I nodded.“You need somewhere safe, remember?”
He exhaled through his nose and set his phone on the nightstand before sitting on my bed.The bed dipped slightly under his weight.He stilled, his hands resting on his knees as he fidgeted with the edge of his sleeves.
“Bryan?”I stepped in front of him.
He looked up at me, his eyes soft but tired and before I could ask if he was all right, he reached forward and wrapped his arms around my waist.The sudden pull made me inhale sharply, but I didn’t stop him.
He rested his head against my stomach, his forehead pressing into my shirt.His arms tightened just enough to saydon’t move yet.
I buried my hands into his silky hair, slipping through the soft strands as I stood there, feeling the weight of him.Then slowly, he looked up, his chin brushing my ribs, eyes meeting mine.There was something unguarded in his expression, full of need and heat that left me feeling a little breathless.
He tugged gently at my hand until I was on the bed with him, half on his lap.He still didn’t let me go, drawing me closer until I was against him, his hands at my hips, his forehead pressed against mine.
And then, without rush or question, he kissed me.It was soft, searching, and careful.The kind of kiss that came from needing comfort.His hand slipped up my back, sending a shiver through me.
When he finally pulled back, his breath trembled against my lips.“You should sleep,” he murmured.
I swallowed hard, my voice quiet.“And you?”
He brushed his thumb along my cheek.“I want to hold you.Just for tonight.”
We moved further into the bed until we were lying together, the warmth of his body a slow, steady comfort against the cold night.His arm draped over my waist, and I felt the faint rise and fall of his chest, letting it steady my own breathing until I fell asleep.
Chapter Twenty-Five
The dream felt tooreal to be a dream.I was back in the old house.Lindie’s shrill voice was coming from all around as she blamed me for everything.For Dad leaving.For losing her baby.For breaking her mind.All of it.
My heart pounded in my throat as I reached for the piano lid, desperate for something solid, but when I pressed on the keys, seeking its solace, instead, I got a warped sound.It was too deep, too drawn out...
“Cadence!”
I jolted awake, chest heaving.The early light spilled across the room, soft but too bright for the hour.
It took me a second to remember where I was.To realize that I wasn’t in the past.That the weight against me wasn’t a locked door but Bryan’s arm, heavy across my waist.
He was still sleeping, his breathing slow and even, his forehead resting against my shoulder.That steadiness and warmth anchoring me back in reality.My heartbeat slowed, the nightmare slowly fading away.
