Kat’s alarm beeped harshly, startling her enough to swat it. With a groan, she sat up and rubbed her face, only to jolt when a stab of pain shot through her eye. The pain sharpened her thoughts, bringing back memories of the night before. She fished the ice pack from the tangled sheets and pulled it out, limp and melted. Her pillowcase was clean, which meant the bandage had done its job.

She opened the curtains, and early-morning sunlight spilled in while she pulled on socks and a shirt. She tiptoed into the bathroom and then stared at her face in horror. Though the cut was on her cheek, a vibrant purple and red bruise spread around her eye socket like a child’s watercolor painting.

She peeled at the edge of the bandage to inspect the injury more closely. A ridge of crusted blood outlined the cut, but it was not actively bleeding, nor did it look inflamed. Carefully, she removed the bandage and dabbed the area with a tissue, relieved that it was shallow—no need to go to a clinic. With luck, it would heal in a few days.

Would it leave a scar? Kat tried to imagine what it would look like. With luck, it would fade by Easter, and she wouldn’t have to explain it to her family.

Of course, everyone at work would be asking about it, too.

Kat fetched her worn makeup bag and uncapped her foundation. Using light strokes, she swiftly covered the worst of the bruise, brushed out her hair, put on deodorant, and looked herself over critically in the mirror once again.

She’d... looked better.

A rap on the bathroom door startled her from her thoughts.

“Yeah, Cami?” she called. How her cousin could manage to be both an early bird and a night owl never ceased to amaze her.

“We need to have a chat, kitten! Get your butt out here.”

Kat swept her things back into her drawer and opened the door. Cami, draped in a purple, fur-trimmed nightgown, stood idly examining her nails. She looked up when Kat opened the door, her eyes narrow. Before Kat could ask what was up, Cami grabbed her chin, long nails pressing into Kat’s skin.

“What happened to your eye!? Did that jerk hit you? I’ll kill him!” Cami shouldered past Kat and pulled her beneath the vanity lights to scrutinize her face.

“What? No, he didn’t—” Kat tugged free from Cami’s hands, and her cousin scowled and placed her arms akimbo.

 “What happened, then?” Cami demanded.

“It was nothing!” Kat said hurriedly. “A drunk guy in an alley threw a bottle, and some of the glass got me when it broke. Darius walked me home to make sure I was okay. I’m sorry if we woke you up.”

Cami’s lips tugged to one side as she thought over Kat’s response, and she huffed.

“Geez, what is with all the creeps around here lately?Fine, I believe you. But you tell me if anybody lays a hand on you, okay?”

“I will.” Kat softened, touched by Cami’s concern.

Cami nodded sharply, then quirked a smile. “What’s with the makeup, is that you trying to hide the bruise? I’ll fix it.” She rooted through her drawer of supplies and pulled out foundation and concealer. Kat spotted her phone charger in the jam-packed drawer. That was one mystery solved.

“Is your face okay?” Cami pointed to the toilet, and Kat sat.

“It’s fine. It just stings a little. Do you really think you can fix my face for work?”

“Babe,” Cami patted her twice on the shoulder and smirked. “I’m a makeup vlogger. You just leave it to me.”

Kat shut her eyes and let Cami do her work, delicately swiping product across her cheek.

“So. You finally brought a guy home.” Cami said in singsong voice.

“Carp and crickets.” Kat groaned. “Don’t start, Cami please. It’s too early in the morning for this.”

“Little kitty boo is all grown up! I’m so proud of youuuuu.” Cami pinched her uninjured cheek, and Kat irritably smacked her hand away.

“I explained what happened, which was nothing!” Kat protested as much as she could without moving so she wouldn’t disrupt Cami’s precise make-up work.

“Mhm. Mhmmm. Well, I’m straight-up shell-shocked. So tall, skinny guys are your type, huh? I know a few I can send your way if Jacket doesn’t work out.”

Kat burned beneath the fresh makeup. She opened her eyes and saw Cami grinning devilishly. “No, Cami! Please, no more blind dates! The last guy you set me up with painted flags on deer skulls!”

“Alejandro has a hobby, what’s wrong with that?”

“I didn’t say it was wrong, but it’s pretty weird.”

“Right, and Jacket doesn’t have any weird hobbies,” Cami said drily.

Kat fought the urge to squirm beneath the tickle of the brush across her nose. “I don’t know if he does yet. And why do you keep calling him that?”

“Because his jacket costs a hundred and seventy bucks, that’s why. He’s rich, kitten. You know how to pick ‘em,” Cami chuckled. “Did you two have fun last night, then? Besides the blood, obviously.”

“Uh... not really? We sort of ran into each other, he scared the guy off and then helped me get home, and we went to bed.” Kat went quiet, replaying how Darius had run to intercept the drunk man. Shame burned inside her at her inability to react, tempered by the softer warmth of gratitude. Thank goodness he’d been there.

“Oh, really?” Cami’s expression turned decidedly impure.

Kat realized what she’d said.

“Not like that! He went home to bed, and I went to bed! Separately! Nothing happened!” Kat insisted, leaning back on the toilet seat. Cami caught her by the chin and squinted, scolding.

“Mmmhmmm.” She said skeptically, dabbing at Kat’s cheek with a pad. “Stop moving.”

Kat obediently went still, wanting nothing more than to sink into the floor and quietly die of embarrassment.

“There... we... go! Don’t go rubbing it off.” Cami leaned back to assess her work and then nodded in satisfaction. “And don’t go getting mad at me. It’s only natural for people to talk, after all. You two are practically glued together, and he’s walking you to work again.”

Kat balked. “You were listening to us talk last night!”

“Hard not to. Thin walls and all that.” Cami said unapologetically as she snapped her makeup cases shut and dusted off her hands. “Clearly, he’s utterly smitten with you, kiddo.”

“He is not.” Kat looked in the mirror and perked up. “You can’t even tell there’s a cut...!” She said in wonder, tilting her face one way and then the other.

“Duh. I’m good at what I do.” Cami gave a pleased hum. “You like him, too, or what? I thought you’d hit forty before you got brave enough to date because, let’s be real, you go to pieces when anyone flirts with you.” Cami crossed her arms and leaned against the countertop. “You two make out at the park the other night?”

“W-we did not! I have to bring Mrs. Shapiro the bird food and go to work. Thank you for fixing my face, goodbye!” Kat squeezed past her cousin, ducking into her room to grab... anything. Hopefully, her composure.

Cami’s voice carried through her door. “You’re welcome. And you tell Mama Cami if he doesn’t treat you right, you hear me?”

Kat hurried out the door, and when she met Darius outside, she couldn’t look him in the eye, though Cami’s makeup kept the flush in her cheeks from showing.

#

Over the next two weeks, Darius seemed to fill her every moment.

Despite Kat’s busy work schedule, they saw each other every day even if briefly, while Darius walked her to and from work. Sometimes, he came in for a cupcake while she was working or asked if she wanted to walk through the botanical gardens during her lunch break.

When Kat lamented that she’d been struggling to keep the apartment clean, Darius offered to help, and they made an evening of it.

Darius was one of a kind, and Kat knew it. What she didn’t know was how to handle the bubbling emotions competing for her attention.

At work one day, she found herself engrossed in thought, trying to untangle her feelings about Darius as she arranged displays for Easter. Darius kept finding ways to spend time with her, complimenting her, and buying her lunch. She’d offered to return the favor, but he’d firmly refused the gesture.

He made her feel so special. What had she done in return? Thanked him, sure, and said nice things, but it didn’t feel like enough.