Page 102 of Crave Me

Dallas stands and grabs my wrist, pulling my hand out between us so he can drop a bit of soap into my palm, allowing me to finish cleaning my personal areas. The gesture is so considerate, and my heart knocks loudly against my chest, as if it wants to climb out and join its other half that’s standing in front of me, looking down at me like I’m the most important thing in the entire world.

We rinse and Dallas turns the water off, stepping out first and grabbing a large, fluffy towel. He wraps it around me before getting one for himself. After we’re dry, he grabs a hairbrush from a drawer and pulls me into the bedroom, where I sit between his legs, and he slowly works the brush through my very tangled hair. My eyes start to drift closed as he takes care of me, section by section, pulling out all of the tangles until it’s smooth.

I sway back into his large chest, the towel falling as my body starts to demand sleep. Even just the small activity of walking through the house and showering has exhausted me to my core. He carefully helps me move back on the bed, tucking me into the blankets and kissing my forehead.

“Nap, princess. I’ll be back with clothes and everything you need. I love you.”

A deep sleep claims me, my body desperate for rest in more ways than just one.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Dallas

Leaving Blaire in my bedroom at my parents’ house doesn’t feel right. But I won’t be far from her. I gave in to my mom moving Blaire into their house, but that just means I’m moving in too. I’ll crash in one of the other rooms if she won’t have me in hers. While I know she’s safe at my parents’ house, I didn’t want to take any chances, so Sawyer stuck around and will head back to his place once I’m back.

The drive to my house is lonely as fuck, my brain beating the shit out of my emotions worse than any hit I’ve taken in the ring. It’s hard to believe that just last week we were here, wrapped up in my bed together while she finally slept soundly with my arms around her. It’s a heady feeling being able to provide a sense of safety and comfort to another person, and the idea that I may never be able to give her that again makes me feel physically sick.

I don’t know what to do with the information Sawyer found out about the wreck not being an accident. The thought alone fuels me with rage and fear, the need to get back to her as soon as possible, strong.

Walking through my house without Blaire here is solemn as fuck. I want her in my space, and I would have given anything toconvince her to move in with me as soon as possible. If I hadn’t fucked everything up.

Once in my bedroom, I take a deep inhale of the space. Our scents mingle in the air and on the fabric of my pillows and sheets; just as they should. I pack my things into a duffel bag before locking up my house and heading to Blaire’s apartment. Pulling my car into a spot in front of the tattoo shop, I decide to take a detour and open the door to Rogue to find Reid. He immediately gets up and walks over to me, pulling me into a hug.

“How is she? Sawyer’s been updating me but how is she really?”

I don’t know what happens, but everything I’ve been holding together comes crashing down on me and the floodgates open.

“Hey, man, it’ll be alright, let’s get off the main floor, my office is right over here.”

Reid puts his hand on my back and steers me to his office while I lose my shit, tears falling rapidly down my face. Once inside, I take a seat in one of his chairs and he pulls another one close, sitting in front of me.

“I love her so goddamn much, man. She is everything good, everything so perfect. I promised her that I would keep her safe, that I wouldn’t let anyone ever hurt her again. I blame myself for her leaving the distillery that day.”

“I know you do. That’s why I told you where she lived. I could see it, but the car accident wasn’t your fault, man.”

“You don’t understand. After our days snowed in together at my house, before you told me where she lived, I knew she was hiding something big. When she wouldn’t open up to me, I contacted Wes and put a contract out with him on her. He sent me the file after you told me where she was, and she came clean about her past and I never fucking opened the file. I never opened it.”

“Fuck, brother. She found it, didn’t she?”

I drop my head into the palms of my hands and take a deep breath.

“Yeah. On my computer. I saw it written all over her face. The heartbreak. I’ll never be able to forget that look. It’ll haunt me forever. She screamed at me and left, and she was so upset. I should have stopped her. I never should have let her drive that upset, but I didn’t. And now this.”

Reid runs his hands through his long hair, tying it back before rubbing his palms up and down his thighs. Neither of us knows what to say. He can’t dispute it. I caused all of this. I wish I could tell him that Sawyer thinks her accident was on purpose, but I can’t breach her trust again.

“You’ll figure out how to get through it. You and your family always find a way.”

“I just don’t see a clear path right now. How can she forgive me?”

“Look, it’s fucked-up what you did, but I know you had good intentions. She’ll see that. You wouldn’t do it maliciously. She’ll come around because she’s crazy about you. You guys weren’t as good at hiding it as you think you were.”

“Fuck, really?”

He gives me a look that says I’m an idiot, and he’s not wrong. I’ve made a lot of mistakes the last few months and have my work cut out for me on setting them straight. I can’t lose my girl.

“Sorry for breaking down, been holding it together as best I can.”

“Don’t worry about it, brother. I’ll swing in to see her again in a few days when she’s ready for some visitors.”

---