The Man Who Never Looked Away novel Chapter 96

The door swung open.

The emergency lights in the hallway cast a faint, green glow. He stood outside, chest heaving, a light sheen of sweat on his forehead.

His phone flashlight was still on, the beam catching her face.

She was drenched, wrapped only in a towel. Her lips were completely bloodless, and her eyes were rimmed red, looking exactly like a half-drowned cat pulled from freezing water.

Her vision faded to black, and she pitched forward.

He caught her firmly in his arms.

...

"Lavinia."

"Lavinia."

The voice seemed to drift in from miles away, muffled as if traveling through a wall of water.

"Lavinia."

She slowly fluttered her eyes open to find a strikingly handsome, familiar face hovering above her.

A candle flickered on the coffee table. She was lying on the sofa, a warm blanket tucked carefully around her.

Lavinia stared at him quietly, her mind entirely blank.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

"It's you." Her memory rushed back—the blackout, the sheer panic that almost sent her into shock. She hadn't expected anyone to come for her.

But here he was. He had saved her again.

"The power went out," she murmured weakly. "I have post-traumatic stress disorder. I almost went into shock."

She paused. "If you hadn't come, I might have..."

His eyes were deeply dark, brimming with unspoken emotion. After a long silence, he slowly lifted a hand and pressed the back of it against her forehead.

"I promised to take good care of you."

Lavinia blinked. He promised? When did he do that?

Right, it must have been Saul, who asked him to keep an eye on her.

Suddenly, Lavinia remembered she was practically naked beneath the blanket, wearing nothing but a towel.

She clutched the blanket tight against her chest, stammering, "I—I need to go put some clothes on."

Charley held the candle in one hand and offered her his other arm. "I'll walk you."

Her face burned all the way to her ears. Thank God the room was dark enough to hide it.

She wanted to tell him she was fine on her own, but the truth was, she was still terrified of the dark.

His hand wrapped steadily around her wrist—warm, reliable, and silently protective.

At the end of the hallway were two bedrooms. A large master suite, and a smaller guest room.

Lavinia stopped in front of the smaller door and turned to him. "I'm okay from here. Pass me the candle."

"Are you sure?"

They fell into an easy rhythm of light conversation. It was warm and comforting, but never crossed the line into anything inappropriate.

By the time the tea was ready and she had finished half her mug, the lights suddenly flickered back to life.

She checked the time. It was already midnight.

"I don't mean anything by this," Charley paused, holding her gaze, "but do you want me to stay and keep you company?"

Lavinia flushed, shaking her head quickly. "No, no, that's okay, Charley. You've done more than enough tonight."

He studied her face.

"Alright. Lock the door behind me."

He walked to the entryway, but stopped and turned back around.

"Keep your phone right next to your pillow and make sure the ringer is on. Call me immediately if anything happens."

"I will," she nodded.

He closed the door behind him. She watched him go, and as she turned around, her eyes landed on the entryway console table.

Her pre-pregnancy medical report was resting right on top of it.

He couldn't have noticed it... right?

A jolt of guilt hit her.

No, it was completely dark. There was no way he saw it.