Vindicated

Heart On My Sleeve

Mariah's POV

The hospital is getting ready to release Stella and I. I'm kind of anxious to go to Derek's house. I don't know why he is so interested in saving me.  He’s a beautiful man. If I wasn’t so damaged maybe I would deserve him. 

“You girls ready to go?,” Derek asked.

Stella and I walk out to the car together. His driver opens the door for us.

“Good morning Mr. Sky, ladies”

“Good morning Mark.” Derek said.

Mark is in his late 30 thirties with dirty blonde hair and brown eyes. He's pretty tall. I notice Stella and Mark have a brief moment of eye contact. Almost like they were linking and they didn't even know it. 

Stella and I just smile and nod at Mark. Stella gets in first. Then I get in. Derek gets in and sits down beside me.

"Thank you for letting us stay with you. I don't know how to even begin to repay you," I said. 

"No need to repay me. Just having you next to me is enough. You may not see it now but you are a diamond,  a queen, a warrior.  You deserve more than you've been given. You deserve the world. When you're ready, I plan on showing you just how much you deserve," Derek grabbed my hand and kissed it. I couldn't help but blush.

 How could he see me as something I could never see myself? How could I feel so much for a man I barely know. Could it be just that I love him for saving me? Love? Really Mariah?! Love. Love isn't possible, not yet anyways. I cannot believe those words just came out of my mouth. 

" Well we sure appreciate you being so gracious to us, especially me. I don't deserve either of your kind gestures. I'll never be able to make up for what I've done fully, but I'll be the I can be.  From now on, you're gonna see a whole new Stella. The old Stella is dead and gone," Stella said

I smiled and hugged her, "I look forward to getting to know the new Stella." 

This whole experience changed Stella. She isn't the person I met a few days ago. She's reborn. She's a warrior. She's a fighter. She has a new meaning of life. She no longer craves the climbing the ladder of success ill-fully.  She wants to do things right. She wants to live her life to the fullest extent. In a way we are very similar. We both came of out this different people.  

The rest of the car ride to Derek's house is awkward silence. I spend most of my time staring out the window. I never thought I'd be living so close to the ocean. I never thought I'd escape Mitch. I never thought I'd survive but here I am alive. I plan on appreciating and living life to the fullest.  I'll never take my freedom for granted again. I'll never put myself in the situation I found myself in again. Mitch will never hurt me again. No man will ever hurt me again. I'll cover my heart in armor from now on. I look at Derek. His beautiful blue eyes have me mesmerized. He doesn't take his eyes off of me. Almost as if I'm the only thing he can see. 

 f**k. So much for Armor. I'm gonna need a whole army to help my heart not fall for him.