A tickle across my shoulder wakes me from a deep sleep. I pull the sheet up to snuggle in tighter. The bed moves as a warm body comes to rest against mine.
“Time to get up, sleepyhead,” he purrs next to my ear.
I’d rather lie here longer, curled up with him. Instead, I roll his direction and bury my face in the front ofhis shirt, breathing in his musky scent mixed with his cologne or deodorant. I never could tell what he was wearing.
“What time is it?” I groan.
“After one,” he answers as he tucks my hair behind my ear.
“Ugh. Why’d you let me sleep so long?” I roll to my back and rub the sleep from my eyes.
“Because you needed it.” His voice is stern but softens. “I made you some food. Want me to bring it to you?”
“No, I’ll get up.”
As I roll to the side and push myself up, Cash rushes to help me. The sheet slips down, reminding me that I never got redressed last night. He grabs my t-shirt and gently pulls it over my head, and I slide my arms into the sleeves. Next, he grabs my sweatpants and pulls them up to my knees. I grip the waistband, and carefully pull them up as I stand from the bed. Cash smiles and laces his fingers with mine. Bringing my hand to his mouth, he kisses it, making me stomach flip. Why couldn’t I have found him before Phil asked me out? Oh, that’s right. I had to go through all that shit to meet him.
He sets up trays in the living room and brings our plates in there. I guess after seeing my body last night, he understands why I wince when I sit and wants me to be comfortable. He brings me eggs, bacon and toast, with a big mug of coffee. I’d be happy with just thecoffee right now. I smell the coffee and sigh, feeling more awake. Sleeping for long periods always makes me even more tired.
Cash watches me out of the corner of his eye as I eat. When he notices that I catch him, he winks at me or smiles. Just like the morning we had breakfast in my kitchen. Although I adore this side of him, I wonder if this is the Cash I will see from now on. I worry I’ll be given whiplash with his back-and-forth behavior, being warm one second and cold the next. The thought makes me wary.
After showering and getting dressed, I join Cash on the couch. He scoots next to me and drapes his arm over the back of the cushions. His fingers play with a strand of my wet hair.
“You’ve got my full attention for the whole weekend. What would you like to do?”
He asks like we’re on vacation or something. I didn’t ask to come here. Where the hell would we go with me looking like this? We would draw too much attention, and people would think that he beats me.
“I’d like to go home,” I say, my irritation shining through.
Cash sighs. “We talked about that, Hazel. You can’t go home.”
“Then I want to call Cady.”
“No one can know you’re here right now. It’s bestthis way.”
“Best for who, Cash? For you?” I grind out.
He rubs my shoulder with his thumb, attempting to ease me. “You can’t, not yet. I’m sorry. If Phil finds out where you are before we find him, I’m afraid he’ll try to finish what he started. And if your friends know, he may do something to them to find out. We don’t know what he could be thinking right now.”
“He’s not even in Trinity.”
Cash frowns and pushes my hair over my shoulder. He keeps touching me as if he has to prove every word he said yesterday. The more he does it, the more I crave it, even when I’m upset with him.
“How do you know?”
“Before you guys kidna—” The word catches in my throat with the scowl that Cash gives me. “Tookme, the cop came to the door and said they were pulling my detail. That Phil was spotted several times hours away from Trinity.”
He stares off at the wall in deep thought. “It’s going to be hard to find him then.”
“Is it really necessary?”
“Absolutely!” His voice booms through the room, and I jump. Cash leans forward, elbows on his knees, and runs his hands through his hair. “I’m sorry.”
My hand runs down his back reassuringly, his tense muscles relaxing some. He sits up and turns to me,taking my hands in his.
“It’s very necessary, Hazel. He needs to be stopped.”
“The cops will find him. I have to go home soon and explain everything, so they don’t arrest you guys.”
