He’s here. He came to check on me.
My icy chest thaws a little more.
He kneels down in front of me and holds out my underwear for me to step into before following with the sweats.
Once I’m fully dressed, he leads me over to the bed. I lie down against the collection of fluffy pillows, and he covers me with a throw blanket. I watch him, assuming he’s going to get changed into dry clothes, but he goes back to my dresser and gets me a pair of socks.
I can’t hold back a small smile as he gently tugs them over each of my feet.
“I’m gonna change. Are you hungry? When did you last eat?”
“I had some grapes around lunch.”
He looks displeased.
I watch him clean up the water on the floor, change into a pair of gym shorts he left on the chair, and pull some ingredients out of the fridge to make me a sandwich.
My stomach growls, making me realize how hungry I really am.
Thunder claps outside as rain pelts the window. The rustling of the palm trees is so loud; I’m afraid one could snap in half and crash into the room.
I huddle under the blankets, realizing he guided me toward the side of the bed that’s farthest from the window.
He walks over with two plates and a can of Diet Coke from the fridge, which he already opened. He settles on the bed next to me before handing me my food.
He made me a sandwich and added potato chips on the side. I bite into the bread.
“How did you know I like mustard and mayo?”
He smiles, taking a bite of his. “You haven’t really changed much since high school.”
After thirteen years, he still remembers my condiment preferences.
I don’t even know how to process that. He finishes his food first and takes my plate for me when I’m done.
After putting the dishes in the dishwasher, he settles in bed next to me, tucking me into his chest. He smells like rain.
“I was planning on staying at the Grand Palm tonight, but?—”
“You can’t leave in this weather.”
“I know. I just wanted you to know that was the plan.”
I chew my lower lip. After a few minutes of listening to his steady, strong heartbeat, I start drawing circles on his forearm with my thumb. His hand moves to cup the side of my hip under the covers. Lightning strikes somewhere close, illuminating the dark room.
“I’m scared,” I whisper.
“You’re safe. You’re safe right here with me.”
He kisses my forehead again. A tear slips outof the corner of my eye before I feel the pull of sleep come over me. My eyelids slowly close. Dayton sinks farther into the pillows, pulling me even closer into him. With the smell of his musky sandalwood cologne mixing with the rain, I drift off to sleep.
chapter thirty-four
Summer
When Dayton and I wake up, the power is back on. The storm raged outside all night. We tentatively open the door to the bungalow to survey the damage. When I walk out into the backyard, I gasp at the scene.
The two-story deck that was only halfway done has completely collapsed. I want to cry, seeing the large palm tree that fell into it, causing the entire thing to slide over and break off into splintered pieces.
