Page 64 of Taking Adalisa

“Oh, baby.” Matthias rushes to me. “Are you okay? Do you need me to look at it and see if you need anything? Why don’t you move your hand so Daddy can see where you hit your head and make it all better?”

Matthias bends down in front of me, and I gaze at him with my mouth open. I was not expecting him to care so much about a simple bump on the head.

“Come on, Little one.” Matthias places his hand on my arm that is still touching my head.

“It’s fine,” I rush, scooting back. But I don’t get far with Matthias kneeling in front of me. “I really am okay. It happened a few minutes ago. It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

I look past Matthias to see Nala giving me a knowing look before disappearing around the corner. She knew he would fuss over me.

“Baby, let me see your head,” Matthias firmly says. “Hitting your head is a very serious thing, no matter how light or hard you hit it. I need to look at it to make sure you are okay.”

Sighing, I drop my hand and let Matthias check it out. He pokes and prods, I don’t make any sound as it doesn’t hurt, and before I know it, Matthias is leaning back and looking at me seriously.

“I have some good news and some bad news. Which do you want first?” Matthias asks.

Good news and bad news? What is he talking about?

“Good?” I sound so unsure. “No, wait. I want the bad first. Wait. Actually, can you tell me the good news first?”

“Put her out of her misery, Matthias,” Nala shouts from the corridor.

Matthias chuckles. “Good news is your head is perfectly fine. Bad news is, it’s fine, and now you have to come grocery shopping with me.”

Thatwas the bad news? I thought he was going to say something about part of my head needed to be chopped off or that I was going to need brain surgery.

I don’t see leaving the house as bad news.

“Do you think you can manage that? I know you don’t like going out too much anymore, but I do want you eating. If that means going to the grocery store so you can pick out your own food, so be it,” Matthias stands up and holds his hand out.

I stare at it. Is Nala right? Does he really care for me that much that he is willing to take me grocery shopping?

“Let’s go,” I say, taking his hand for him to help me up.

“Don’t tryanything in the store; no one will help you. They all know who I am,” Matthias warns as we walk into the store.

Right. Of course he would take me somewhere that he knows everyone so no one would help me. Smart of him. I know it might take a while, but I’m still hoping that he’ll mess up and I’ll be able to run away.

Even if that means leaving a place I feel safe in. It shocks me every single time I think about it. I feel safe with Matthias around me. I can’t deny that I have feelings for him, how would I not? He has mostly treated me amazingly. Even when he gets all possessive and growly at me, it turns me on and makes me want to stay with him. I do want to stay with him, so badly but I can’t.

I stop walking and look at him with wide eyes.

Am I okay?

No, something must be wrong with me. I need to sit in my room and think about everything and get back on track. I can’t be thinking like this.

“Adalisa?” Matthias gently asks, taking a step closer to me. “You’re okay. Everything is going to be okay.”

How does he know that? My whole world is going up in flames right now, and I don’t know what to do to put it out.

“Everything is going to be fine.” He wraps his arms around me, holding me tightly.

I suck in a deep breath and grip his shirt, not wanting him to let go of me anytime soon. Are we in the middle of the grocery store? Yes, but I don’t really care right now.

“Such a good girl,” he whispers. “I’m so proud of you. You keep taking what’s thrown at you.”

Everything that has been thrown at me has been from him. He has given me everything, and it is exhausting trying to continue to move forward and have faith that one day I am going to get away.

But what if I don’t want to get away anymore?

---