By the time Julia realizes she’s in love with Robbie, Alena’s asleep in my arms. I hold her, watching until the end, until Robbie sings his romantic song for Julia.
I read somewhere that the actors said they’re “cinematic soulmates.” It’s why they do so many movies together.
And now, I finally know the feeling.
I’m holding my soulmate.
“Mama?”
I didn’t turn off the lamp. I couldn’t. I didn’t want to wake Alena, but the light makes me wince, opening my eyes to her cries.
“Mama? Where are you?”
Glancing down my body.Alena’s gone. I jolt and turn, spotting her across my tiny cabin, talking to the nighttime windows.
“Mama? Come home.” She’s crying with her eyes wide open. “Please. Turn around.” She touches the glass as if she sees her mom on the other side. She stares blankly, silently waiting, watching. “Mama?”
Fuck. Alena’s sleepwalking.
She’s searching for her mom in her dreams. It makes my racing heart break for her. I don’t know where I heard the advice to never wake a sleepwalker, but I heed it.
Slowly, I get up, approaching her. “Let’s go back to bed.” Softly, I touch her.
“But where is she?” She spins around, staring at me, but not seeing me. She brushes by, heading toward my cabin door. “I need to find her.”
Fuck. Alena’s killing me.
Her mother died over sixteen years ago, and the little girl in her heart still needs her to come home.
God, how many times does she do this? This could be dangerous as fuck. Does Nash know?
“Come on.” I caress her arms, pulling her away from the door. “Let’s go back to bed.” She doesn’t fight me. “Here we go.” Gently, I guide her to lie down.
“But…” She moves to get back up. She’s still crying. “Ineedmy mom.”
No, Babygirl, I need to never leave you knowing you do this.
I crawl in beside her. Using my strength, I carefully make her lie down with me, pulling the covers over us. Wrapping my leg and arm over her, I make my body her safe prison. I hold her so she can’t get up and hurt herself.
“Come on, Babygirl.” I pull her against me, whispering, “Stay with me, and we’ll find her together. I promise.” Alena turns into my body, burrowing her face into my chest as I kiss her hair. “Shhh, I got you.”
Her cries soften, her tears on my skin, seeping into mysoul, before she mumbles dreamily, “I need to tell her I found my Robbie.”
My eyes slam shut. My heart explodes.
Am I an arrogant, deceptive, lying asshole, knowing she’s talking about me? Am I an evil, twisted soul for making her fall for me, like I fell for her years ago, knowing I’m only going to break her heart?
Or am I her soulmate, who’s so goddamn in love with her, we’ll make it through anything? I was born to love her, and I will.
“Yeah, you did. You found him,” I murmur into her strands. “He’s right here.”
He’s both.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
ALENA
It’s a hot,harrowing experience, waking up in the beefy, inked arms of a man.
