Page 120 of Not Your Little Girl Anymore

My mouth parts, my lip twitching further up. A rush of tranquility hits me at the sound of those words falling off the tip of her tongue. “Oh, sunshine. You have no idea how badly I’ve been waiting for you to say that.”

***

“Whoa, hold on there, little killer.” I scurry over to Summer and help her out of the car. The doctor cleared her a couple of hours ago, but it took a little longer for them to make sure she was sent home with something to keep her ankle sturdy.

“I’m fine. I have a boot on.” She waves it in the air as if reminding me that she’s able to walk with it.

“I’m not taking any chances.” My need to protect her has increased tremendously over the past couple of days, and I refuse to let anything else happen to her.

She rolls her eyes, wrapping her arm around my waist anyway, and lets me take control and guide her through the door. When we get to the bottom of the stairs, she lets go, and I immediately miss her arm there.

“I can take it from here,” she says, ready to climb the stairs without help.

“No.”

“Alec, you can’t baby me forever,” she scoffs. “I need to learn to walk with this thing, seeing as I’m stuck with it for the next two months.”

“That’s if everything heals the way it should,” I point out.

She rolls her eyes, turning around and taking it upon herself to climb the stairs without my guidance. I groan with aggravation. She’s so fucking stubborn.

When we reach the top step, she smiles and claps her hands together. “Ha, see. Easy peasy.”

“Whatever you say.” I reach into my pocket to grab the key and unlock the door but make a brief pause when I see the bullet hole. I look at Summer, who is staring at the door worriedly. “Let’s get settled, and I’ll get that fixed.”

I place my hand on her back. She flinches for a second before leaning into my touch and letting out a long sigh. “I’m sorry. Seeing it there is very unsettling. I know he’s currently behind bars, but it doesn’t ease the memories of what he’s done.”

I grab her face in my hands, staring into her beautiful round eyes. “Stop apologizing to me. Everything will be better from here. Do you believe that?”

Her bottom lip slips between her teeth. “Yes.”

“Good,” I press a kiss on her mouth. “Let’s get you comfortable.”

When we get inside the apartment, I close the door and immediately go to the junk drawer while Summer enters the bathroom. The first thing I grab is a sticky note, then a tiny piece of scotch tape. The last thing I want is for Summer to walk into the kitchen and see the reminder.

I press the sticky part firmly to cover the bullet hole and tape the bottom, so it doesn’t move. Then I pull out my phone to send James a message.

Have a minute to grab me a new door?

Why the fuck do you need a new door?

It’s not shocking that Tyler never informed James about the inconvenience I had here. Everything happened so quickly it’s hard to keep anyone updated. I type out my response and hit send.

Let’s just say the dime-sized hole in my door isn’t pretty.

Shit… let me get in the truck, and I’ll swing by. Give me an hour.

Thanks, man.

I stuff my phone in my pocket and drag my fingers through my hair, leaning over the counter. My attention shifts when I hear Summer make her way back into the kitchen. She wraps her arms around me, resting her head against my chest.

We stay like this for a few minutes before she says, “Your mind is wandering.”

My eyebrows pinch together, and I pull back to look at her. “What?”

“When you’re overthinking, your heart beats differently. You hold your breath, and sometimes your muscles tighten.” She shrugs.

I smile at the slight accuracy. “Impressive.” Placing my hands on her hips, I turn her, so her back is against the counter. “So, tell me. What else have you picked up on?”

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