He turns his head, and I feel him breathe me in too. “I’ve got you,” he vows.
“I know.” He’s had me since he pulled me from hell. “Please don’t make me take the pills.” His hold on me tightens, giving me his answer without words. I knew he would protect me.
“Vi.” Miles says my name gently. “I would never make you do anything.” Tears of guilt start to fall. Logically I know that. “And stop with the guilt. I’m not hurt. Your feelings are all that matter right now.” I lift my head finally, my eyes locking with my twin’s. In that moment I know he can feel me. I can feel him too.
“I love you, too,” I say. He gives me a half smile.
“If you need anything—” Eden says, resting her head on Miles’ shoulder.
“Thank you,” I tell her before giving all my attention to Sebastian. “Can we go home?” I touch the side of his face.
“We’ll go anywhere you want to go.”
“Okay.” I lay my head back on his shoulder as he starts to head toward the pool house. “Sebastian.”
“Yeah, sweetheart?”
“I’m still mad at you,” I let him know.
“I’ll make it up to you,” he growls.
How can I be so upset but also looking forward to the making up part?
Chapter Fifteen
Sebastian
I sit her down on the sofa in her living room and kneel down to start a fire.
“It’s summer.” But even as she says that, she draws a blanket across her knees.
“I know. I like the sound of it. Plus, it gets cold at night.” I flick the used match inside and watch it burn up before standing. “You eat yet?”
“No. I guess I haven’t, but I don’t know how hungry I am.”
“Too busy trying on fancy underwear?” I cast her a hooded look on my way to the kitchen.
She ducks her head. “I forgot about that.”
“I haven’t. Hope you’re still wearing it.”
She peeks under her shirt. “Guess so.”
My dick turns instantly hard. I go over to the refrigerator and stick my head inside the freezer portion.
“What are you doing?” she asks.
“Looking for some ice cream,” I lie. The cold does nothing for my erection. In the photo she sent me, her nipples were erect like she’d been exposed to the cold or...aroused by the silk rubbing against it. I groan.
I still can’t get over the fact that she ran to me. That I was the only person she’d let close to her. It was me she sought out.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” I slam the freezer door shut and jerk open the refrigerator door to grab the milk. Will I make it through this night or will I die of blue balls? Stay tuned for an update.
“You sounded like you were in pain. I moved the Tylenol into the third drawer instead of the one on the right, if you need it.”
She’s so helpful and so clueless I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. I let the milk heat up while I pour some cocoa and sugar into the bottom of a mug. The stash of marshmallows still sits in the top cupboard near the fridge. I plop a couple of those into the mug and wait for the milk to get hot. Once it’s steaming, I pour the hot liquid into the mug and add a tiny bit of vanilla. I carry the mug over to the sofa and curl her fingers around the handle.
“Drink,” I order. I wait for her to take a sip before talking. “I’m sorry I didn’t call you, but I just found out that Adam got released myself. I’m not sure how he got out early. Like you, I’d been told he was being released after the wedding.”
She takes another sip before settling the mug between her palms. Her blanket-covered knees are a whisper away from mine, but she doesn’t seem interested in closing the distance between us. I feel like I’ve messed something precious up before it even had time to build.
“I wanted to take care of the Adam situation before I came here. I hadn’t realized you had your own sources.” It wasn’t that she found out from someone else, but that she didn’t trust me that is cutting my insides with a sharp knife.
“It was my trauma counselor.”
Ah, fuck, that explains things. The knife slides out only to return when she exhales heavily and says, “But, you know, it hurt that it wasn’t you. I feel like you don’t trust me.”
“Me? Not trusting you?” I turn swiftly and stare at her in surprise. “How so?” I’d trust my life to Violet.
“You think I’m weak and have to be protected and coddled.” She lifts the hot cocoa. “I guess I haven’t done much to convince you otherwise. I can’t leave this place, and the news of Adam getting released made me faint. Maybe you treat me like I deserve to be treated.”