“Go sit on the edge of the bed. I’ll be right there,” I promise before attempting to peel the sodden fabric from my body and dumping the lot in a pile in the shower.
With a towel around my waist, I head out to find my girl.
Thankfully, she allows me to apply the cream that I found discarded on the bathroom floor, and after pulling the sheets down, she crawls inside.
She looks exhausted with dark circles around her eyes and her bottom lip red and swollen from where she’s been worrying it.
Wrapping her arms around her tucked-up legs, she watches me as I squeeze the towel around her hair to get the excess water out, then encourage her to lie down with me.
I tuck her body against mine and hold her tight.
Silence falls around us, and I focus on her soft, shallow breathing, reminding myself that she’s here and okay.
“Talk to me, baby,” I breathe softly, not wanting to startle her but also knowing that she’s not asleep.
“W-what will happen if… if Emmie is involved in this?” she asks hesitantly.
“I guess that all depends on how involved she is,” I reply honestly. “If she had a knowing part in any of this, then I’ll kill her my-fucking-self.”
Stella sucks in a breath, the deadly tone as I issue my threat enough for her to know that I’m serious.
“No one gets to try to hurt you and live, Hellion. It’s not going to fucking happen.”
She lets out a shaky breath.
She already knew what my answer was going to be, and I’m not sure hearing it from my lips makes her feel any better about what’s to come.
“Try to get some sleep, baby. I think we might have a few hard days ahead of us.”
I drop my lips to her head and press a kiss there, hoping like hell she can feel even just a bit of the love, the relief, I do holding her in my arms.
* * *
Idon’t get a wink of sleep. I’m too keyed up to even try. I end up just lying there, staring at the shadows moving around the room as the glow from the fire outside lessens and the morning winter sun takes over.
There are voices and noises from somewhere in the house all night, so I know I’m not the only one who can’t rest after what happened.
I hear footsteps long before the bedroom door opens and soft light from the hallway fills the room.
“Hey,” I say as Theo pokes his head around the door.
“Couldn’t sleep either, huh?”
He shakes his head.
“I’ve got clothes and things for both of you. You need to come down to Dad’s office, though.”
“You found something?” I ask, sitting up in a rush before I realise my move exposes Stella, who’s still fast asleep beside me.
“Yeah. Sooner rather than later,” he says before ducking out of the room.
“Shit,” I hiss, scrubbing my hand down my face. “Stella, baby,” I whisper, wrapping my hand gently around the side of her neck and brushing my lips against hers.
“Mmm,” she moans, her body leaning into mine, her leg lifting over my hip and dragging us closer.
“Baby, I need you to wake up.”
“Just kiss me.”