CHAPTER 13

The shy sunrays that crossed the window glass came to rest on the wooden floor, announcing the beginning of a new day in Safe Haven. It was still cold at that time of the morning but the cotton like clouds up in the sky were slowing moving away, making room for a warm and sunny weekend.

With her eyes still closed, Monica stirred a little, feeling surprisingly more comfortable in her bed now than what she did on the previous nights. Curious brown pools fluttered open a few instants later, and she could detect the sunlight pouring inside her room at the same time she felt a pair of strong arms gently holding her small form.

And it was then that she understood why the accommodations seemed so cosy. Monica opened her sleepy eyes and slowly lifted her head up from Andrew’s chest to meet his affectionate gaze back at her. He had always found the confused expression on her face whenever she woke up rather endearing.

“Andrew...”

“Hey... Good morning, angel.” He spoke, removing the strands of hair that had fallen on her face.

“Is it too late?” She wanted to know, frowning with concern at the realization it was already morning.

“No, angel, it’s still too early...” he stroked her long auburn hair. “... you had a nightmare.” His words were cautious, as he didn’t want the memories of her terrible dream coming back to her mind.

He watched as her eyes fell and she looked at an invisible point ahead of her. “That’s true, I did...” Flashbacks were already crossing her mind like the memories of a horror movie. She raised her head up to look at him again a second later. “But then it stopped... It was you, wasn’t it?”

“I felt your heart... the fear in it.”

“Thank you...” she spoke, and her gratitude was reflected in the spark of her eyes.

Andrew gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze and kissed the top of her head. “I prepared your breakfast. Thought you’d like some genuine mocha latte and blueberry pancakes.”

Her lips curved in a sleepy smile. “Sounds lovely...”

The blond angel gently pulled away and climbed off the bed and only then Monica noticed he was wearing jeans and t-shirt. He had been awake for some time.

“I won’t be long...”

As she sat down in bed, Monica watched with questioning eyes as he disappeared through her bedroom door for a few moments to return holding tray with breakfast ready for her. The smell of coffee filled the air and it was all that was missing to make her fully alert. Once Andrew deposited the tray in front of her, the little angel grabbed the mug of mocha with childlike excitement.

“What about you?” she asked, under his attentive gaze. At least her appetite had returned and he was glad to see it.

Andrew winked at her. “While I was preparing your breakfast I stole one of your pancakes and made myself some hot chocolate!”

“Hum... Will I ever convince you how tasteful a good mug of mocha latte is?”

Chuckling at the cheerful tone in her voice, he shook his head. “I highly doubt it, angel!”

A few minutes later, when she was finished, Andrew removed the tray from her bed and still wiped the little moustache that had formed above her lips, eliciting a small giggle from her.

“You are way too protective, Andrew!”

“Just doing what I can do best, angel...”

She observed as the blond angel placed the tray over a desk and took a small box that had been there. He brought it in his hands and sat down at the edge of her bed.

“What is it?” Monica wanted to know, looking at it with curiosity.

“It’s a first aid kit.”

Her eyebrows knitted together in a slight frown. “A first aid kit? What for?”

“To treat this injury in your arm.”

She felt her heart skip a beat for a moment. Andrew had found that out, despite her efforts to hide it from him and from everyone.

“I accidentally touched your arm during the night and it hurt you. I have to apologise for that...” he told, preparing the first aid material to start treating her wound.

Monica didn’t know what to say and she knew that through his casual talk, he was demanding an explanation from her. The little angel reached out for his hand and squeezed it gently, her eyes staring back at his with nothing but love and pleading for forgiveness. “You don’t have to apologise for anything, Andrew. There was no way you could know that. And I am the one who owns you an apology, I should have told you.”

He turned her hand so her palm was up and very carefully lifted the sleeve of her pyjamas; the wound had gotten uglier than it was on the previous day and only now he could see it in day light did the blond angel realise the damage it had caused. Andrew felt his jaw clench at the image and had to take a deep breath before starting to clean it.

“It’ll sting a little...” he said, not looking at her as he was now concentrated in alleviating some of her pain. Noticing how she flinched as he ran a piece of cotton embedded in alcohol along her skin, the blond angel tried to make his movement as soft as possible, not bearing the idea of hurting her again.

“It’s alright... It doesn’t even hurt so bad...” she spoke, aware of his fear.

Monica watched as he proceeded in cleaning up the wound and then putting some antibiotic ointment over it. Finally, he wrapped a white gauze around it so it was protected – Andrew wondered if she could need some stitches, but the thought was already too scary and painful. So he elected to give it intense treatment himself.

“How did that happen, Monica?” he finally made the question that had been on his mind since late at night, while he held her tightly and prayed for the nightmare to be over.

“It was an accident.” She replied, facing him and determined not to tell him the whole truth. “I was with Joy and got distracted. Too distracted as she was agitated and I tried to remove her saddle... Everything happened too fast.”

It was partially true and he frowned with concern at the seriousness of the situation, imagining what else could have happened. “Joy was nervous? Why? She looked so calm...”

“Ian had been training her and he pushed a little too much.”

Also, it was totally true.

“I understand... Did you get hurt some other place?”

“I didn’t... And... I think I should start working already...” Monica gently withdrew her arm, smiling back at him. “Thank you... For everything...”

She inched closer and wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him a warm embrace that could not even begin to measure how grateful she was for having the angel right by her side whenever she needed.

What the little angel didn’t see was the worried look on his face. Andrew knew his dear friend would not lie to him, first due to her nature and second because there were no secrets between the two of them. But in his heart, the blond angel could feel something was very wrong and that thought alone was terrifying.