out of here.” I stand up and hold my hand out to her. She takes it and I help her up. There’s no way in hell I’m leaving her alone with Cal after this. I know this is going to blow everything all to shit, but I won’t allow him the opportunity to touch her again.
“What do you mean? Where are we going?” Her head tilts to the side and her eyebrows furrow in confusion.
“You’re not staying here. Let’s pack you a small bag and get going. I’ll explain a little more once we’re gone.” I move toward her room, but she doesn’t budge.
“I don’t think I can,” she says while shaking her head. “I mean, what if he finds me?” She’s the bravest woman I know, but it would be hard to miss the fear pouring off of her in waves.
Cupping her face with both hands, I bring her closer. “He won’t,” I tell her with confidence.
“You don’t know that.”
“Do you trust me?” I stare intently into her eyes, needing to know the answer to this question.
After a moment, she responds, “Yes.” A sense of relief hits me with that one word.
“Good. I promise to protect you. He won’t put another hand on you again.” She looks into my eyes, seeming to weigh her options before she nods and leads me upstairs.
Once we’re up to her room, I say, “Do you have a backpack or something like it that’s easy to carry?”
“Yeah, hold on.” She disappears into the closet and hollers at me, “Are you coming with me?”
“Of course.” Where else does she think I’d go?
She comes out of the closet with a small smile on her face, holding a Louis Vuitton sack looking thing in her hand. “I don’t know if you want to bring that bag, sweetheart. We’re not exactly going to the Ritz.”
Glancing down at the bag, she looks slightly embarrassed. “I don’t care where we go as long as we’re together, but it’s all I have.”
I walk up to her and kiss her, needing to show her how she makes me feel. How with that one statement she managed to make me feel like the luckiest bastard in the world. “Pick out only essential stuff, okay?” She nods and moves around the room quickly, grabbing a few pieces of clothing and bathroom items. But there’s one thing she has that I want.
“Where’s the button?” I ask her. When she just looks at me like she has no idea what I’m talking about, I clarify a little for her. “You know, the one I ripped off your shirt.” I raise my eyebrows up and down suggestively, but when she doesn’t smile and looks at the ground, I put all joking aside. “What’s wrong?”
“Cal put it there,” she says quietly. Her eyes are downcast as a pained expression takes over her face.
“I’m not following you. Put what, where?”
She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath before bringing her gaze back up to mine. “Cal saw us on the cameras that day. He dug the button out of the trashcan and left it out for me to find. He tainted it.” Her voice drops on the last sentence, conveying her sadness.
Fuck.
Knowing he was watching us—watching her—lose herself with me puts a lead ball in the pit of my stomach. I can only imagine how she feels having him taunt her and try to ruin something that was important to the both of us.
“Don’t do that. Don’t you dare let him take that moment from us. And I’m not talking about when I had you laid out on the kitchen island underneath me either. I’m talking about the day you gave it to me in a frame and claimed my heart. Who gives a fuck if he put it there? That moment was real and he can’t taint that.” I search her eyes hoping what I’ve said sinks in.
“I love you,” she says, walking up to me. Her arms wrap around my neck and she kisses me softly. She leans back with a soft smile on her face.
“I love you, too. You got everything you need?”
“Almost.” She turns and walks to the side table next to the bed. After opening the drawer, she pulls out the frame I was asking her about. She hands it to me and I
“What do you mean? Where are we going?” Her head tilts to the side and her eyebrows furrow in confusion.
“You’re not staying here. Let’s pack you a small bag and get going. I’ll explain a little more once we’re gone.” I move toward her room, but she doesn’t budge.
“I don’t think I can,” she says while shaking her head. “I mean, what if he finds me?” She’s the bravest woman I know, but it would be hard to miss the fear pouring off of her in waves.
Cupping her face with both hands, I bring her closer. “He won’t,” I tell her with confidence.
“You don’t know that.”
“Do you trust me?” I stare intently into her eyes, needing to know the answer to this question.
After a moment, she responds, “Yes.” A sense of relief hits me with that one word.
“Good. I promise to protect you. He won’t put another hand on you again.” She looks into my eyes, seeming to weigh her options before she nods and leads me upstairs.
Once we’re up to her room, I say, “Do you have a backpack or something like it that’s easy to carry?”
“Yeah, hold on.” She disappears into the closet and hollers at me, “Are you coming with me?”
“Of course.” Where else does she think I’d go?
She comes out of the closet with a small smile on her face, holding a Louis Vuitton sack looking thing in her hand. “I don’t know if you want to bring that bag, sweetheart. We’re not exactly going to the Ritz.”
Glancing down at the bag, she looks slightly embarrassed. “I don’t care where we go as long as we’re together, but it’s all I have.”
I walk up to her and kiss her, needing to show her how she makes me feel. How with that one statement she managed to make me feel like the luckiest bastard in the world. “Pick out only essential stuff, okay?” She nods and moves around the room quickly, grabbing a few pieces of clothing and bathroom items. But there’s one thing she has that I want.
“Where’s the button?” I ask her. When she just looks at me like she has no idea what I’m talking about, I clarify a little for her. “You know, the one I ripped off your shirt.” I raise my eyebrows up and down suggestively, but when she doesn’t smile and looks at the ground, I put all joking aside. “What’s wrong?”
“Cal put it there,” she says quietly. Her eyes are downcast as a pained expression takes over her face.
“I’m not following you. Put what, where?”
She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath before bringing her gaze back up to mine. “Cal saw us on the cameras that day. He dug the button out of the trashcan and left it out for me to find. He tainted it.” Her voice drops on the last sentence, conveying her sadness.
Fuck.
Knowing he was watching us—watching her—lose herself with me puts a lead ball in the pit of my stomach. I can only imagine how she feels having him taunt her and try to ruin something that was important to the both of us.
“Don’t do that. Don’t you dare let him take that moment from us. And I’m not talking about when I had you laid out on the kitchen island underneath me either. I’m talking about the day you gave it to me in a frame and claimed my heart. Who gives a fuck if he put it there? That moment was real and he can’t taint that.” I search her eyes hoping what I’ve said sinks in.
“I love you,” she says, walking up to me. Her arms wrap around my neck and she kisses me softly. She leans back with a soft smile on her face.
“I love you, too. You got everything you need?”
“Almost.” She turns and walks to the side table next to the bed. After opening the drawer, she pulls out the frame I was asking her about. She hands it to me and I
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