“Thank you for coming out with me.”
I just smile; I mean what am I supposed to say? The guy takes my breath away, making speaking around him pretty difficult.
For the fourteenth time today, my thumb hovers over the send button as I reread my text to Bain. Again, I decide on deleting it and go back to hovering over the call button. I swear I’ve been doing this for close to an hour, which is completely absurd.
Tilting my head back against the wrought iron of my headboard, I stare up at the ceiling. It’s Bain, he’ll understand. Fuck, no, he won’t. He’ll want more, he’ll end up hurting me and leaving me like my Nate did.
I slam the phone down on my bed and slink back under the covers, where I’ve been all day. Yeah, call me pathetic. I don’t really give a fuck. My mind is fucking me worse than any words you could ever say.
There’s a knock on my door, then I see Aubrey’s head poke in. “Hey, you don’t hate me, do you?”
“Of course I don’t.”
“Good, I’m sorry if I pissed you off yesterday. I was just being protective.”
“It’s fine, you’ve always been protective over me. I shouldn’t expect that to change now.”
“You’re right, I have and I always will. So if you really like this guy, let me meet him.”
Rolling over, I squint my eyes at her. Is she serious? But there is genuine concern in her tone.
“I’ll think about it.”
“You’ll think about it,” she repeats.
I nod my head. I can’t really promise her that she can meet Bain. Not after I snuck out of his house this morning and took a cab home like a psycho.
Will you just let me know that you’re all right?
Christ, he’s so sweet. I can’t ignore him any longer and text back. I’m good. Sorry about this morning.
You home?
Yeah.
He doesn’t respond and ten minutes later I hear a knock on the front door. Instantly, I know it’s him. I rush around my room, trying to figure out what to do with myself. Then I hear Aubrey answer and I don’t waste another minute. The second I come into his view, they both stop speaking and he charges towards me. Placing both hands on either side of my face he says, “You said you were all right.”
“I am,” I respond leaning into his touch.
“No, you’re not. I can see it in your eyes and you’re wearing the same clothes as yesterday.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Aubrey slink into her room. Blinking at Bain a few times, I’m not sure how to answer him.
“I’m fine,” I finally say.
“Don’t lie to me. You left this morning and I haven’t been able to get a hold of you all day. I can see it.”
Turning my back on him, I head into my bedroom and clamber onto my bed. He’s right behind me, not allowing me to turn my back on him, as I try to bury myself into my pillow. “I’m not leaving ’til you tell me what’s going on.”
“I…I’m sorry I stayed the night last night.”
“Are you? Because I’m not, the only thing I’m sorry for is that I didn’t sleep with you in my arms. It didn’t matter that I slept on the couch, because you still left.”
Rolling over, I face him and can tell that he’s dead serious. However, inside I feel like I’m betraying Nate by giving into my feelings for Bain.
He holds me tight, letting out a big sigh. I can’t believe my actions affected him like they did. In that moment, I feel horrible for acting how I did. Nate is gone and Bain…Bain is right here with me and all I’ve been worrying about is myself, not caring what I was doing to him.
“You’re right. I’m not sorry. I’m just scared.”
“Don’t be scared. It’s just me, A. Nothing needs to change with us, except you trusting me a little more. You don’t need to run from me, you can run to me. Let your walls down, Arion. I promise I won’t break them.”
Tears fill my eyes at the thought of putting myself out there. I know if I do it again and with anyone, I want it to be Bain…but can I?
“Can we just act like all of this never happened?”
He smirks at me and kisses the side of my mouth, still holding me tightly against him. “Are you going to let me in?” I nod my head biting my bottom lip. “Then if that’s what you need, yes. Just trust me, okay?”
“Okay,” I whisper, now lying completely underneath of him. “Wanna tell me what’s going on with you?” I ask, knowing him well enough to see the pain in his eyes.
He exhales loudly, resting his head on my chest and holds me tighter than ever. “Come on, Bain, if you want me to let you in, then you have to do the same.”
“I met with the FBI today.”
“About your sister?”
“Uh-huh.”
“What did they say?”
“They don’t think she killed herself.
“Oh my God, are you fucking serious? Why?”
“That print they found in her car has gone missing. Someone hacked into the computer system and deleted it. They are unable to find the hard copy, as well.”