Page 90 of Eternal
We sat there, and she pulled her knees up, smiling softly at the view. Her smile felt off. Maybe she’d lost too much blood.
I think she had.
But then I followed her gaze. The city looked like a million immobile fireworks, the night sky the same. It had been a while since I simply sat somewhere and breathed.
I glanced back at her again as she took a bite of her burrito, her eyes narrowing like she was lost in thought. The usual hard layer of malice was still there, but the vulnerability from earlier had softened her a little.
“You know Katarina’s going to take care of you, right?” I said casually, watching her chew. “She knows about the injury. She’s already making plans.”
She froze mid-bite, her eyes wide as she looked at me.
She really looked cute, all scared like that because someone wanted to take care of her. “Did you… did you tell her?”
I couldn’t help but laugh at her reaction. “You really think I wouldn’t? She’s your best friend. When Viktor called and threatened me about you getting hurt, she screamed at me to bring you food and take you home, then she’d wait for you there.”
Her hand paused at her mouth, and she sighed dramatically. “Oh god, she’s gonna babysit me for weeks now, isn’t she?”
I chuckled, leaning back. “I’ll come visit to save you from her, if you want.”
She shook her head, muttering under her breath as she took another bite. “This is worse than being stuck with you. I can’t believe she already knows. That’s it, I’m doomed.”
I laughed again, watching her shake her head in defeat. “You should be grateful. She’s only looking out for you.”
She rolled her eyes, taking another bite. “You have no idea. If Kat gets her hands on me, it’s gonna be soup, blankets, and ten thousand check-ins, and a zero training policy.”
“Sounds like you need exactly that,” I said, grinning. “You don’t take care of yourself.”
“Idotake care of myself,” she snapped, then paused. “In my own way.”
I smirked, watching her eat. There was something oddly… tender about her like this. Normally, she was always so closed off and almost cold, or even insolent and arrogant in a way, provocative.
But here she was, having a normal, unguarded moment with me. “So, what, you think I should come by and make sure you eat enough too?” I asked to mess with her.
Not that I’d be closed off from this idea.
You’re not thinking straight, Damir.
She gave me a deadpan look. “If you want me to survive, sure.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t get used to me checking in on you.”
“I won’t,” she said with a small smile, clearly not taking me seriously. “You should’ve never told them about the injury.”
I leaned back on the bench, thinking about the whole situation, “You could always just, you know,notget hurt next time.”
“I’ll try.”
We ate in silence for a while, the only sound was the occasional crunch of her burrito as she took another bite. My gaze kept drifting to her, though.
It wasn’t only the way she ate. She was… different tonight.
Vulnerable, in a way I wasn’t used to seeing. I kept thinking back to earlier, how she’d fainted in my arms, her skin burning under my touch, and how I had to carefully lay her down, trying not to show the worry that clawed at me. I’d touched her skin without even thinking about it, feeling her pulse under my fingertips.
And that moment on the bike... when I’d caressed her hand, guiding it back to my waist. I hadn’t understood why I did itthen, but now, as I watched her, I realized it was like I couldn’t help myself.
There was something about the way she made me feel.
Something that had nothing to do with the job I was sent to do.
