Page 92 of Redeeming Heart

She has been facing this burden all by herself for three years and I was pretty positive that she needed someone to lean on.

I stood up from the table. “I’m sorry for your loss and I can’t begin to imagine what pain you are going through.”

She gave me a sincere smile. “I never thanked you for the other day and I know I made a complete fool of myself.”

I shook my head. “We all deal with heartache differently.”

I excused myself and headed out back to my car. I had a feeling about where Sasha might be and I hoped that I was wrong because the rain was coming down hard and the temperature was dropping by the hour.

I pulled up in front of the graveyard and almost jumped out of my car—running down the path she showed me the other night. I removed my jacket instantly when I caught her sitting hunched over and drenched in front of her mother’s tombstone.

She barely moved when I dropped the jacket over her shoulders and crouched down beside her. Her face was a mask of complete despair, eyes bloodshot red and her lips turning a shade of blue. Her body was shivering underneath my jacket and I had to get her out of the rain.

“I would offer you a cupcake but they turned all to mush.” She at least acknowledged my presence and didn’t order me to leave which was a good sign.

“My heart…isn’t healing…and every year…I expect it to be better, but it’s…only getting worst.” She lowered her head, interlacing her hands and I watched as a shudder ran through her.

I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and was surprised when she came willingly, pressing her cold, shivering body against mine. I pushed my fingers through her wet hair and let her use me for comfort.

I didn’t want to move her, but we needed to get going. “I need to get you out of the rain, Sash,” I whispered.

I felt her nod against my chest and without letting her go—I picked her up in my arms and carried her over to my car while keeping her pressed up against my chest.

I turned on the heater once we were settled inside and took her cold, colorless hands in mine to warm them up. “We need to get you out of those wet clothes,” I said, glancing at the backseat to see if I had any backup clothes in my sports bag.

I thankfully found a shirt and found her taking off my jacket, turning her back to me as she peeled off the wet shirt that was sticking to her skin. I helped her and noticed the angel wings tattooed on her back with a name written between them.

Every part of me wanted to touch her and acknowledge the moment when she was sitting half-naked in front of me, but I reminded myself she needed me to act like a friend and not some guy who has a major crush on her.

I handed her the shirt which I helped her put on when she struggled because of her shivering hands. I let her wear my jacket just so we could get her temperature up.

“Where do you want to go?” I asked, putting the car in drive.

“I can’t go home, yet.” She whispered with a shake of her head.

I decided to take her to my place where we can dry her clothes and where she can take a nap because I was sure that she was going to need one.

I lend her a pair of my boxers while I placed her wet clothes in the dryer. I also grabbed a blanket for her when she decided to take the couch while scrolling through something to watch on the TV. I headed to the kitchen to make her something hot to drink when I found her standing on the other side of the counter.

“I thought you’d be asleep by now,” I noted with a smile at how adorable she looked in my clothes.

She shrugged and then walked over to me. I was taken by surprise when she wrapped her arms around my waist and hugged me. “Thank you,” She whispered.

I wrapped my arms around her, rested a hand on the back of her head, and held her against me. She was still cold and I was a bit worried.

“It’s no problem, but you should get under the blanket. You are still freezing.” I didn’t want her to let go but I had to.

To her, this was only a friendly gesture while I have waited for this my entire life.

I poured a cup of coffee for me and her and went to go join her in the living room. I found her under the blanket and she was shivering like a leaf. I went to go sit down beside her and let her snuggle up beside me hoping my body heat would help her.

I had to control myself around her at the feel of her body pressing up against mine. I brushed my hands through her hair, getting lost in the length of it, and not before long, I found her sound asleep. Her head rested on my chest with one hand resting beside her head and I couldn't convince myself to stop staring at her.

She needed a friend—not some guy who stalks her in every one of his dreams.

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

Everyone once in a while I surprise myself.

---