Page 119 of Saved By My Buyers

“A movie day sounds amazing,” I admit. I just want my people around me today. It reminds me of when Bronwyn and I first bonded when I was fifteen, too.

“Agreed,” she says. “As long as you don’t mind if I fall asleep here and there. I don’t like the medication they gave me for pain.”

“You’re too drowsy,” Jack says with a frown. “If you can handle going on over the counter stuff, if your muscles start to hurt, then I agree that you should stop taking it.”

“What about arnica cream and CBD muscle cream?” I suggest. “It'll help the bruising and the pain.”

“I’ll add that to my list,” Jack says. “I need to pick up frozen pizzas, gummy worms, popcorn, and a mini projector. Fuck, I can’t believe we haven’t done this before. I’m the worst boyfriend.”

Bronwyn and I snicker as he rushes off.

“He’s ridiculous,” I say. “God, it shouldn’t make any sense to be this in love with both of you.”

She’s quiet for so long, I sit up to look at her in alarm. Tears stream down her face and she waves her hand at me as if to dispel my worry.

“I know you love me, because you’ve said it before, it’s just so silly of me to really let it sink in now. I don’t think you’ve said it since you’ve been back,” she rasps.

My lips part in surprise, and I scramble to carefully straddle her lap.

“Oh, baby,” I whisper. “I think I say I love you in my mind a million times a day. I’ve thought about you so much over the years, and sometimes just smelling lemon desserts in the air, when I pass a bakery is enough to help get me through the day. I love you so much, it’s hard to talk about, Bee. You’re fucking everything that’s good in the world. You and Jack, you’re the light that keeps me going.”

Bee sobs as she pulls me closer, making me squeak as I try to make sure I don’t hurt her.

“I’m sorry I didn’t say it before,” I breathe in her ear as I hug her. “I forget you don’t live in my head with me, because that’s how close I feel to you.”

Shuddering, coughing accompanies her sobbing, and I grab the glass that now is always filled by the bed. Jack is obsessed with us drinking enough fluids, and there’s a new ice pack left for Bee as well.

God, he’s like a ninja dom.

Drinking in between the coughing, she gets it to settle. Grabbing Bee’s phone, I text Jack. I have no idea where mine is. I know it’s important to have a form of communication, but it doesn’t help that I’m not used to it.

Me:

Hey, can you get Bee some soup too? Her throat isn’t great.

Jack:

Yes, I just thought about that too.

“Okay, he’s getting you soup,” I murmur, dropping the phone on the nightstand. “I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

“Don’t apologize, just let me hold you. I love you so much for the record,” Bee says softly, careful of her throat. The bruises are so angry looking. Laying next to her, I hold the ice pack to her neck, trying not to wince when she hisses.

“The call at the Crisis Center threw me so badly, because it reminded me that I can’t live without you or Jack. Losing you the first time was devastating.”

“But you wouldn’t kill yourself, would you?” I gasp, eyes wide and filling with tears. Bee’s arm around my back is the only thing keeping me from getting up. I don’t want to hurt her. “Bee, no.”

“I was in such a dark place,” she says sadly. “Knowing Gareth hurt you, and that you were somewhere I couldn’t follow… Logic doesn’t apply when you’re hurting like that. Jack saw I wasn’t in a good place quickly, and got me help. The ‘what ifs’ consumed me this week, but my therapist helped me pinpoint why that was.”

“That’s way too close for comfort,” I breathe. “I’m so sorry. In my mind, it made the most sense for me to give you two a heads up and then go into hiding. If he had caught me again… I wouldn’t have been able to keep him from completely breaking me.”

“I’m not blaming you,” she says, sniffling. “I’m not at all. I just need you to know that under no circumstances can you go to the house. Not unless you have a goddamn SWAT team with you. I don’t think I could handle it if you died. I know I can’t.”

“Nothing is going to happen to me,” I swear. “You protected me, made them think I was dead. Bee, I’m safe because of you, and you defended yourself so you could stay with me.”

We’re both a mess as we hold each other, the ice pack tumbling from my cold fingers. There’s nothing wrong with falling apart with your people as long as you’ll let them put you back together.

Jack

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