After a few hours, Laura opened her eyes.
Now she was lying directly in front of Tomas's face, only a few centimeters away. His arm was still warmly wrapped around her waist, as if afraid to let go. Her own hand rested calmly on his chest—she could feel his body slowly rise and fall under the shirt.
"Why do I feel so good with him? As if this is where I belong… as if I'm safe for the first time in many years."
Smiling softly, she studied his face: calm, attractive, hair messy, long eyelashes, lips slightly parted.
Suddenly, fear struck like an icy blade.
"If my uncle finds me… I'll have to run again. And leave this good feeling behind. Better not get attached to him."
It was already dark outside, but the rain had stopped—only heavy drops occasionally fell from the trees. Quiet, calm, smelling of wet earth.
Tomas began to wake up—barely moved, took a deep breath.
Laura panicked, afraid it would be awkward, and quickly shut her eyes.
He sensed she wasn't asleep. Gently, with his fingertip, he brushed the tip of her nose.
She blinked and opened her eyes.
Tomas was smiling—a warm, sincere smile like she had never seen before.
"Not sleeping anymore? Have good rest?" he asked softly, his voice hoarse from sleep.
"Not anymore…" she whispered, her cheeks turning red. "I haven't slept this peacefully in a long time," she replied, eyes shining. And you?"
I am rest pretty good to. He answered with low voice.
"Good… Laura feels better. First point on the list completed.
Laura sat up, stretched, looked out the window—the streetlights flickered on the wet sidewalks.
"I feel a bit heavy after all those snacks," she laughed. "Do you want to go out for a walk? It seems like a beautiful evening…" she added shyly.
Tomas scratched the back of his head and smiled.
"Sure. I was just about to suggest the same thing."
They dressed warmly, put on their hats, and left.
Tomas gestured to the right:
"There's a nice park nearby. We can go there."
"Okay, let's go!" Laura said with a smile, but after a moment the smile faded.
"Should I tell him about my uncle? What will he think? Will he get scared? Kick me out? But I don't want to lie to him…"
Tomas was silent as well.
"Should I tell Laura that her uncle is looking for her and that my parents worked in the same company? Will she get scared and run away?"
Deep in thought, they reached the park—tall trees, paths lit by warm yellow lights, and in the distance a quiet stream with an old wooden bridge crossing it.
They walked to a bench and sat down.
Suddenly they both spoke at the same time:
"I want to…"
They laughed.
"You say first what you want," Tomas said gently.
Laura took a deep breath, her hands shaking.
"I want to tell you something about myself… Like I said, I don't have a family except for my uncle, who took me in when I was little. But he… kept me locked up and…" her voice trembled.
Tomas immediately took her hand, squeezing it warmly.
She squeezed his hand tighter and continued:
"He kept me like a prisoner. My uncle is the director of a very large pharmaceutical company, NovaCure. My mother was also one of the founders, but she died of an illness when I was young. Now my uncle wants some very important documents that belonged to my mother, and he thinks I have them. That's why he's looking for me. I'm scared… if he finds out where I live, something bad might happen to you too, and I…"
Tomas stopped her—lifting her hands slightly and pulling her closer.
She lifted her head and saw his warm, smiling face.
"I already know about your uncle. And that he's looking for you. And that you were treated badly," he said calmly.
Laura's eyes widened, her face turning pale.
"How do you know?!" she cried, her voice shaking with fear.
"Remember yesterday when I was waiting for you outside work?"
"Yeah…"
"Then I heard two men. They pulled out your photo and said, 'We finally found her.' I went myself to find out what they wanted from you. That's when I found out everything about your uncle. And also…" he lowered his eyes briefly, "my parents worked in the same company as your uncle. They died in a car accident."
Laura stared at him, eyes full of tears.
"But don't be afraid," Tomas said gently. "As long as you're with me, I won't let anyone take you without your consent."
His face held a soft smile, as if saying: everything will be okay.
Laura burst into tears. She hugged Tomas tightly, burying her face in his jacket.
"I'm scared… that because of me something will happen to you… and… and… if the men at the bar saw me, they know where I am…"
"Don't worry," Tomas said calmly, stroking her back. "I doubt they'll dare say anything after my talk with them."
Laura pulled away, wiping her tears.
"I'm sorry I hugged you like that… I'm just so happy I met you and I was afraid you'd throw me out…"
Tomas gently wiped the remaining tears from her cheek with his thumb.
"Don't be afraid. I don't care how powerful your uncle is or that those people are dangerous. Because I…"
He stopped.
"…once I finish the list, I'll leave this world anyway."
His gaze froze for a moment, turning cold.
Laura noticed instantly.
"Because you what?" she asked, confused.
Tomas quickly snapped out of it and smiled warmly.
"Because I know how to take care of myself. And I can protect you."
A warm, relieved smile appeared on Laura's face.
End of the evening
They walked through the park for a while—laughing about silly childhood stories, arguing whether coffee should be with milk or black, talking about favorite colors, songs, and the smell after rain.
It felt like in one evening they learned more about each other than they had about anyone else their entire lives.
Finally, they came back home.
At the door, Laura paused, looked at him, and whispered:
"Thank you for staying."
Tomas gently brushed a hand through her hair.
"This is your home."
They both felt—their bond had grown even stronger.
They wished each other goodnight and went to sleep, this time with lighter hearts.