He groaned, striding over to flick the light on, briefly blinding both of us, as he grabbed his jeans and stepped into them. He was leaving. He watched me have a bad dream when he could have woken me, and now he was leaving me!
“I don’t understand.”
“I’m a fucking… you were whimpering, and-”
“You were getting off on it?”
His brow scrunched up. “What? Fucking hell. Of course not. It’s just…”
“Harley, I’m starting to think the worst of you right now. Talk to me.”
He grabbed his t-shirt, crushing it in his fist.
“I was a coward. I was afraid. I thought you were… what we did… I thought you were having a bad dream about me doing something awful to you, and… and I couldn’t. I just couldn’t bring myself to wake you up, to make you face the man of your nightmares. I was afraid of scaring you!”
Oh wow.
“Get back in the bed, dammit. Harley, that’s not… I mean, I can understand how you might have thought that, given how my brain processes things, but it wasn’t you. I promise it wasn’t you. It’s a recurring thing I’ve had all my life. I… I don’t blame you for not waking me. It doesn’t mean you caused me harm. It doesn’t. It’s gone. It’s over. I’m not dwelling on it, but I need you to hold me again so I can sleep. I’m… I don’t normally sleep well after one.”
He swallowed hard, glancing at the door, his t-shirt still crushed in his fist.
“I feel like you’re better off without me. People generally are.”
“Not me. No. Please, Harley.”
He still hesitated, like he was caught up in whatever bullshit someone had used against him before. Like he didn’t believe that he could just be everything to someone. Maybe even me.
“Please. I need you to help me sleep.”
He tossed his t-shirt aside, and approached the bed, pausing again before he climbed back under the blankets, still wearing his jeans.
“Harley,” I admonished, but he simply shook his head.
“You might still want me gone, so I’m being prepared. I’ll help you sleep though, but I’m still sorry. Sorry I was a coward, sorry I let you suffer, and sorry I couldn’t just get it right for you.”
“You did get it right!”
He shushed me again, tucking me into his side, and stroking my hair.
“Sleep, babe. I’ll keep you safe from monsters…” he trailed off, his voice almost a whisper, “this time.”
Chapter Twenty
WE REACHED THE SHOP the next morning, and the first thing I noticed was Grease waiting outside on his ride, lifting his helmet off as I unlocked the door. Well, fuck. It was probably time I had my ass handed to me, right? Waking him last night was out of order, and we both knew it.
“Hey, man.”
“VP.”
He knew he wasn’t supposed to address club statuses or business here, but I had a feeling he had something to say, and wasn’t going to leave ’til it was said. The least I could do was listen. I owed him that.
“Rocket not here?” We were running a little late, so I’d hoped my so-called business partner had beaten me to it today.
“Haven’t seen him yet, and I’ve been waiting fifteen minutes.”
Great. So any potential customers would have walked away while neither of us opened the damn doors.
“Go on in, and get set up, babe. Grab yourself a drink. I need to chat with Grease.”
