Derek gently set her down on the soft mattress. He arranged the thick pillows behind her back so she could sit up comfortably against the wooden headboard. Then, he pulled a heavy wooden chair close to the edge of the bed. He sat down facing her. He reached out and took both of her warm hands in his own.
Derek took a deep, shaky breath. He looked down at their joined hands for a moment, gathering his thoughts, before he looked back up into her eyes.
He narrated everything.
"After you closed your eyes in that dark alleyway," Derek began, his voice low and heavy with the painful memory. "The King's personal guards arrived immediately. They arrested Prince Liam on the spot. He did not try to fight them. He was in shock because he thought he had won."
Marissa listened closely, her heart beating a little faster.
