My question pierced the silence before he followed it up with a kiss between my shoulder blades.
“I’m just fine, beautiful.”
I paused. “Are you sure? I didn’t hurt you?”
He chuckled. “You could never hurt me.”
“You know what I mean.”
I turned around, gazing into his eyes. He smoothed my hair away from my forehead before kissing it softly. My eyes fluttered closed and I melted into his touch. His arm wrapped back around me and I pressed my leg between his, seeking his warmth and his strength as the covers slipped over our heads.
“I promise, you didn’t hurt me, Rae.”
I smiled. “Good. Just making sure.”
I lay there, gazing upon the bruising of his face. The nose brace was gone, but his eyes were still a soft black. His jaw was yellow, denoting the fading of his bruises. But it was still a painful reminder. I reached out and traced down his chest, my eyes following its contour. His lips fell against my forehead, kissing me over and over as my fingertips fluttered lik
e feathers over the dark purple bruising of his ribs.
“Oh, Clint.”
“I promise, I’m okay.”
I sniffled. “My God, I’m so glad you are.”
“Come here. I’ve got you, Rae.”
I curled into him as much as he’d let me. And as I cried silent tears against his chest, I drifted off to sleep. With his fingers stroking through my hair and his lips peppering me with kisses, I gave in to him. I gave in to his warmth. His comfort. His strength. The beating of his heart lulled me to sleep. And the beating of his heart was the first thing I heard the next morning.
Before I slipped away from his grasp to go get us some coffee.
20
Clinton
I groaned as I opened my eyes. A heavy weight felt like it was propped against me, keeping me rooted to the mattress. I reached out for Rae, expecting her to be there. Knowing damn good and well that was what I felt.
Instead, however, I felt the weight of the emptiness of the bed next to me.
“Fuck.”
I sighed, lying there on my back as I stared up at the ceiling. I wished I’d woken up sooner to say goodbye to Rae. I sighed as I lay there, my arm slung over my eyes. I wanted to go back to sleep. In fact, I wanted to keep sleeping until she came back to visit. Until she came back again, so I could sit her on my lap, feel her straddle my body, and watch as she rode me off into the damn sunset.
“I need to write that down.”
My hand fell off to the side, fumbling around for my phone. And when I picked it up, I saw it was a little past nine in the morning. On a Saturday. The fuck was I up so early for? I didn’t have anything to do today. So I tossed my phone onto the bed where Rae had been and rolled over, face-planting into her pillow.
Sniffing in her scent.
I dreaded the lonely weekend ahead of me. I knew Cecilia had plans, and I had no idea when the hell my father was getting back into town. He’d already defaulted on many promises. Including the one where he said he’d be back in town before I got discharged from the hospital. I snickered into the pillow, wanting nothing more than to toss that man off a fucking cliff.
He should’ve taken the nose-dive off the bridge.
Not me.
I closed my eyes and envisioned Rae. What she’d look like if she were with me. Her hair mussed. Knotted. Tangled. Her eyes sparkling as she stared back at me with her sleepy orbs. Her smile, lopsided from the pleasure we’d both experienced. And her body, warm and comforting against my body. I lost myself in the vision. In how things could have panned out had she stayed. I wasn’t sure when she’d slipped out last night. Or this morning. But I wanted to call and make sure she’d gotten home safely.
Then I heard the door open.