Page 62 of Stuck with the Billionaire Celebrity

He doesn’t say it, but I know he’s exhausted. Who wouldn’t be? I’ve been a mess, and he’s been my anchor through it all.

He didn’t sign up for any of this, either. Devon volunteered him for it.

He’s gone above and beyond the call of duty, that’s for sure.

I shift slightly, trying not to wake him, but his eyes flutter open. For a moment, he’s groggy, but then he focuses on me, and a soft smile touches his lips.

“Hey,” he says, his voice rough with sleep. “You okay?”

I nod. “Yeah. I actually… I slept. Like, really slept.”

His smile widens. “Good. You needed it.”

“It’s because of you,” I admit gently. “I don’t know how to explain it, but I just… I feel safe. Like nothing can touch me when you’re holding me.”

He shifts onto his side, propping himself up on one elbow. His hand reaches out to brush a strand of hair from my face.

“That’s how it should be. You deserve to feel safe, Grace. You deserve to feel normal.”

I close my eyes for a moment, savoring the warmth of his touch. But the guilt surges again, and I push myself up to sit against the headboard.

“I hate that you’re doing all of this for me. I hate that you’ve paused your life because I can’t handle mine.”

“Stop,” he says firmly, sitting up beside me. “You’re not handling this alone. And I’m not putting my life on pause. I’m exactly where I need to be.”

“But—”

“No.” He takes my hand, his grip strong but gentle. “This isn’t up for debate, Grace. I care about you. I’m not going anywhere.”

I bite my lip, trying to hold back the tears that threaten to spill over. “It’s just… I feel like I’m suffocating under all of this. And you’re… you’re my only lifeline. It’s not fair to you.”

“You’re not suffocating me,” he says softly. “If anything, you’re giving me purpose. Let me help you. Please.”

I nod, not trusting myself to speak. He pulls me into his arms, and I let myself lean into him, absorbing his strength. For a moment, it’s just us.

No fear, no stalker, no chaos. He pulls me into his lap, sits up, and leans against the headboard, cradling me as if I were a child.

Well, this is strangely comforting.

“What if we left?”

I pull back, frowning. “Left?”

“Yeah. I can charter a plane, take you to a private island or… anywhere you want to go. Somewhere, this guy can’t reach you. Somewhere you can finally relax.”

“Theo, no.” I shake my head. “We can’t do that.”

“Why not? It’s a good plan.”

“Because it’s what he wants,” I explain, my voice rising slightly. “He wants me scared. He wants me to run and hide so he can feel powerful and in control. I can’t give him that. I won’t.”

He studies me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. “You’re so damn stubborn.”

“You love it,” I tease, trying to lighten the mood.

He snorts. “Yeah, I do. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop trying to protect you.”

“I know,” I say softly. “And I’ll keep working with the police and Tad and Devon. We’ll find him. We’ll end this. I just… I can’t let him win.”

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