Wyatt: Only because of how much it catches me off guard. You look and act so proper 99% of the time.
Me: Maybe I should start dressing sexier. Then my words won’t be such a shock.
Wyatt: I’m fully supportive of that possibility.
The corners of my mouth twitched.
Me: So less chiffon and lace and more latex?
Wyatt: How about more to all? But Roe might faint.
He had managed to fully distract me with his flirting.
After a half hour of texting back and forth, I wondered if he’d fallen asleep. It had been a few minutes and he hadn’t replied. I was bummed, but I understood.
Then my phone dinged again. I quickly opened our messages.
Wyatt: I’m outside your window.
I glanced toward the window. The blinds were closed. I got up and peeked through them, finding him standing outside in the dark.
He waved with a smile.
I pushed the blinds up and out of the way, then unlocked and opened my window as quietly as possible. When it was open wide enough, Wyatt climbed inside.
“Hi,” he whispered.
I took in his gray sweatpants and black T-shirt. He looked comfortable. “If Bram finds out you’re here?—”
“He won’t,” he whispered as he closed the window and blinds.When he was done, he nodded toward the bed. “Come on. Let’s get some sleep.”
As I climbed back into bed, he eyed the chair up against the door and the light on in the bathroom. I expected him to comment on them and was surprised when he just turned off the light in the bathroom. He then went to my side of the bed, reached under the lamp’s shade, and flicked that light off, too. The room went dark. He used his phone to find his way to the other side of the bed and climb in under the covers next to me.
“You really came all the way over here just to sleep with me?” I whispered.
I felt the bed shake. “I so badly want to tease you for how you worded that, but I told myself I’d be good.” I could hear his smile in his voice. “You’re scared and can’t sleep. Knowing that, I don’t think I’d be able to sleep, either. The only solution for us both was for me to be here with you.” He searched for my hand above the covers. His fingers laced through mine as soon as he found it. “Get some sleep.”
Having him next to me made me feel safer. I wished I could lie on my side so he could hold me. That way I could feel like hewas shielding me from the rest of the world. Holding his hand would just have to be enough. For now.
Wyatt snuck over the next night and the next. On the third night, I dreamed that I was standing at the top of the stairs in Mother’s house. I wanted to run, but all I could do was turn around. When I did, Mother was standing there. She was staring at me like she always stared at me. Like I was nothing to her.
I knew she was going to push me before she did it. I just stood there watching, waiting, knowing what was coming, and couldn’t do anything to make myself move. Just like she had done with my father, her hands came out so fast. They hit me hard. Then I was falling.
I woke with a gasp before I hit the steps. It was still dark.
A hand went to my bare stomach, followed by Wyatt’s sleepy voice. “You all right?”
I looked in his direction and could just barely make out his outline in the dark. “Yeah. Bad dream.”
He scooted closer, lying on his side facing me. “Do you need to talk about it?”
“No.”
“Try to go back to sleep.” He nestled closer as his thumb rubbed back and forth along my skin, making me break out in goosebumps. Butterflies I thought had withered away began to flutter low in my stomach.
Roe had kissed me so much since they had brought me to Bram’s. It felt good. It meant something. Sometimes I needed him to kiss me more than I wanted air, but I hadn’t felt aroused in the slightest. I knew it was because I’d been hurt and tryingto find reasons to not jump off the Kendry Bridge. It didn’t have anything to do with Roe.
A lot had happened in the last couple of days. My ribs had been feeling a little better. Not completely, but better. It was like I could finally see a light at the end of the tunnel of discomfort, and that was a huge relief.
