About fifteen minutes later the rest of the fellas from this “Clan” arrived as I was examining my throbbing foot, they talked amongst themselves. It seemed as though they were trying to figure out who the guys were. Petey, Kid, and Wop came over at separate times to make sure I was okay. Wop asked if I needed anything and I requested a pack of ice for my foot, unlike what I told Azmir the dozens of times he’d asked. I knew he was upset about what had happened but I couldn’t deal with his regrets, I’d had my own. I didn’t think I broke anything in my foot but couldn’t be too sure. Eventually Azmir came over again and asked if I needed to see a doctor. Again, I told him no. I definitely didn’t want to seek medical attention so far from home. I’d just have someone at the practice take a look at it for a second opinion when I got back.
We made it back to the resort where I dumped all of my clothes in a trash bag and jumped in the shower. While there I inspected my foot again to be sure there were no broken bones. From what I could assess, there was no major damage. As I was sliding on my white linen slip in the bathroom Azmir knocked on the door to my room to see if I wanted something to eat. I declined telling him I just wanted to go to bed. I really didn’t want to be bothered and felt that my coming with him to Mexico was a huge mistake. I just wanted the hours to pass so that I could get back home. I think I made it very clear.
I called Michelle to give her an update of my time away. She wasn’t as sympathetic as I thought she would be but she was gentle in saying the mishaps was strictly coincidental and could happen to anyone. She apologized for my misery and wished she could be there to kick Syn’s ass for me and to just give me a hug. I laughed although it didn’t seem like much; it helped a lot. Not too long after getting off the phone with her I fell asleep, my fatigued body needed rest.
In the middle of the night, I had a nightmare about the men from the alley breaking into my room for revenge and Azmir was nowhere to be found. They strapped me down to the bed and were about to cut me with a knife. I jumped out of my sleep. I looked around the room and then at the clock that read two twenty-three a.m. I couldn’t continue to lay there alone. I didn’t want to but had to swallow my pride and go into Azmir’s room. I could tell earlier that he didn’t like my rejection and decided to give me my time alone. The fact still remained that we really didn’t know each other, it was best that he played it safe. The look in his eyes every time he asked about my condition after the attack was so intense, protective, eerily promising.
In his room, Azmir had the windows that faced the rumbling ocean open with a calming flow of breeze streaming in. The noise alone could put me to sleep. I put my knee on the mattress and he jumped up defensively. I squeaked. Clearly, I had startled him.
I murmured, “I had a nightmare and can’t get back to sleep.”
With narrowed eyes, he pulled the cover back inviting me to get in. When he started to exit the bed from the other side I asked, “Wait. Where are you going?”
He recoiled and took back to his pillow ruffling in the sheets trying to resume comfort, but when I nestled myself into him, he stilled. Azmir’s bed smelled of him, inviting, enticing, intriguing. It was warm and previously occupied by him. For once, I wasn’t nervous, I just needed refuge and found him capable of providing me that. With wide eyes, I froze awaiting further reaction. After a beat, he turned to my back and pulled me into him. Protectively. I felt the strength of his arms in his touch. His vigor. After lying in his arms for just minutes, I slipped back into a restful sleep.
He woke up and went into the bathroom and I went back into my room. He cracked the door to tell me he was going out and would be back in a few hours and to call to the concierge for a message when I got up. I slept until almost noon. The first thing I felt was my foot throbbing in pain. It was almost three times its normal size. I needed a few items to treat it so I picked up the phone to call for it. That’s when I remembered Azmir telling me to call for a message. When I called, I learned he had arranged for me to go to the spa. A smile cracked my face.