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“What if she’s mad at me? What if she thinks I forgot about her? Or—”
“Stop.” His mouth brushes across mine, a whisper of a kiss over my bruised lip. “She isn’t mad. Just relax. I’ll take care of everything.”
Ben draws me back against his side, his arm protectively wrapped around me. “It’s all going to be okay, sweetheart,” he murmurs into my hair. “I promise.”
He rubs my back in large circles, his hand gently massaging away some of the tension. As the warmth of Ben’s body seeps into me, my muscles gradually relax. I curl into his chest, notching my head under his chin. The sleepless night drags at me and I start to drift, my eyelids feeling too heavy to keep open.
Ben’s voice is soft, but throbs with emotion. “I love you so much, Thea. So much.”
I snuggle closer to him, half-asleep already. My words slur as I whisper, “I love you. More than anyone.”
I’m moments from surrendering to sleep when the doorbell chimes, the sudden noise startling me so badly I almost fall off the couch. But Ben tightens his arms around me, holding me still. “It’s okay, hun. It’s just Leo and Georgia with Laila.”
Of course. It’s not like I didn’t know they were coming. Or that they’d be ringing the doorbell. Cheeks flushing, I duck my eyes and say quietly, “I know.”
He squeezes me gently before setting me on the couch and standing up. “I’m going to go talk to them, talk with Laila. You stay here, okay? We’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“Okay.” I’m grateful for a little time to collect myself; for some time to firm up my defenses, so I don’t start crying the second I see Laila.
So I practice that breathing technique Ben taught me and tell myself reassuring things like the hard part is over and Ben said it would all be okay.
I’ve almost convinced myself when Ben walks back into the living room with Laila. She’s clutching Buttons in one arm, her other hand holding Ben’s. Uncertainty flickers across her face as she looks at me, and my chest turns to ice.
Pain spears into my chest. Ben was wrong. She doesn’t trust me anymore. How can I fix this?
She glances up at Ben, then back at me. In a tiny voice, she asks, “Can I hug you? Will it hurt too much?”
Oh. Damn these tears.
Through a constricting throat, I nod at her. “Yes, you can hug me. I would love that.”
Then she drops Ben’s hand and runs over to me, nearly flinging herself into my lap. My arms come around her instinctively, hugging her little body to mine.
For a few seconds, we just hug each other, while Ben comes to sit on the couch next to us. He rests his hand on my back and kisses my head, not interfering, but still supporting me.
With a little sniffle, Laila lifts her head from my neck and inspects me carefully. Her brows come down as she looks at the bruises on my chin and neck, and she asks, “Does it hurt a lot?”
“Just a little. But I’m okay.”
Her features pinch with worry. “Dad said that someone hurt you. And that’s why you couldn’t come to get me at school. You were hurt and needed Dad and his friends to come rescue you.”
“Yeah.” I glance at Ben, holding his gaze for a moment before looking back into Laila’s concerned eyes. “That’s why I couldn’t come for you. But I wanted to, sweetie. I would never leave you on purpose. Ever.”
I’m blinking furiously, trying not to let my tears escape. “I’m sorry we missed our special time together. I really wanted to go.”
Ben’s hand comes to my nape, massaging gently.
“Me too,” Laila agrees solemnly. “But Dad says we can go when you’re feeling better. Can we? If you aren’t hurting anymore?” She lightly touches my chin. “I’m going to help you feel better. Okay?”
“We’re going to both take care of Thea, right?” Ben gives Laila a brief look, and she nods enthusiastically.
“I would love that,” I manage, sniffling madly, about two seconds from crying again.
Ben touches my cheek, his finger stroking softly across my skin. His eyes are so full of love, my breath catches. Without breaking our gaze, he says, “Laila and I talked about it. Today is take-care-of-Thea-day. You’re going to stay on the couch and we’re going to get food and nap and watch movies—”
“And I’m going to read to you,” Laila adds. “Since you said it made you feel better last time.”
I nod at her, not trusting myself to speak.
