On the other end, Lucian was still sitting on the steps of his RV after he ended the call. He threw his head back and breathed out a tired sigh as if he just finished a long battle.
He shook his head and let out a chuckle as he replayed the conversation he just had. He actually forgot that his senior brother would become so troublesome when drunk. Not that he was any better sober.
He scoffed in disapproval, criticizing his brother's drunk behavior. Retribution would come to him in the morning when Gina would unleash her fury upon him.
Lucian then stood up and turned around as he stepped inside the RV. He closed the door behind him and walked in only to freeze in mid-step as he saw an unexpectedly heartwarming and heart-aching scene in front of his eyes.
His eyes were filled with apology as he saw Violette, quietly asleep on the bed. Her legs were still on the floor as she must've waited for him and eventually laid down after a while.
'This is all your fault, brother.' Lucian silently berated Jake, as he didn't think he would be engaged in such a long phone call with his senior brother.
Usually, he would've hung up within a minute, whether the other side was done speaking or not. But this time, one thing led to another, and even with Jake and him being in different places, Lucian was forced to babysit his brother through the phone until Gina could reach him.
And as such he neglected Violette and left her to wait without any word. Even though he was just a few steps away, he couldn't console his conflicted heart with that excuse.
He felt a gentle tug in his heart at the sight of her and his legs pulled him towards her. He stood by the bedside and slowly crouched down as he kept his gaze on her.
Her hair was draped over her face as if in instinct, hiding her scars in a familiar manner. He raised his hand in a daze and slowly pushed her hair back and tucked them behind her ear.
His grey eyed gaze was firmly attached to her, taking in her distinct features and admiring her stubborn beauty.
But perhaps, the word beauty wasn't enough to describe her, as her attraction was not an assessment of her external appearance. It was innate, it was imbued in the unflinching gaze in her eyes and the stubborn determination in her bearing. And not even the scars on her face could impede her, instead they only served to reinforce the air of unwavering pride and resilience she carried with her.
But now, at that moment, she was peacefully asleep with all her defenses down, like a gullible child – innocent and vulnerable.
Her form was guarded, with her hands close to her body and tucked under chin. Her icy gaze was sheathed behind her closed eyelids with her long and thick eyelashes resting on her cheeks. Her dull pink lips were slightly open as a thin line of drool trailed down from the corner of her mouth and made a small wet patch on the pillow under her head.
Her soft snores floated in the air as Lucian felt inexplicably content and at peace as he listened to her breathe, as though it was a silent melody that resonated in his heart and soothed his soul.
His lips were curved into a gentle smile as he watched her from up close. He reluctantly shifted his gaze to her legs and he slowly put them on the bed. He then opened the cabinet door below the bed and pulled out couple blankets and a pillow from inside before closing the door again.
He unfolded a blanket and carefully tucked Violette in, with only her head peeking outside. After he was done, he nodded to himself in satisfaction and glanced at the empty space on the bed beside her.
He had half a mind to slip in behind her and pull her into his embrace but he quickly shook his head and pushed those evil thoughts aside. He only made sure she was comfortable and leaned in closer to her face.
"Good night, dear wife." He whispered gently, his soft breath tickling her forehead before his lips grazed it with a feather-light kiss.
He stood up and glanced at the window blinds, but left them open and reached over to turn on the bed light at her feet. He was not worried about anyone peeking inside as the window was fitted with a one way glass for privacy. He then headed towards the couch with the pillow and blanket in hand.
He threw those on the couch and switched off all the ceiling lights except for two along the kitchen counter and the couch. He then looked back and saw that the space was illuminated in a dim light which was not too bright to disturb them from falling asleep but not too dark and gloomy either. Only then did he turn to the couch and plopped down into it with a soft groan.
He wanted to make sure Violette wouldn't feel claustrophobic, as many people would find it difficult to sleep in a new place. And although she was sound asleep at that moment, he didn't want her to feel trapped if she happened to wake up in the middle of the night.
Her panic episode couple hours ago was still on his mind so he tried to make the atmosphere as comfortable for her as he could.
He lay in the couch and undid the first few buttons on his shirt as he stretched his long legs to the full length of the couch. He adjusted his pillow, found a comfortable position in the couch and crossed his arms on his chest before closing his eyes and slipping into slumber.
- - -
A few hours later in the middle of the night, Violette tossed around on the bed and slowly stirred awake. She snapped her eyes open and sat up at the sight of dull surroundings, but as she glanced around, she recognized the modest interiors and slowly relaxed.
She let out a sigh and laid down on her back with her hands pulled over her forehead. There were a thousand thoughts running through her head and she had no idea how to describe what she was feeling at that moment.
The space around the bed was neither too bright nor too dark and the open window by her side helped to distract her mind.
The street lights outside kept the area well lit even at night and she could see the other trailers small and big, parked across the lot in an orderly manner. It was quiet all around and made her feel as if she was the only one awake in the whole world.
Her thoughts cleared up and she pulled her hand down to her side but something on her hand caught the light spilling from the outside and gave off a twinkle in the dim interior.
Violette was captivated by that momentary spark and waved her hand around in a bid to reproduce that twinkle. She found the right position after a few tries and saw the exquisite ring snugly wrapped around her ring finger.
As she kept her gaze on the wedding band, her eyes glazed over and all the events that happened that night kept flashing past her mind one by one.