My stomach lurches at an echo of the pain I felt earlier when I tried to go home.
“Do you want me to leave?” I ask, trying not to reveal with my tone that I have nowhere else to go. I refuse to guilt her into letting me stay. Ada’s home has been her sanctuary against all her fears up until recently. I’ve already messed things up enough with my fumbling attempts to bring her cheer that I won’t strip away more of her safe haven from her.
I suppose Tom’s cabin is empty now. I could go stay there. I’d have to burn his belongings to rid the place of his vile energy, but at least it’s shelter.
Ada stops my frantic planning with a shake of her head. “No.”
That one word has the same effect as her wrapping her arms around me, warmth seeping into all the parts of me that have gone cold and scared at my new reality. I shouldn’t read too much into it. She probably only wants me here until she’s certain Tom won’t come back. But at least I can stay for now, and that’s enough.
“Alright,” I croak.
She surveys me for a long moment, her blinks growing slower as exhaustion makes it harder for her to stay awake. “You should take the rest of your clothes off,” she murmurs.
My cock swells at the idea of her wanting me naked, but surely she doesn’t want me that way again. She’s sore and tired.
“What?”
“They’re wet. You’ll get warmer faster if you take them off.” Ada yawns.
It sounds counterintuitive to be taking off my pants, but I nod and start to strip. I almost miss the way her cheeks flushas she watches me bare my body, because I’m focused on yelling at my cock to not get harder. And failing spectacularly.
“God, you’re big,” she says with a soft gasp.
“I know,” I say apologetically, placing my hands in front of my stiffening length to hide it from her view and stop scaring her.
“Truly unreal,” she mumbles, words slurring together. “This is all probably a dream and you’ll be gone when I wake up…”
I shake my head, voice rueful when I speak. “I wish for your sake it were, but unfortunately I’m real. I’ll be here when you wake up.”
She nods, eyes closing like the thought helps her relax. Her breathing evens as sleep drags her under.
I grab a blanket and place it over her, worried that her sleeping pod isn’t warm enough. Wishing I could climb in bed with her, but knowing I shouldn’t. She lets out a soft sigh as I allow myself to stroke a hand down her blanketed arm.
“I’ll be here for good, and I’m scared,” I confess, voice barely audible.
When she doesn’t react to the words, I continue, knowing she can’t hear them but needing to let them out. “I don’t know how to do this. How tobethis. I know I shouldn’t ask for your help.” My throat tightens as I pull away. “But please, let me stay a little longer.”
CHAPTER
TWENTY-SEVEN
The tantalizing smell of dough and sizzling tomatoes wakes me from my dreamless sleep. I yawn, stretching my tired muscles. Generally though… I feel surprisingly good. I’m tired, so I suppose I won’t have to worry about sleeping in a bit, but otherwise, my mind feels the calmest it has in… months. Maybe a year.
In the kitchen, I can hear Seth moving around, which probably has something to do with the pizza smell. He’s got holiday music playing too. I snuggle into the covers, for once feeling like maybe I can stay in bed because Iwantto, not because it’s the only thing I’m able to do.
Earlier, in the snow, really highlighted just how much Seth doesn’t know about my world… just how different his is to mine. Once, I was so scared of him, but now, I feel like I want to see a lot more of him. With as wonderful as my dreams have been, real, tangible Seth is better.
Henry barks, but it’s his happy bark, the one that reminds me that once upon a time, he was an eager puppy.
“Down, boy!” Seth laughs. “You’ll get yours, don’t worry.”
I whip off the covers. If Seth doesn’t know that you can freeze to death, I think it’s a reasonable guess that he mightnot realize there are foods Henry can’t eat. Peeling myself out of my pod, I screech “Wait!” and land clumsily on the floor next to my bed.
Seth rounds the corner, Henry hot on his heels, to smile down at where I’m sprawled. “Everything okay, Princess?”
Of course, the last time he saw me I was probably still puffy from crying, and now I probably look like a naked baby bird. I push my hair out of my face and remember that, yes… there’s an emphasis on the naked part of this bird scenario. Lovely. If I have my way, Seth will see a lot more of naked me, but ideally it’s in much more composed and sexy poses… not arms and legs akimbo.
“Yes, I just worried you might not know what dogs can eat.”
