Page 44 of Teaching His Babygirl

Levi presses against me, and I cringe back as much as I can, which isn’t much at all since I’m practically pinned to the wall. He leans forward, his lips descending on mine. I turn my head as much as I can without hurting myself on the knife. Just before his lips make contact, there is a roar at the mouth of the alley. Levi jumps back just as a dark figure tackles him to the ground.

“Colt!” I shout. “He has a knife!”

It all happens so fast. One minute Levi has a knife to my throat, and in the next, Colt has that same knife against Levi’s. Levi doesn’t stop fighting. At one point, I think he’s going to buck Colt off of him, but then Colt slams his fist into his face, and Levi goes limp, knocked out cold.

Colt tosses the knife aside and rushes to my side. “Are you okay, baby?” He looks me up and down, taking in the small nick on my neck. His hands cup my cheeks, and he looks me in the eye. “Please, talk to me, Darlene. Are you hurt?”

“Jus-sst scared.”

He lightly touches my neck below my injury. “And this. Did he touch you?” he asks with a low, menacing growl.

I shake my head, no. “He… he licked me,” I stutter out. “My cheek…”

Colt snarls and moves to leave me. I panic and grab ahold of him. “D-don’t leave me.”

His tense muscles instantly relax, and he holds me tight. “I’m not going anywhere, Darlene.”

“Colt!?” I hear someone shouting from the street. Jasper, maybe.

“Here,” Colt hollers back.

“Jesus,” Jasper says, taking in Levi’s prone form laying on the ground in a broken heap. “Is he alive?”

My eyes widen at that. Surely a single punch wouldn’t kill someone as large as Levi Troy…

“Unfortunately,” Colt says, sounding remorseful that he didn’t kill the man. “He deserves to die.”

“As your friend, I’m going to agree. As a cop, I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that,” he says. “You okay, sweetheart?”

I nod, still clinging to Colt.

Jasper makes a couple phone calls, and before I know it, the alley is filled with police and detectives. I give my statement what feels like ten times until Colt has had enough and tells them all he’s taking me home. I’m eternally grateful that he’s taking charge. I’m overwhelmed and can’t handle anymore.

Colt leads me away from the scene of the attack, and I’m doubtful I will ever be able to walk to and from school again. Looks like my aging car is going to get more miles on it. I barely make it four steps before I trip on my own feet. A sob breaks free, and if Colt wasn’t here to catch me, I would’ve fallen to my knees. Everything hits me at once. The attack, the millions of questions from the police making me relive the moment over and over, the fact that it’s over… it all comes crashing down, and I suddenly can’t breathe.

Colt holds me up and tips my face up to his. Icy blue eyes meet mine, giving me something to focus on. “Breathe, Darlene. Take a deep breath in…” My breath stutters into my lungs, then gusts out on another sob. “Shh. It’s okay, babygirl. Just breathe.”

I take in another breath and another until the darkness at the edges of my vision goes away, and I’m no longer hyperventilating. “Good girl,” Colt praises. “Just breathe with me.”

I nod my head, following his breathing pattern. In… out… over and over until I’m feeling calmer. “Th-thanks,” I stutter out.

“Let’s get you home.”

I turn to walk towards home, and Colt grabs me up, lifting me into his arms. Once again, I’m caught off guard by his strength. I let out a feeble protest that he completely ignores. I wrap my arms around his neck and cling to that strength of his, loving how safe I feel in his arms.

He sets me down outside my apartment door. He takes my keys from me and opens the door. As soon as the door is shut and locked, he lifts me back up and carries me to the couch. I don’t realize I’m shaking until Colt wraps me up in a throw blanket.

“It’s okay, babygirl. You’re safe now,” he promises.

He disappears into the kitchen and comes back with my sneaky box of truffles and a bottle of water. He opens the water and indicates I need to drink. Without thought, I take the water and gulp it down. Then he hands me a truffle and tells me to eat, that the sugar will help. I take a nibble, then another. He’s right that the water and chocolate are helping me feel steadier.

“Thanks.” I take a deep calming breath and feel more myself. Except I feel dirty. I can still feel Levi’s hands on me, his tongue… I gag. I barely make it to the bathroom before I vomit. Colt is right there, holding my hair and rubbing soothing circles on my back.

“Shh… It’s okay, Darlene.”

“Dirty,” I whimper between retches.

Realization comes over him, and he instantly turns on the shower. I feel immensely grateful for this man taking care of me even though it’s not his job anymore. I broke us, and yet, here he is. He goes to leave me to my shower, but I grab his arm. “Stay, please,” I beg, not wanting to be alone.

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