Page 105 of Crave Me

They climb into bed with me, dumping the snacks out in front of us and putting the bowl of popcorn down. Happiness fills me. I reach for the Twizzlers Pull ‘n’ Peel, opening the package and pulling one out as Amy finds the movie to put on.

“Is everything okay with you and my brother?” Kinsey asks.

“I don’t know how to answer that, honestly.”

She looks at me with sympathy.

“No one knows better than I do how difficult my brothers can be. Want to talk about it?”

“You’re his sister, Kinsey, and I doubt your mom wants to hear all of this.”

“I assure you; I don’t mind. I know my boys and they take after their father. So if anyone is equipped to listen to what his stubborn ass did and give advice, it’s me,” Amy says.

Stunned, I blink at them for a few moments. I assumed that they would blindly defend any of their own, but here I stand corrected. Again. Not having anyone else to lean on at the moment and no family of my own, I tell them everything, minus the fact that Dallas is a Dom and all of our sexcapades. I confess my background, my lies to Sawyer in an attempt to make myself not look so pathetic and desperate, trying my best to start a new life. When I tell them that Dallas had hired a PI to dig up my background when I wouldn’t initially open up to him, his mom wipes away her tears and finally speaks.

“My stupid, stupid boy. He really is just like his father and brothers. The males in our family are a different breed.”

“I know it’s not an excuse, Blaire, what my brother did was damn wrong and a huge invasion of privacy, but if he didn’t care with every fiber of his being, he wouldn’t have done what he did. It does not make it right, he’s an idiot. But these Hayes boys see something they want, and they can’t see anything else.”

“Kinsey’s right, unfortunately. Their father was the same way. Brutally protective and possessive. Hell, he still is, the crazy man. But they come from love. In his eyes, he saw an issue you were fighting and wanted to do everything in his power to either fight that battle for you, be educated on the situation enough to help you fight it yourself, or get rid of it completely. He couldn’t see past how that may negatively impact you and I hate that his blind, brute stubbornness caused you any amount of pain. You are justified in how you feel.”

“He loves you, Blaire. Anyone would be a fool not to see it.”

“I know he does. I feel it. I love him, too,” I confess. And it feels freeing to say it out loud again, even if it isn’t to Dallas. I know that I’ve already forgiven him for getting all of that information on me. But it’s the only thing I can hang onto to keep him at a distance. I continue to keep my infertility a secret, not ready to have anyone try to comfort me regarding it. I’ve accepted it because what’s my alternative? It’s a blessing in disguise. The line of Hollis will end with me, so long as they never procreated after I was born.

“Enough of all that! Let’s watch Mr. Darcy fall hopelessly in love with Elizabeth and screw it all up in the process.”

“So, basically a man in love then?” I add, and we all laugh.

The three of us sit in the big bed together like we’ve done it all our lives, and I spend more time looking at both of them out of the corner of my eyes than I do watching my favorite movie. We munch on popcorn, skittles, and Twizzlers Pull ‘n’ Peel, likeit’s the most comfortable, easy thing in the entire world. And for a moment, I allow myself to imagine they’re my mom and sister, helping me through heartbreak, and I’m not so alone in this big world.

When I wake up the next morning, my body is not happy. Everything is tight, sore, and aching. I’ve healed from physical trauma before, but the mix of internal and external injuries is wreaking havoc on my drained body. I roll over and moan, my full bladder cramping and spasming in protest. Opening my eyes, I look around the empty guestroom and muster the strength to leave the comfort of the warm bed. The bathroom tile is cold on my feet as I walk through the room to do my business. After using the bathroom, something I have to brace myself for since the hysterectomy because it’s ridiculously painful, I toss my hair up and leave the bedroom to find some food and stretch my legs.

Not a few steps out of the room, I walk into the living room, stunned to find Dallas sleeping on the couch. I look him over for a brief moment, his large body much too big to lay comfortably where he is. He’s in gray sweats and a baggy Aspen Ridge Distillery hoodie, his arm draped over his eyes. I walk slowly into the kitchen, trying to stay quiet, when I find Dallas’ dad sitting at the bar drinking a cup of coffee. I haven’t spent much time with him outside of Sunday dinners, but he is so loved and respected by his family that I’m at ease in his presence.

He has a full head of salt and pepper hair, a strong jaw that slightly droops on the left side around his mouth, and his eyesare a similar blue to Dallas’. For a fleeting moment, I can picture what he’ll look like when he’s his father’s age.

“Good morning, Mr. Hayes.”

“M-morning, Blaire.”

“Why is he sleeping on the couch? He didn’t go home?”

“He hasn’t been to his house since the night of your accident,”

“Wait, he hasn’t gone home at all?”

“Nope. Said he’s not leaving you.”

“Oh. Okay, well why didn’t he sleep in one of the other beds?”

“Couch was closest to you.”

I cover my mouth with my hand, overwhelmed with emotion. I should have known better. Of course he hasn’t left me, he loves me. I feel it in everything he does now, in every look, touch, word, and action. There’s no denying that Dallas Hayes is head over heels in love with me. I just don’t want that love to be the reason that he gives up on ever becoming a father.

Speaking of the devil himself, he walks into the kitchen where I’m pouring us both a mug of hot black coffee. He walks right up to me and plants a kiss on my temple, my eyes closing the moment his lips touch my skin.

“Good morning, princess. I can do this, want to go sit on the couch?”

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