Page 4 of Saving Love

“Is there a place you can go for your physical therapy out here? That way you don’t have to wait another several months.”

My friend is silent, then grunts after a moment before clearing his throat. “I suppose that’s an idea I hadn’t thought about,” he admits. Not much makes me smile these days, but his response elicits a smirk.

“Glad I could help,” I say, chuckling to myself when Elliot grumbles under his breath.

We say our goodbyes and I shove my phone back in my pocket, taking a deep, cleansing breath. My concerns about Elliot are already fading into the background as thoughts of the woman passed out on my couch begin to consume me once more.

Whoever the hell she is, she found a shelter right here with me. I’ll protect her from every goddamn thing this cruel world has thrown her way, and then maybe she’ll consider staying here. With me.

Fucking crazy is what I am. I know it. I hear it in my obsessive thoughts over a woman who fainted before we could even properly introduce ourselves. Still, I’m drawn to her, my feet moving almost without my permission, carrying me toward my mystery woman.

I take a seat in the chair across from the couch but immediately decide that's not close enough. Instead, I find myself sitting on the floor with my back propped up against the couch. I count her breaths and sync up my breathing with hers, wanting to be connected to her in some way.

Jesus, if this is how I’m acting when she’s not even conscious, I’m almost afraid to see how obsessive I’ll be when she wakes up. I guess time will tell.

4

BLAKELY

Iwake up surrounded by the softest blanket and warm, fluffy pillows. I know I must be dreaming because I’ve never been this cozy in my life. I take a few more moments to savor the dream before it fades away, then inhale deeply, already dreading the day. But today feels different. What happened last night?

My eyes flash open and I sit straight up as memories of the last few days filter through my mind. Oh god. I ran away. I was hiding out in a construction site when the tallest, most muscular man I’ve ever encountered found me and… I have no memory after that.

“Am I dead?” I whisper to myself.

“Not on my watch,” a voice from right next to me says.

I jump and tense at the booming sound, closing my eyes and covering my face to protect myself from the attack I know is coming. It’s an automatic response at this point.

"Hey," the man says, his tone much softer and more subdued. "I'm not going to hurt you. Ever. I promise you're safe here."

Safe?

I shake my head and curl further into myself, wishing I could condense myself into a singularity and fade into a black hole. Everything is too much, too raw, too overwhelming. Even with my eyes closed, I feel like I’m on sensory overload as my head spins and repeats that one word: safe.

“Can you take a breath for me?” the man asks, keeping his voice quiet. “I can’t have you passing out on me again.”

My body obeys his command before I even register his words. I find myself gasping for air, not realizing I was holding my breath.

“Good, now slower,” the stranger says soothingly. He breathes with me, silently encouraging me to match his rhythm.

After a few moments, my head stops spinning and I don’t feel like the walls are closing in on me. I’m still shaken from everything that’s happened over the last few days, but somehow the man who took me in seems to want to… care for me? It must be a trap, but right now, I’m too exhausted to run or fight anymore.

Slowly, I open my eyes, surprised to see the man from last night kneeling in front of me. He's at eye level, and something about that relaxes me ever so much. He's not using his size to intimidate me, though he very well could. In fact, the man could probably take on my uncle, which is saying something. My uncle was a professional boxer before he fell into drugs and alcohol.

“There you are,” comes the gentle yet deep voice of the man who took me in and gave me shelter. “How are you feeling? Can I get you anything? Water? Food? Shower?”

I blink a few times, not sure I heard him correctly. He wants to feed me? Provide a shower? I don’t deserve this. Not after the things I stole from the site. Still, those emerald eyes shine with something wholly unfamiliar to me. I can’t quite place my finger on it, but I let my guard down. Just a little bit. Just enough.

“Um,” I start before choking on a cough. I didn’t realize how dry my throat was until I tried talking.

“Here,” the man says, handing me a glass of water that must have been sitting on a nearby table. “I’m sure you’re thirsty. Don’t drink too fast or you might make yourself sick.”

I nod and reach out for the glass with a trembling hand. Our gazes meet, and for one brief moment, I see into the depths of this man’s soul. He has a pain hidden deep in his heart, one that resonates with mine.

For some reason, that gives me the courage to wrap my hand around the glass and take it from him. Heeding his advice, I sip at the water, though it takes a lot of restraint not to gulp the whole thing down.

“I’m Cassian,” he says, giving me what I think is supposed to be a smile. It’s clear he hasn’t had a reason to smile in a long time, which makes my chest ache.

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