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It seemed that Knox’s plan was going to be for naught. I should have felt more upset and dwelled on the fact that Creed was mad at me. In normal circumstances, I probably would have. Maybe I was burying it with everything else because I was exhausted. Or maybe I just didn’t care because I knew I was justified in doing what I’d done and that really meant I was like my uncle. No. It had to be the first. I’d make things right tomorrow.
Creed let me take the lead. I grabbed a cart and decided to start in the toiletry department. I moved quickly through the aisles, pulling things off the shelves for the guys and for me without fully stopping. Because the drive here had been silent, I’d made mental lists of things we would need.
They didn’t have a huge selection of hair dye. I glanced over the small variety quickly, seeing that I had the option to go brown, which was my actual hair color. That didn’t seem like a good idea. I didn’t want to be more recognizable to Mr. X.
They were out of black dye. My only other option was to go with a light color. I’d have to bleach the red out of my hair. I knew the basics of how to do that, but having my phone to look up exactly how to do everything would have been really nice right now.
Cheese and rice!Knowing my luck, my hair was going to come out orange or completely ruined. Reluctantly, I grabbed a bleach hair kit and tossed it in the cart.
The next aisle was the feminine hygiene aisle, and I froze. My period had been due yesterday. The moment the crazy, panicked thought of possibly being pregnant entered my head, my rational side took over. I was on birth control. Or I had been up until a few days ago. I had a history of being a few days late when under a lot of stress. Besides, I was already getting the chocolate cravings that I always got right before and would continue to have after I started. As soon as I was able to calm down, my body would do what it was supposed to. For now, I needed to get supplies for when my period did eventually begin.
I caught Creed staring at me with a frown as I pulled the products I’d need from the shelf. I didn’t have it in me to feel embarrassed. Not that I had any reason to be. He didn’t say anything, so neither did I.
Farther down the aisle were condoms. Those were a must now that I was no longer taking birth control. Colt and I had already had unprotected sex. He may have pulled out, but we would not be having sex like that again.
I looked over the brands and styles of condoms that were available. I had bought condoms before, but they didn’t have that kind here. I bit my lip, trying to decide which one to get.
Creed sighed. “These ones, Shi.” He grabbed a few boxes off the shelf and tossed them into the cart.
“Thanks,” I muttered and continued on to the next aisle.
He went back to quietly following me. Or at least until I stopped to grab something. I felt him come up behind me before his arms wrapped around my stomach.
“Shi.” His arms around me tightened, molding my back to his chest. He rested his forehead on my shoulder. “I was scared, pissed off, and I’m exhausted. I said things I didn’t mean because I thought…” His arms squeezed around me even more. “It doesn’t matter what I thought. I was a jerk and I’m sorry.”
“If you squeeze me any tighter, I’m going to pop.”
Creed’s arms instantly loosened, and his hands went to my hips to spin me around to face him. His mouth latched to mine and before I could process that, he pulled away just a breath. “I don’t think you’re like your uncle. I was lashing out.” He kissed me again. It was quick, but I was prepared for it enough to kiss him back. His hands moved to cup my face and he pressed his forehead to mine. “I’m sorry.”
I wrapped my arms around his waist. “It’s all right, Creed.”
He squeezed his eyes shut. “I felt like I was going out of my mind.”
The pain I heard in his voice hurt my heart. I put my head on his shoulder and hugged him as tightly as he had hugged me. “I know. I’m sorry.”
We stood there holding each other for a while. At first, I felt completely, helplessly gutted that he felt that way. I wished I could fix it. I was desperate for him to never feel that way again. That desperation quickly turned into anger, because the only way to obtain what I wanted was if Mr. X was dead.
* * *
The sun was setting by the time we returned to the cabin. Keelan and Colt came out to help unload the car. After everything was put away, Knox offered to cook something for us, and I went to go take a fast shower. The warm water from the shower relaxed me to the point I felt bone tired. I struggled to get clothes on and had to sit down on my bed after.Just until dinner is ready,I told myself as I lay back across the foot of the bed.
Sleep pulled me away without me even realizing it and the next thing I knew, I was being lifted. I tried to open my heavy eyes, but all I could manage to do was groan.
“It’s just me, baby girl,” Keelan said as he laid me somewhere else in the bed.
When I felt blankets come over me and his warm body cuddle me from behind, I drifted back to sleep.
* * *
My eyes shot open as the blankets were slowly pulled down my body. At first, all I could do was watch the shadows as they danced on the ceiling. I felt paralyzed, unable to move, unable to blink as the rest of the blankets were pulled off of me completely.
It took me a moment to realize I was home in my bed in Arizona.
Cold air kissed my exposed skin just before fingers touched the top of my foot. My heart began to beat faster when those fingers started to move up the top of my leg. I could hear heavy footsteps on the rug as someone walked along the side of the bed.
Once they reached the hem of my pajama shorts, the fingers didn’t stop. They continued up my thigh, over my PJs, over my hip and stomach, until they reached my breast. There the fingers circled around my nipple through my thin pajama top, making it harden.
The feeling of the bed dipping and their bulky body settling in the bed next to me was familiar. My body moved on its own, snuggling closer to the person who I had thought had been Knox. That had been before. Too tired, I hadn’t opened my eyes before. They were wide open now. I was still unable to blink and this time I could see that it was not Knox who was in bed with me.
