Chapter Three
Adrian was in jail. It was the best news Camila had heard in a while.
After the whole fiasco, Camila left home with Samuel so she could stay with him. She loved her mother, but she didn’t think she would feel safe at home if she was left alone. There was no guarantee her mom would be coming back that night, either. She hadn’t heard from her and knew she could come home past midnight or the next morning, and Camilla didn’t want to be alone until then. She also knew Samuel wouldn’t be comfortable with spending the night with her when he’d left Brianna at home.
“I’ll go pack a bag,” she murmured quietly. Her feet felt slow, even though she wanted to rush. She wanted nothing more than to be out of there. In a matter of moments, she’d managed to pack a quick overnight bag, and return to the living room.
“Ready?” Samuel asked.
Camila nodded and let Samuel lead her down to his car.
“Are you sure about this?” he asked, holding the door to his car for her. “Your mom might come back and hear about the commotion. She’ll be worried, won’t she?”
“I’ll just text her. It’ll be fine,” she reassured him then climbed in the car.
Her throat hurt when she spoke, so she tried to keep her words to a minimum. She rubbed her hand over her throat, which caught Samuel’s attention.
“Do you need some water?” he asked.
“Please.” Camila nodded.
Samuel taking her keys, ran back up to her apartment and returned a moment later with a bottle. Handing it to her, he made sure she was securely in before closing the door, then circled around and climbed in the driver’s seat. He drove her back to his place.
When they reached his home, he helped her into the house, leaving the bags at the bottom of the stairs to be brought up later by one of his staff. “Are you hungry?” he asked. “I can have some soup made for you.”
Camila shook her head. “I-I just wanna sleep and forget this all happened,” she whispered softly.
“Okay.” Samuel sighed and wrapped an arm around her waist as he escorted her up the stairs to a guest room.
A maid followed them in with her bag and she set them inside the door.
“There’s a bathroom through there,” Samuel pointed to a door on the left of the room, “why don’t I let you get settled and if you need anything, you can come find me. My room is down the hall on the right. I’ll leave my door open. I’ll be downstairs until about eleven.”
Camila nodded. Really she just wanted to sleep.
Giving her a kiss on the temple, Samuel let her go and backed out of the room, pulling the door closed.
Camila looked around the room, taking in the plush bedding and luxurious furnishings. She walked over to the bed and sat down, sinking into the cushy softness. Pulling off her shoes, she set them on the floor at the corner of the bed. She slipped out of her clothes and then climbed beneath the silk sheets, not bothering to put on her pajamas. She was asleep before she could even register the softness of the pillow.
The next morning, she was feeling tired and sluggish. She stretched in the luxurious sheets as her mind drifted into consciousness, she didn’t want to get up. She was way too comfortable. Instead, she snuggled further under the covers and sighed. She might have even fallen right back asleep, if she hadn't felt a weight dipping one side of the bed.
Suddenly on high alert, she pushed the covers off her face and turned around. She blinked her eyes open, and saw a small, pale face with a tentative smile watching her.
“Brianna,” she said, her voice hoarse, but her mind waking up properly. “You startled me.” Camila gulped some air, slowing her heart.
Brianna bit her lip and looked sad.
Camila attempted a smile. “It’s okay, I just didn’t hear you come in.” She reached for Brianna’s hand and smiled bigger, this time a genuine smile. “I suppose it’s time to get up, huh?”
Brianna nodded quickly and jumped lightly on the bed to shake it a little.
It was enough to make Camila quirk another tiny smile, even though she was far from a smiling mood. “I got it. Let Samuel know that I’ll be out soon, okay?”
Brianna nodded and moved off the bed. She waved as she left the room.
Camila got up to get herself ready. She went into the bathroom and took a long, hot shower, washing her hair with the shampoo and conditioner that had stood on the counter. She wondered if they kept every bathroom so well stocked or if one of the maids had brought it in sometime while she’d slept. After her shower, she dried off and then dug through her bag looking for suitable clothes to go to the police station in. She had to go file her statement, not that she was looking forward to it.
Once she was ready, she left her room, making her way down the staircase to the great hall. She found Samuel in the dining room, waiting for her. “Where’s Brianna?” she asked.