Page 164 of His Big Bad Stick

She’s not very helpful.

They’re running tests.

Same three words over and over.

All Abrielle wants is me.

She wants me.

She needs me.

It’s not just about the baby either.

I’m her man. I’m her protector.

I’m her lover.

I’ve been a version of this from the day we met.

As much as she drove me nuts, I wanted to protect her. I wanted to hold her. I wanted to kiss her. I wanted… her.

Fuck, I’ve wanted her for so long.

I used to sneak into her bedroom and look at her paintings.

Yeah, did I mess some of them up? Of course I did. I was a total asshole back then. I couldn’t have feelings for her.

Think about it.

In a technical sense she was my stepsister.

More than that, I knew she wouldn’t be around long.

My father never kept a woman around long, ever.

I have to shut my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose to get the thoughts to ease up just enough so I can take a deep breath.

I’m ready to jump out of the seat and ask where the fuck I am when I’m told the private jet is now landing.

The whirlwind continues as the private jet lands.

Another SUV waits for me.

I feel way more important in life than I actually am as I’m escorted from the plane into the SUV.

As soon as the door is shut, the SUV takes off.

“Got you covered,” the driver says.

This is all too much.

But it proves something to me.

It proves that I have people in my life that care about me. That matter to me. That will come through for me in a tough time.

Now here I am making a fist and biting at it because there’s this sudden swell of emotion hitting me. Crushing me.

I can’t be the guy who realizes how much he has in life only to lose it…

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