Page 110 of We Redeemed the Rain

I whispered, “Of what?”

“Of you. And whatever you feel is too ugly to love.” Her hands moved, unknowingly soothing a place of violence and driving her point. “As long as I’m here, you’re not alone.”

My vision blurred, and I blinked frantically.

“Thank you for telling me all that.”

I shook my head. “I’m sorry for snappin’ at you in the kitchen.”

She laughed softly. “Oh trust me, that’s not the first time I’ve been accused of being too chatty early in the morning.”

“I don’t want you to get the wrong impression. You can chat whenever you get the urge. I just—got defensive.”

“We all do that sometimes.”

I wanted to linger and make this moment last. Fire pooled low in my gut as my awareness of her grew. Why was she everything I needed and nothing I deserved? Why, when I had sworn off ever having someone, was she here? Touching me, getting me to open up, saying things I could never unhear, and doing things I could never unsee?

She felt…right, good. So good.

The hug we shared on Wednesday had been on repeat in my mind. Iheldher in an eager, relieved embrace. She was a thousand times softer than I imagined she would be. And she’d clung to me like I was oxygen.

Those hands slid across my abs again, and I almost groaned out loud. Desperate to touch her back someway, I moved my left hand from Windy’s mane to Bea’s thigh, running it to the top of her knee. Her sharp intake of breath made my heart stumble. I did it again, running my palm up and back over her bare leg, letting my thumb brush her knee like it was no big deal.

But Bea froze, her arms and legs tightening.

All the reasons I’d been preaching to myself about why I shouldn’t touch her flew out the window. Her soft thigh shredded my resolve. Feelings I’d shut down had me in a chokehold. With every strand of my DNA, I wanted to move her in front of me, adjust those thighs over mine, and kiss her. I closed my eyes against the mental image.

I could never, ever do that. I would break her heart a second time.

The gravity of truth crushed my heart against the ground. Here Iwas, touching her, wanting her, opening up to her…I was already well on my way to breaking her again, wasn’t I?

I removed my hand. “You ‘bout ready?”

She took two shaky breaths. “Y–yes.”

“Big day.”

She nodded. “Big day.”

THIRTY-TWO

Bea

Ijerked out of sleep as pain shot through my leg. I wailed in the darkness, fumbling with the constricting quilt. In a flash, Tag was by my side.

“Bea!”

I tried to pull my toes upward, but the cramp was too intense. I gasped, “My…leg.”

Tag pulled the quilt off me and picked up my ankle, pressing against the ball of my foot. I moaned and gripped the covers, a full sweat breaking out over my body. I kept my eyes squeezed shut as I writhed.

“Shh. It’s alright.” Tag pressed the ball of my foot deeper. His sleepy voice was low and gravelly, more drawly than normal. “You’ve got a heat cramp. You’re gonna be alright.”

I couldn’t speak.

“I used to get these all the time. After the day we had yesterday, it’s no wonder.”

“It’s…awful.” I sucked air through clenched teeth.

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