Page 16 of Shadows of the Past
That thought sends a shiver down my spine.Control yourself.
When I open my eyes after a few minutes and see the result, I feel a relief unlike anything I’ve ever felt.Negative.
Gracias, Diosito.
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After finishing my shower, I do what I always used to do at home. Spend a minute under cold water. My senses come alive as the first drops of cold water hit my skin, and I'm reminded that I'm still alive. I've survived so far.
But somehow, in this moment, I feel Martin’s hands on my thighs and physically recoil in the shower stall. I force myself to open my eyes.You’re safe. You’re not in that room anymore.
I survived, but at what cost?
When I emerge from the bathroom dressed in some pajamas Maksim got for me, he is sitting at his desk with his back to me. I know he senses my presence because he turns in his chair.
“The test is negative,” I feel the need to tell him first.
No response. No comment.
“Sit on the bed. I’ll administer the injection right away.”
His tone is authoritative, so I don’t manage to tell him that I hate needles. I hate injections.
It’s for your own good, Julia.
I watch him approach with the syringe in hand and position himself at my level. I close my eyes and know I’m gripping the edge of the bed so hard that my knuckles turn white. I wait for the pain. I suppress the urge to jump up.
“Julia, open your eyes.” His voice is softer now.
When I open my eyes, I'm struck by a veil of gray, and I have to force myself not to gasp, because they are the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen.
His black hair falls across his forehead, but it's cut short on the sides. He has a rugged expression, and even though he’s roughly my age, he looks more mature. I see a few small scars on his face, which only add to his mysterious allure and make my heart beat irregularly.
Cálmate, corazoncito.
My heart wishes to calm down, but it can't.Ugh, I hate these hormones.
“Why didn’t you tell me you’re afraid of injections?” he asks, and I want to give the obvious response.
“Because you’re so calm and self-assured, and I want to try to be like that too,” I respond in my authoritative tone, the same one I use with the twins when they misbehave.
In the next second, he bursts out laughing, his whole face lighting up, and the pleasant sound vibrates through him so powerfully that my eyes widen, and without realizing it, I start laughing too.
Then I register the prick of the needle, but before I can look or even process it, he withdraws the syringe. I look up at him, shocked, and all he says is, “It’s better if you don’t expect it.”
I know this moment has changed something in me. I’m not sure exactly what, but when I think about it, my chest fills with a special warmth. He cared that I might feel pain; he cared about my fear. He took responsibility for me. And somehow, my soul skips a beat because of that. Because of him.
Chapter 9
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Julia
I sit for two hours on a chair while Maksim patiently explains how to turn on the computers and activate all the systems.
What is a VPN? How do I write in a terminal? Something about SSH that lets me connect to another virtual machine. My head is spinning, but I don’t say a word.
I look at the man who has so much patience to show me every step. By nature, I learn quickly, but there’s so much information that I feel myself getting confused without meaning to.
