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It took a moment to realize where I was. In Leo’s bed. With him.
“You were having a nightmare.”
He looked at me and made any lasting sleep fade quickly. My body shuddered hard from the anxiety pumping through my veins.
“I . . . I-I’ve got to go.” I tried to get out of bed, to stand, but I stumbled and hit my knees on the floor.
“Hey, hey,” Leo said softly, kneeling with me on the floor. He reached for me but I pushed at his chest.
“I need to l-leave.” But I was breathing so hard, I could barely get the words out.
I hadn’t had a nightmare like that in a long time. Where I’d felt Frank’s hands on me, realized he was so close. Close to . . .
I felt sick. Cold. Shivering. Weak. So fucking weak it was embarrassing. I wanted to get out of there. Didn’t want Leo to look at me the way he was right then. With pity.
“I’m here. I won’t hurt you,” he said, inching closer and rubbing his hands along my arms.
I cupped my forehead. I realized I was naked and it was dark out still.
“I’m so cold,” I said around a shaky breath. Leo reached behind me and yanked the covers off the bed and wrapped them around me.
“Wait right here. I’ll be right back.”
Closing my eyes, I tried to ward off the nightmare. I heard the bathtub turn on from the other room and Leo was back.
“Come here, angel. Let’s get you warm.”
He picked me up and I cuddled into his side. That moment was when my breathing started to regulate. It was a nightmare. It was scary, but unlike real life, I woke to an ally. Leo was there. Holding me. And it eased the ache.
Gently peeling the blanket from around me, he didn’t let me go, just sank with me into the huge tub, the hot water dancing around us and warming my skin. I stayed in Leo’s arms. Clinging to him while the water poured, filling the tub more.
He sat there with me. Just holding. Stroking my hair and whispering something in Greek. I didn’t know what it was, but it was soothing. His words tugged at something in my chest and made me want to melt into him. Made me want to forget everything.
“No one knows . . .” I whispered.
No one knew about my past—rather, no one believed me. About what Frank had almost done. How it hurt me. How it terrified me every day. I’d spent my whole life running from that feeling. The feeling of being powerless. The feeling of being alone. The feeling of being betrayed.
My need for control, my issues with trust, the desire to be believed—all of it hit hard in that moment. Every day I buried it. Just focused on the future. On my job. On what I could control. And yet, it was too much. I was spinning. And now I was clinging to something that I couldn’t ever keep.
But I clung anyway.
“I’m here, Paige,” Leo whispered, and kissed the top of my head. He didn’t ask me to explain. Didn’t push for anything. Just held me.
I would be embarrassed. I would be standoffish. I would even deny this moment as anything more than a mere nightmare with no meaning and never discuss it again. And I’d do all those things tomorrow. But for now, I let the warmth envelop me and tried to hang on to my last ounce of dignity and not cry.
Because the moment I cried, it made it real. Gave Frank power. Gave Bill power. Gave my mother power. Everything and everyone who had ever hurt me, ever looked at me with disbelief, would know they’d won. Would know I was weak the moment I let the tears come. And I’d be damned if Leo ever saw me as anything but capable.
“Tomorrow,” I whispered against his chest so he couldn’t hear me.
Tomorrow I’d deny everything and brush this moment off. For now, I’d stay, and enjoy the fact that he’d stayed with me.
Chapter Eighteen
Everything is all wrapped up for today,” I said, looking at my tablet.
I felt Leo’s eyes on me from where he sat behind his desk. After the nightmare incident from t
he other night, I had purposefully kept all the talk between us professional and thankfully, Leo didn’t bring up anything personal at work in front of others. Which was why I made a point to never be in the same room alone with him. Until right then. Six o’clock on a Friday.
