As Elijah stilled on top of me and spilled himself inside, I was disconnected from the entire experience.
I’d wanted this, truly. When the night began, I’d hoped it would end with us being intimate, but it was missing the passion I required.
I craved it.
I needed it from him.
Without it, I felt empty.
Elijah rolled off me. “That was great, babe.”
He leaned over and kissed me on my cheek before falling back on his pillow.
I grunted a response as I climbed out of bed and went into the bathroom to wash his semen off my leg.
As I walked back into our bedroom, I found my discarded clothes. Elijah hadn’t moved since I’d gotten up, and as I slid back into the sheets, I saw why. He’d completely passed out.
I put my head on my pillow and wrapped my arms around myself as I fought the urge to let the tears that welled into my eyes fall down my cheeks.
I was still so utterly alone and empty.
Chapter Twelve
Damien
At times, I didn’t know which was more challenging: being on tour with a bunch of guys who have the same hygiene standards as middle school boys, or being home with my niece and nephew who didn’t understand that sometimes a guy just needed a little peace and quiet.
And after weeks of being on the road, that was exactly what I required.
“Uncle Damien, come on.” Grant grabbed my arm and tried to pull me up from where I’d planted myself on the couch.
We’d gotten in late last night, and I’d barely slept a wink before coming over to Violet’s bright and early this morning. My limbs were like cement and my knees had that annoying ache down in my bones.
“And what exactly do you want me to do?”
“Come shoot some hoops with me.”
Grant was fourteen and loved basketball more than I loved dollar wing night at Freddy’s. He made the junior varsity team at his high school, and I couldn’t be more proud of him.
Which made it impossible to tell him no.
“Fine. Give me a second, okay?”
I’d start praying to any deity at this point if they could wake up my ass and give me some much needed energy to keep up with these two.
“Okay. I’ll meet you outside.” The excitement in his voice made up for the sore muscles I would have tomorrow morning, and probably the morning after that, too.
“You know, Uncle Damien. You don’t have to do everything he says.” Maylee, who was nine, sat on the floor at my feet, brushing her Barbie doll’s hair.
“But if I don’t go outside with him, he’ll stay in here and probably pull the head off that new Barbie I just bought you.”
Her eyes widened in horror. “Omigosh. You’re so right. Go outside. Now!”
I laughed as I looked down at my phone for the umpteenth time this afternoon.
I couldn’t understand why, but a flutter of unease swam through my abdomen. Cadence had grown suddenly quiet. We’d talked nonstop for the past three months or so, and this was the first time she’d felt out of reach.
I hoped she was okay.
