His words quelled the raging tornado inside my stomach. Ben would have exploded had he known I’d read his private thoughts.
“Stay here with me for a while, sleep in my arms and I promise I’ll keep you safe.”
“How can you keep me safe, Kaden?”
“He will not hurt you while I’m here.”
“You can’t promise me that, Kaden, he hurts me every day.”
I leaned forward and pulled my shirt up, displaying the marks, bruises, healing scars. Blue-green-yellow fist and kick marks dotted my white skin.
I felt the screaming anger well within Kaden, causing me to stiffen and curl in on myself. I started pulling my shirt down, but he stills the motion, his fingers tracing the marks. His breath held as he ran his rough and war-torn fingers ever so delicately over my feverish hot skin. Baby hairs stood to attention accompanied by goosebumps which broke over my body. Chasing his touch, hungry for more, but I was also embarrassed at what he was seeing. I needed him to see what I was dealing with. What I am up against.
“He does this?” His tone was deathly quiet, I was almost afraid to answer him.
My hands became clammy, my lip trembled. “Yes.” I choked out.
I closed my eyes and tears rolled over my cheeks, dripping onto my hands, knotted in my lap.
“It’s not his fault.” I tried to sound less broken, strong and not so ashamed of my omission, knowing damn well he was the one to blame. Hating him is for me to do, not Kaden.
Kaden’s hands swept over my body, his lips followed each pathway of bruising and every scar laced mark.
“Not his fault! Every mark on your beautiful body is his fault! I will fucking kill the son of a bitch. Mark my words, Gracie, he will not see another day for what he’s done.”
My heart shattered into a zillion tiny fucked up pieces on hearing his threat, knowing he would see it through.
“I feel fear rolling off you, Gracie, and it fucking kills me.” He’s fighting with himself to stay calm and I’m fighting with myself to not run.
“Fight for us, Gracie, coz baby I will.”
“I can’t afford to indulge in a romance with you.”
“What the fuck?” His hands gripped my hips and I flinched as fear bristled over me.
“No, wait.” I pulled away from him. “I can’t be here, it’s not safe.”
“Like fuck you can’t, this is the safest place for you.’
His anger was spiking and black spots of panic were hitting the backs of my vision.
“I feel your heartbeat when you’re here with me and I know you feel the same. I need you as much as you need me. I need your body pressed against mine, your warmth, your scent, your fingers wrapped around the curves of mine, the taste of your kiss on my lips. I need it all as much as you need to breathe. My arms will keep you safe, I willnotfail you like I did Ari.”
I leaned forward and crashed my lips against his. I had to kiss him. I kissed him because I wanted to. I kissed him because it made me feel like I had found something I wasn’t aware I’d been looking for. Knowing now his kiss was what I needed.
I melted into him as his finger travelled up my spine, causing goosebumps to break out over my skin.
He deepened the kiss, eating at my mouth. Telling me without words, he would keep me safe even though he was in a hospital bed.
A sob escaped me, hitting his lips.
“Don’t,” he breathed against my lips. “It shreds me when you cry.”
‘It’s too much.” My lips played over his before he pulled back to search my face, looking deep in my eyes.
“I can’t breathe when I’m suffocating, Kaden.”
He cupped my face between both his hands. “Well I will breathe for us both.”
