Callie nods, biting her lip, and I swear, I’m one doe-eyed look away from forgetting all I just said and kissing the crap out of her again.
“Thanks, I think,” she replies, her expression shifting from, as she put it, ‘hot and bothered’ to contemplative. “Honestly, I’m still figuring out the friend thing. What’s okay and what isn’t, you know?”
Part of me doesn’t appreciate how easy it was for her to want to just be friends, and I don’t know if it’s my pride or something deeper. I’ve never tried to friend-zone myself before.
Her gaze drops to her hands then to her legs that are on either side of my thighs. “This is probably pushing the friend line, isn’t it?”
I shake my head, chuckling. “There are no rules, love. As long as you’re comfortable and I’m comfortable, that’s all that matters.”
Her nose scrunches up, and she makes a playful pout. “I was really hoping for a manual to this kind of stuff.”
Grinning, I give her an over the top hug, which elicits wheezing cough sounds while muttering she still needs air to breathe. I sloppily kiss the top of her head, then pull back, my hands holding her shoulders.
“How about you lie down on the couch?” I suggest, my thumbs grazing over her collarbones. “I have the blanket here from last time. You can snuggle up with it, put your head on my lap again, and we can watch a movie. You know, like I told my parents we were doing.”
Callie giggles. “Sounds like a good idea.”
I keep my face as neutral as possible when she climbs off my lap, once again eternally grateful to throw pillows.
To get more comfortable, she takes off her boots and socks before lying down. I tuck the blanket from the back of the couch around her and fan her hair across my lap.
“Nolan,” she murmurs, looking up at me.
“Yes?” I answer with a teasing smile.
“Promise me something?” she requests, reaching out from under the blanket to hold my right hand and lacing our fingers together. “If you choose not to… feed from me, do it because you don’t want to, not to try and protect me. I’m responsible for me, not you.”
I sigh. “Only if you promise me something. If it ever becomes too much for you, you tell me and we stop. Don’t keep doing it because you feel obligated to help me, okay?”
“I agree to your terms, sir,” she answers with a smile, then gives our joined hands an exaggerated shake.
“Good, now what do you want to watch?”
She shrugs, oh so helpfully. “I pretty much haven’t seen anything that’s been released in the past two and half years, so anything’s good with me.”
I flip through the varying menus of different streaming services, trying to find something that isn’t sexy in any way and uses little brain power.Animated movie starring a fox and a rabbit. This should work.“Zootopia it is.”
∞∞∞
Callie falls asleep again, and I’m beginning to wonder if she’ll ever see the end of a movie.
I’m at the part where it’s revealed the lamb was behind the whole thing, and I’ve managed to get her hair back to untangled soft waves when Callie jerks to her back. Suddenly, her body bows, muscles straining, and her hands fist at her sides like she can’t move them. She fights against her invisible restraints, and her face contorts into a vision of intense pain. Quiet mewling sounds of agony resonate from her throat, and the sound cuts right through me.Holy shit!
“Callie!” I yell, wrapping my arms around her, and attempt to shake her awake. “Callie, you need to wake up. You’re having a nightmare.”
Her mouth opens wide like she’s screaming, but only muted, breathy gasps come out. She thrashes in my embrace, and I’m terrified she’ll fall into a catatonic state again.
“Callie,” I beg, fear ringing in my ears. “I really need you to wake up. Please, love.”
I give her another hard shake, and she cries out as she jolts awake, slamming into my shoulder when she sits up. Coughing and choking, her gaze cuts frantically around the room, and her whole body is trembling.
Placing my hand on her cheek, I gently turn her head so she’s looking at me. Her skin is cold as ice, tears drip down her face, and her eyes are wild and unseeing.
“Love,” I whisper softly, “focus on me. You’re safe. It was a nightmare. He can’t hurt you anymore.”
She blinks rapidly, the fog of her horror beginning to lift from her features. “Nolan?” she croaks.
“Yes, it’s me,” I answer, my thumb wiping away at her tears. “Can you tell me where you are?”
