Page 104 of Crave Me

“That’s my good girl. I’ll be right back.”

I wander off to the kitchen and prepare two bowls of my mom’s Tuscan vegetable soup. It’s hearty, filled with vegetables, some weird-looking floaty seed thing, beans, and a rich tomato vegetable broth. It’s exactly what Blaire needs to start to feel better. I cut off two pieces of the French bread loaf, set everything on a tray, and return to my girl.

“Here you go.” I set the tray gently on her lap, grab my bowl off of it, and move to the recliner my brothers brought in here before Blaire was released from the hospital. We eat in comfortable silence, but she eats all of it and I couldn’t be happier. She declined seconds, but the fact that she ate something at all is a relief. After I clean up from dinner, I pull out Blaire’s lotion from her duffel bag and take a seat on the bed next to her. I hand her the remote so she can put something on the television. Squirting some lotion into my palm, I rub my hands together before picking up one of her feet and massaging it. She moans and my dick perks up in my sweats, the idiot.Not happening, my man, you’re confused as fuck. Blaire puts a TV show that she loves on, and I’m not going to lie, Anthony Bridgerton has got some moves, the cheeky bastard. I find myself invested in the show, wondering if he’ll continue with the plan to marry Kate’s sister, all while rubbing Blaire’s feet and legs, massaging her, and showing her the physical affection she deserves.

The show ends, and she turns the TV off.

“It was just getting good!”

“Feel free to finish watching it. I’m falling asleep and need to get some rest.”

“How can I help you?”Please let me help you, it’s killing me.

“I just need to take more ibuprofen and then I’ll be okay.”

“You haven’t touched the narcotics; they’ll help you so you can sleep better and feel better.”

“My parents were drug addicts, Dallas. I don’t want them. I won’t touch them, so just dump them down the toilet for all I care. The eight-hundred-milligram ibuprofen has been working fine, I just need to stay on top of it.”

Feeling like shit for not putting that together on my own, I pick up the bottle of oxys and set it on the TV stand to dispose of properly later. Her face scrunches up tightly as she bites the side of her cheek through her pain while she tries to get settled in the bed for sleep. I step forward, helping her with the pillows and blankets, tucking her in.

When I look down on her, I can’t help but brush the wild red hair from her sweet face, her cheek cool against my fingertips.

“You’re so beautiful it hurts.”

A tear slips free from her eye and my chest tightens. How did we get here? I lean down to kiss her forehead, my lips pressing down firmly while I take a deep breath of her. She smells like my soap, and I decide I like her covered in my scent most of all.

“Goodnight, princess.”

I stand to leave but she stops me, her hand grabbing my wrist. Turning to face her, she’s every bit as lost, vulnerable, and confused as I am. Not having any idea how to fix us, I wait for her command, willing to do anything she wants.

“Will you stay with me? Please?” she whispers, and I nearly break right there.

“Yeah, baby, of course I’ll stay with you.”

I strip down to my boxer briefs and carefully lift the blankets, laying down next to her. Unsure how close she wants me, I settle on resting my hand on her thigh, rubbing my fingertips over her smooth skin in small circles.

Her content sigh is the last thing I hear as she falls fast asleep. With me as her guardian, thankful to be able to watch over her and chase her demons away so she can rest.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Blaire

I’m lost in my thoughts, staring out Dallas’ childhood window when there’s a knock at the door before it slowly creaks open. Dallas’ mom, Amy, and his sister, Kinsey, stand there with a bowl of popcorn and a grocery bag full of things.

“Are you up for some company?” Kinsey chirps, her chocolate brown hair piled high on the top of her head. She’s got a head of dark hair like Sawyer and Carter, and the bluest eyes, just like Dallas.

I scoot back on to the bed so that I’m sitting upright against the headboard, the pain in my lower abdomen a mild throb now. Dallas’ family has been so incredibly welcoming. They’ve completely taken me in and treated me like one of their own. Kinsey has stopped by a few times a week to hang out with me and go for walks around the house since it’s too cold to walk outside right now. If I hadn’t already fallen in love with his family, I would have after this. They’ve given me something that I’ve never had before and it comes with appreciation, but also a longing so deep that it mixes with the pain. Dallas won’t want me after I finally open up about my hysterectomy, and that breaks my heart most of all. I suppose I should enjoy this time before I lose them, too.

“I’d actually love some company. What did you have in mind?”

“Well, we heard that we share a love of the same movie. How do you feel about a little Mr. Darcy tonight?”

I laugh, always in the mood to watchPride and Prejudice.

“How’d you know that was my favorite?”

“A little birdy told us. It’s also Mom’s favorite, so I’ve seen it a million times.”

---