Page 63 of Simply You & Me

That's easy. "Because we needed to. Julian and I have been guarding your door, and we needed it in case of emergency."

Her jaw about hits the floor. "You've been WHAT?!"

There's the explosion I was waiting for. Crossing my arms, I refuse to budge on the topic. If she tells us to stop, that's not going to happen. "Julian and I have been taking shifts, so one of us is always at your door. The patrol only stays in his car, so this way we have eyes on the inside, too. Wyatt has all cameras in the building open at home, so he can watch every available angle. They won't touch you ever again."

Addie's head starts shaking and her fingers rub circles on her temple. "No. No, you can't do that. That's crazy. Wh—no. Just no."

I smirk, unable to hide my amusement. "Too bad. It's happening, and it's going to keep happening. What's not going to happen is you freezing yourself and only eating fucking frosting. I'm heating you up some lasagna."

"NO! No lasagna. Please, please put it back."

I eye the almost full pan of layered goodness, trying to figure out what her reaction is for. Is it bad? Cracking open the lid, I take a sniff, finding nothing but yumminess. Peeking inside doesn’t yield any results either.

"What's wrong with it, Doll?" I ask over my shoulder.

"Put it away," she says, her voice muffled and coming from further away.

I turn, confused and a little worried. I would have assumed she would be putting up a bigger fight about me being in her apartment, but she's more worried about the lasagna. In the living room, Addie has her T-shirt hiked over her nose. The front of her shirt lifts to her mid-thigh, and I can't help but appreciate the view while simultaneously wondering what's beneath the rest of the fabric. I want to peek and make sure she hasn't been hurting herself anymore, but I also feel the urge to throw some sweatpants on her to keep her warm.

Damn it. This is hard. I have no idea what to do or what to say. Running on my instincts to care for my dolly is all I have.

Like a dumbass, I finally fucking listen to her and put the lasagna away. Why didn't I do that the first time she said no to it?

Studying the contents of the fridge, I decide to leave everything in there for now. Closing the fridge, I turn my back on making her something and make my way to where she's now curled up in the far corner of her couch. The ache to sit beside her is fierce, but I don't deserve to, just like I absolutely should not have sat on her bed. Adelyn is above me, so that's where I keep her. Kneeling at her feet, I tug a blanket around her.

With sleepy eyes, she watches my every move with her chin resting on her palm. She’s so damn beautiful.

"What's wrong with lasagna, Doll?"

She sighs, her breath puffing a few strands of hair away from her face. "It's gross." Addie huffs, her eyes rolling before they settle on me again. "Actually, it's fucking delicious and a huge waste of food, since Rory will be the only one eating it."

This woman is so confusing. "It's delicious and gross?"

Her eyes flutter shut like she just can't deal with the world. "Yeah," my doll whines. "Everything I make is good once, but this baby refuses to eat anything besides like four damn things."

I chuckle silently. "What are those four things?" My voice feels strained as I hold back more laughter. She's just so damn cute when she's pouty.

Addie's face relaxes further, like she's dreaming of all her cravings. "Tacos in any form, corn pops, apples, and fancy toast."

I snort this time, unable to control myself. Her eyes shoot open with a glare, but I distract her by asking, "What's fancy toast, Doll?"

"Buttered toast with sugar and cinnamon sprinkled on it."

My mom used to make me that growing up. It was an easy, cheap, yummy breakfast that I haven't had since I was little. "Can I make you any of those things?"

Like she can't hold herself up any longer, she shifts on the couch till she's lying on her side with her hands tucked under her cheek. "No. I ate the last of the bread this morning, and the corn pops ran out last night. I don't have stuff to make tacos, and Rory took the last apple with her to Rylee's. And..." she trails off.

The look she gives me is wary, like she doesn't know if she can open up to me beyond the baby’s food groups. I don't push her this time, knowing that if I do, I would be asking for more than something basic. And shit, the way she fought me with the easiest questions proves how she feels about talking to me.

Addie's eyes close again. She whispers, "I'm afraid to leave."

Fuck. I close my own eyes and hang my head, shame attempting to shove my forehead to the floor and beg for forgiveness. I gulp, regrouping in the face of those four heart-wrenching words.

My doll should never be afraid to leave her house. She should have full reign over the world. Yet it mainly seems like she's upset she can't get herself the damn cereal and tacos she needs.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I lift my head with an apology on my lips. A soft puff of air tickling the scruff on my cheeks stuns me silent. With her lips slightly parted and her face relaxed in the most serene expression, Addie sleeps curled on the couch in front of me. The lump of emotion reforms in my throat with a vengeance.

Addie might not want me anywhere near her, but she still trusts me enough to nap while I kneel in front of her.

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