He rested his head on the thin pillow and gazed at the closeness of the trailer roof. Here, on this tiny bed, he and Linx were pressed as close together as two people couldget.
Gentle moonlight dappled though the curtains of his trailer, and the soft, satisfied purr of Linx’s breathing rained balm on hiswounds.
It was strangely peaceful andintimate.
He moved a tendril of her dark-brown hair that had curled onto her face. She looked so innocent, lying there with her eyes closed and her mouth partiallyopen.
She shifted in her sleep and took in a deeper breath through her nose and her eyelids fluttered as if she weredreaming.
Were they sweet dreams or nastynightmares?
He watched as her face scrunched and she whipped her head back and forth. Her eyes snapped open and she stared straight up, and then moved her gaze tohis.
“What’s wrong?” heasked.
“I have to go.” She sat up so quickly she bumped her head on the roof above them. “I left Ginger and Cedar. We have to call your family. I stole your cell phone and I snooped on you and Vanessa. I’m a horrible, horrible humanbeing.”
“Whoa, wait, where’s this coming from?” Her words jolted him from the intoxicated languor her body had left himin.
She groped in the pocket of her discarded jeans and handed him his phone. Covering her face with her hands, she shuddered. “I’m a bad person. I gave your baby away. How can I ever forget that? I don’t deserve your heart, Grady Hart. I have to leave. Have toleave.”
“If you need to get back to the center, I’m going with you.” He kissed the back of her neck, nuzzling her with his face. “You’re all I have and all Iwant.”
He reached down and traced her C-section scar, now that he knew what it was. “You gave her life. It could have beenworse.”
Her shoulders heaved and she shook her head. “This isn’t going to last. You’re going to hate me again. I don’t know how to be a mother. I don’t know how to love anyone. I’m the last person you should have in your life. I have an evil heart. I’m tainted with poison. I ruin everything Itouch.”
“Not true.” He refused to let her flail out of his arms. “I’m also the black sheep. I break hearts. I screw up people’s lives. I’m the bad twin, always getting into trouble. I’m the dark heart of my family. I ruin what Itouch.”
“Then we’ll never be happytogether.”
“And we’ll never be happy apart. Stick with me, Linx, and trustme.”
“I want to, but we have to get Jessie back. It’s my fault if we don’t.” Her body wracked with agony and she turned away from him, curling up into a fetalposition.
