When I let out a happy sigh, his tongue dives into my mouth and he tastes me as if I’m the most delectable thing he’s ever had the pleasure of tasting. I slide my fingers over his cheek that’s sporting a few days’ worth of scruff and kiss him deeper. His mouth has a way of wiping away all the hurt and pain, and instead filling me with hope and love.
When we part, my face is cupped in his hands and he holds it a few inches from his, his eyes flitting all over me. “I need you closer,” he murmurs against my lips. “Get into the bed with me.”
I kick off my tennis shoes and delicately climb in next to him. His arm wraps around my back as he hugs me to him.
“I’m afraid to touch you,” I murmur, my fingertips delicately dancing along his flesh as if he might disappear at any moment. “War, I thought you were dead and that…that…” I shudder in his arms.
He strokes my hair and presses a kiss to my forehead. “Shhh. I’m here, Bay, and I’m not going anywhere. As long as you’re here, I’ll make it through this. How did you get away from him? What did he do to you?”
More tears spill out and I shudder in his arms. “He hurt me…again, but he’s gone. Don’t worry about me. We’re together now.”
I tilt my head up to look at him. His stormy blue eyes are devouring my appearance. I hope he can’t see the horrible memories of what Gabe did inside my head. If he knew that Gabe raped me, he’d probably be disgusted. I’d become tainted in his eyes. Filthy. Like the infectious bacteria he so ferociously avoids. I want to enjoy this moment. I know it’s a conversation we need to have. But I can’t put those images in his mind. I can’t bear the thought of rehashing the events of the last two days right now. Not when I just managed to escape.
When I find his eyes in the darkness, they are looking at me studiously. He sighs and nods slowly. “Okay,” he whispers as if he recognizes the fact that any questions he dares to ask should be asked with caution. Because he isn’t going to like the answers. “You’re safe now, beautiful. When I get out of here, we can go back home where I’m never letting you go.”
Home.
War is my home.
“My mom died,” I tell him, my chin quivering. “This whole time she’s been dead, and I never knew. I went to her gravesite. God, I miss her.”
He hugs me to him. “I’m so sorry. Detective Stark told me. I fucking hate that for you.”
Our lips meet for a moment and he kisses me while his thumb swipes away my tears.
“Brandon told me you’d died,” I choke out. “I was dead inside. My heart died right along with you.”
My sobs overwhelm me and he holds me tight against his side.
“Shhh,” he coos. “I never went anywhere, Bay.”
“He’s not the same person,” I hiss out, my lip wobbling wildly. “I was happy when he saved me but then I wasn’t. I don’t love him. Not anymore. But it’s more than that, War, he’s unhinged. He has these elaborate ideas about us being together. I watched him shove Gabe to his death in that cellar. His eyes were hate-filled… I’m afraid he’ll never cope with you and I being together, which is why he lied. And I think he has something to with my dad being missing.”
His brows furrow together and he frowns. “Yeah, I started getting a feeling when talking to Stark and it wasn’t a good one. Jesus, Baylee,” he says and drops a kiss to the top of my head, his hands around my face trembling. “We’ll call her in the morning. She can deal with Brandon. You’re safe with me now.”
I want to believe him but fear still niggles inside of me.
“Go look in my bag,” he says with a smile. “I brought something of yours to have up here with me, but now you can have it back.” His fingers tenderly stroke along the outer shell of my ear and he touches my earring.
Nodding, I climb out of bed away from his warmth and dig in his bag. I find a Gala apple and jerk my gaze over to him. “Can I have this? I’m starving.”
“Yes, Jesus, please eat. I hate that you’ve been out there in survival mode. You can rest now. You’re free,” he tells me gruffly.
I take a bite of the apple and finally find what he wanted me to have. Chewing, I pull out my pretty pink watch and slide it on over my wrist. “I wish I had this on when I left,” I tell him sadly after I swallow. “The trunk was so dark…I didn’t know how many hours had passed. I had nothing but your shirt on my back to remember you by.”
He sits up in bed, eyes wide and furious. “Trunk?” I hear the beeps on the machines next to his bed speed up, an indicator of his anger. “I wish you had it too, believe me,” he says with a growl that I’ve missed so much. “Now get over here because I’m already missing you and you’re only five feet away.”
With my apple in hand, I bounce back over to him and then crawl back in beside him. His lips press a kiss to my forehead and then my nose. I let out a sigh when he trails kisses along my cheek and to my ear.
“I love you, Baylee.”