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“You have me.” He said it with a force that made me think I wasn’t the only one needing to be convinced. “You haveme,” he repeated, this time in a softer tone. He rolled over to his back, wincing and cursing the shoulder that never seemed to give him a break. “Come here.” He held out his healthy arm. “Let me feel you.”
I scooted closer, letting him fold the arm around me and pull me tight to him.
His heart beat strong and steady as I lay my head on his chest. A sound I’d never grow tired of hearing. It was a comfort. A reassurance that he was still here. With me. Just like he said. I snuggled closer, tilting my face up to kiss his chin.
“Will we be okay?” I whispered, and he tightened his arm around me.
“Yes.”
The one word was strangely comforting. No sweet words, no promises of a better life. Justyes. And I believed him.
I woke with her still clutched in my arms. Her head on my chest, her hair smelling like flowers, and one arm draped over my stomach. Last night came back slowly, and in the light of the day, I wasn’t sure telling her was the right thing. By opening the lid to my past, I couldn’t close it again. I couldn’t force it all back and slam the door. It was there, out in the open, leaving me more vulnerable than I ever was. It was too much, too fucking sudden.
Kaylie’s soft breaths against my skin burned with a clarity that chilled me to the bone. By opening that door, I just didn’t let the monsters out. I letherin.
And if she ever left… I couldn’t think about it. I promised her I was all in. And I couldn’t go back on my word. She was my life, the only fucking thing that made it worthliving, and not just surviving.
A low rumble from outside made me pull her tighter as my eyes drifted to the window. The blackout curtains were parted, letting in a green-gray hue of light. Rain trailed down the glass, leaving patterns and blurring the treetops swaying from the wind.
She shifted, lifting her head to gaze at me through sleepy eyes. The ocean blue depths pulled me in, shining with a worry that deepened the fear that had my muscles tighten under her. Kaylie was not Julie. It wasn’t going to happen again.It wasn’t.It was what I had to tell myself to cope. But the truth was, I couldn’t know. We were already in danger. All it would take was one bullet…
She pushed herself up, leaning against one elbow as she studied me. Her eyes skipped to the window in time for another thunderclap. She smiled at the rain, then turned to me and the smile faded. “Marc?” She locked her gaze on me, and I met it, letting her ocean blues suck me in and wash away the fear. She was right here. Right now. With me.
I forced a smile. “Sleep well, butterfly?”
Her lips twitched, then she frowned. “Butterfly?”
I chuckled at her puzzled face, then shrugged. “You don’t like it?”
“I do.” She grinned. “Just, whybutterflyof all things?”
I looked at her, making her tremble under my gaze. She was beautiful. Delicate. Fucking exquisite. But she was strong, more than I could ever be. She went through hell, and she emerged stronger and brighter. She was fucking perfection, body and soul.
“You remind me of one,” I said at last.
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Of course, it’s a compliment!” I snapped. How could she even have doubts? “Your strength and beauty drive me fucking mad.”
She gasped, and I gave her a tight smile while the regret burned deep within. Why the fuck did I have to say that?
“What’s the time?” I asked, changing the subject. “Dominic and Izzy must be waiting.”
Kaylie surprised me by kissing me, and all thought of the twins faded. Then, just as fast, she pushed away from me, and sprung to her feet. She dashed over to the window, opened it, letting the humid air inside. The room filled with a faint scent of pine and summer storm, and the sound of heavy rain against tress, brought a bright smile to her lips. She crawled back into bed, snuggling close to me.
“Isn’t it romantic?” she murmured. “The sound of rain?”
A low chuckle rumbled in my chest, matching the rumble from the dark clouds drifting by on a bleak sky.
“It’s a thunderstorm,” I said. How couldthatbe romantic? She giggled, drawing little circles on my stomach until I shivered from the light caresses.
Her smile tickled my skin, and her palm flattened against me, slowly traveling up my chest. I swallowed, allowing my eyes to drift close to the feel of her touch.
“I don’t want to wait,” she whispered, skimming her hand down my body as if her words needed clarification.
I gulped. Neither did I. Waiting until I was free from the sling. Until I could move the fucking shoulder without pain was growing unbearable.
“Kaylie.” I opened my eyes, letting out a slow breath. “It’s for you, I can’t—I’m fucking useless like this.”
