She then checked through his messages, three of them.
Tasha phone vibrated in her hand and she smiled to see it was Jim.
“Hey, baby. I needed to hear your voice, to check you were really okay.” He sounded a little cautious and waited for her to respond so he might gauge her mood.
“I’m better, thank you. Did you get my message about Lizzie?”
“I did and Lizzie has forwarded the messages from you. We will come back to Lizzie. I think you were quite clear in the points you made to Gerry.” Tasha was certain she could detect his smile from the other end of the line. “I am very glad you believe I am better and of course you are coming tonight, if you want to. I want you to,” he added, making Tasha grin.
“Okay. I’d like that, thank you.”
“Baby, I have a few things I need to wrap up here so I’ll call you later if you’re sure you’re okay?”
“Of course.” She actually was okay, in spite of her earlier meltdown.
Tasha snuggled back down under the covers and feeling a little lighter and with nothing else to do, she fell asleep. Her sleep was fleeting and slightly unsettled with thoughts of Gerry, her family and Jim filtering through into her dreams, if that’s what they were. Waking, Tasha saw it was lunchtime and the growl of her belly seemed to confirm that. Her inability to eat was possibly something else Jim hadn’t thought of.
Tasha stared down and wondered just how she was going to explain it, so she went with simple honesty.
The burn of yet more tears stung as Tasha considered his concern and offer, but there was no way she was going to give her father access to Jim or his money.
She smiled a wry smile. If that didn’t scare off Mr Hollywood, fuck all would.
Tasha let out a long and loud sigh as she considered his reaction if she continued with her open honesty. If he was going to bolt she would rather he did it now, a few days into this rather than when she was any more invested in whatever it was they were doing than she already was.
With her phone plugged in, listening to music while she text him, Tasha didn’t hear the door open behind her. She was still lying in bed feeling strangely relaxed and somehow unburdened by the skeletons she was pulling out of the closet and revealing to Jim.
He considered sneaking up on her, but was unsure if she’d fallen asleep or whether he’d make her jump and after how badly he’d misjudged hisjokeor whatever he believed his actions were that morning he didn’t want to fuck up again.
Tasha sighed deeply and decided her earlier thoughts, the thoughts that compared Jim and his controlling nature to her father and Liam’s abusive personalities were wrong. He was as far removed from them as anyone could be and she now felt guiltier than ever that she’d allowed her thoughts to compare them. She needed to reply to Jim and was just about to do so when another text came through.
She unplugged her earphones and turned to see Jim standing in front of her at the bedside and was more pleased to see him than she’d imagined she might be.
“You should be at work.” She wagged her finger before lunging towards him, desperate to feel the safety of his arms around her.
