as she did, it was Tia and Michaela.
Both women had always liked Ramon, the told Lena. They thought he was nice. Well mannered. Respectful. And very handsome. Lena rolled her eyes at them and made a sound of mock disgust. If they had liked Ramon before, they were now his biggest fans. Or at least among them.
When Lena’s story was over and her bandages refreshed, they left her to rest, smiling at Ramon as they walked past his chair by her bedroom door. Lena caught a glimpse of his leg through the door as it opened and closed, and thought for that split second about calling out for him. But she hesitated and the door closed and so she found herself again in solitude.
Damien did not stop calling or texting her. Every time he blocked his number, he got a new phone and harassed her again. She’d hoped that he’d learned his lesson last night, but Damien wasn’t really the learning kind.
Bolstered by food and a set of fresh painkillers, Lena found herself drifting back to sleep, thinking about the man sitting outside her bedroom door.
Ramon
Ramon was supposed to be writing his first security report for Zeus. He’d finished most of it, and was happy with the changes that he’d recommended, but as he got closer to the end, he found himself frequently distracted. His thoughts were with the young woman lying in bed in the room next to him. It was his job to keep her safe, and he had failed at least in some respect. It would always have bothered him professionally, but what he felt now was more than that.
He did not care to admit it to himself, and certainly not to anyone else, but he found himself caring more and more for Lena. He empathized with her life here. He knew first hand how much a home life full of trauma can stifle a soul, and she had lived with it longer than he had. She’d never had the chance to go out and make her own way. Never had the opportunity to prove herself.
And still, she was stronger than Ramon had guessed. He felt like a fool for underestimating her.
He took a deep breath and set his report aside. A walk would do him good, and he needed to inspect the outer walls of the compound.
It was nice outside. Hot, of course, and humid too. But Ramon loved it. It felt like home to him. He started with a short walk around the house, looking for any way that someone could get into the house besides the front door. He made a few notes and walked over to the outer wall. The compound was laid out in a big square. On the north corner of the square was the house. In the east corner was the pool and patio. The west corner had the garage, and the south corner was the entrance
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