Page 45 of The Fox

“Are you going to stay?” Amelia’s voice is soft, her eyes exhausted and haunted.

There is another question being asked here, and as badly as I want to hold her in my arms? I know that she needs to get rest, and my demons are demanding I keep watch.

“I’m going to sleep on the couch while you rest.” I run my hand down the side of her face, leaning down to kiss her softly. “Get some sleep,kochanie. I’ll check on you in a bit.”

Leaving her there, alone in bed, feels so wrong.

CHAPTER 31

Amelia---Light of Day

My brain is so fuzzy, and there is a softness weighing down my chest. I blink my eyes open to find a pair of amber eyes staring back at me, the vibrations of aggressive purring a clear communication of his displeasure with my absence.

I feel a chuckle building in my chest. I shake my head, lifting a hand to rub Lennon’s ears.

“I missed you too.” I glance around, looking for anything out of place. Looking for Rhodes. I sit up, feeling Lennon’s claw dig into my body as he leaps off me.

Rhodes.

My tongue darts out to moisten my lips as I look next to me. I feel the bedsheets. They’re cool to the touch, and my bed doesn’t smell like him, as much as I want it to. Disappointment weaves itself along my bones, and I wish he were here. Things don’t feel so heavy when Rhodes is standing behind me.

I slowly stretch my body, the aches pulling the residuals of my injuries, and I take a deep breath in. My mind starts wandering, the lists of things to do writing themselves.

I should call Duncan and figure out what the plan is. Actually, the idea of going back to sleep is appealing. Maybe I could convince my body to walk to the kitchen. Coffee. I need coffee. Parker could bring me some. No, wait. I can’t bother her.

I lift one leg and then the other, swinging them over the side of the bed. I let my feet dangle the way the physical therapist had instructed me while in the hospital.

You have this, Amelia Conte. Coffee is calling.

I push off my bed, swaying slightly. I spot the crutch propped against my nightstand, and I take a single step, placing it under my arm. I take one step.Okay, that wasn’t so bad.I repeat the process until I reach my door, Lennon silently judging me as he waits for me. My right hand is swollen, and my grip is weak with my left.Looks like holding a blade is out of the question for a while.It takes me a few tries, but I finally turn the knob, and Lennon darts out.

As I reach the end of the hall, my body is exhausted.Maybe a quick break on the couch, and then I’ll make coffee. Surely there is some instant coffee in the cabinet.

Three steps more and I reach the back of the couch, hearing soft snoring coming from the other side. I peer over the top of the couch, seeing Rhodes stretched out on the cushions. A knit blanket is draped over his hips and he has one hand tucked behind his head.

He stayed.

I sidestep toward the kitchen, grimacing when a floorboard creaks under my feet. I pause, waiting for a commotion behind me. When I hear silence, I keep on walking.

I reach the coffee machine, only to find a glass of iced coffee waiting for me and a note beside it. The writing is messy and compact.

I already added the creamer.

My heart skips a beat and I notice the way Rhodes made sure there was a straw in the cup so I wouldn’t have to lift the coffee to my mouth. It is such a small thing, but as a woman who has never been cared for? My chest is tight and I feel the burn behind my eyes. I don’t deserve him.

“I figured you’d go straight for the caffeine,kochanie.”

I spin, shocked when I see Rhodes standing in the doorway. His hair is untamed and loosely falling to his shoulders, the wrinkles on his shirt are incredibly visible, and I know that he likely hasn’t slept well. My couch is comfortable, but it isn’t meant for sleeping.

“You made my coffee.”

He stalks toward me, eyes darkening as he takes me in. “You should be in bed, baby. If you had called out, I would have brought you coffee in bed.”

His tone has guilt flooding my senses. “I didn’t know you stayed.” It comes out as nothing more than a whisper, an admission of need that I have long tried to prevent from allowing. I need Rhodes. I am weak for him, and I don’t know how much longer I can hold out when it comes to him.

“Amelia, I will always stay.” His words ring in my ears.

Staying is a concept I have an intimate understanding of.

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