Page 52 of Impressing Brett

When we reach the master bedroom, I pull out two bags, one for each of us. I’d rather grab a small suitcase and share it, but that would be too presumptuous.

While I stuff mine with jeans, shirts, and underwear, she packs only adult clothes. It hurts my heart. She would do better this evening if she could spend it in Little space, but how can she possibly trust me to protect her?

It’s my fucking job. When she’s in Little space, she needs to be able to count on me to ward off monsters so she can exist without a care in the world. I failed her. Miserably. The damage could be severe.

When she enters the bathroom to gather some toiletries, I tuck Bear, Banana, and Jasmine into my bag. I can’t fit all of them, but hopefully, three of them will come in handy later.

We say nothing to each other while we pack. I’m letting her have her silence, but I won’t be able to maintain this forever. I need her to talk to me, look at me, let me hold her. I won’t settle until I have my arms around her.

Do I deserve her?

I know Blade would have my head if he heard the doubts going through my mind. Intellectually, I know he’s right. I probably couldn’t have stopped this from happening. However, that doesn’t change the fact that it did happen, and Lacy knows I failed her. Any ground we’ve covered together has been shattered.

Back downstairs, I speak to Davis about their plans to keep an eye on the house while Lacy heads out to get in Blade’s SUV. We’re not taking my car or hers. Even though Davis searched both vehicles for tracking devices, we won’t risk the possibility we might be followed.

Lacy is sitting in the back seat of Blade’s SUV when I step outside. She’s distant and despondent, staring unseeing out the window. She doesn’t meet my gaze.

I hesitate, trying to decide if I should join her in the back or sit up front with Blade. I store her bags in the rear and opt for the front.

“I’ll have a rental sent to the hotel for you early in the morning,” Blade informs us as he pulls out of the driveway. “They’ll leave the keys at the front desk. You’re checked in as Mr. and Mrs. Barkley. All you need to do is pick up the keys.”

“Thank you,” I resist the urge to glance over my shoulder at Lacy. God, I loathe this situation.

Fifteen minutes later, after taking a circuitous route, Blade pulls up to the hotel entrance. “I’ll be in touch.” He doesn’t elaborate. No sense freaking Lacy out any further.

Lacy gets out of the car while I grab our bags. She has her purse in her hand and eases the strap over her shoulder before following me as if I’m leading her to the guillotine.

I quietly retrieve our room keys from the front desk and lead her to the elevator. At least she’s letting me go with her. I’m not sure what I would have done if she’d cut me off entirely.

Except that’s not true. I would have stayed on her like white on rice. Right outside the door. Guarding her day and night even if she didn’t know or want it.

We ride the elevator in silence, the tension between us palpable, so thick that I flinch when the elevator pings its arrival on our floor. I stick my hand out to ensure the doors stay open while she exits, and then I follow her down the hallway toward our room.

She’s like a zombie next to me, and I hate it.

I open the door and hold it to let her pass first.

She ducks under my arm, rubbing hers as if she’s cold.

While I drop our bags on the foot of the king-sized bed, Lacy aims for the corner of the room, turns, and slides down the wall until she’s sitting with her knees pulled up to her chest, her head on her knees.

I can’t breathe. She’s hurting so badly, and I don’t know how to fix this. I’m not sure I can. I’m sure as fuck going to try, though.

I join her, sitting against the wall a few inches from her, not touching her. She’s not moving, not even crying.

“I’m sorry,” I finally say. I might say it ten thousand times if that’s what it takes. “I’m supposed to protect you, and I failed. I can understand why you’re angry with me. I’m angry with me, too.”

She jerks her head up and looks at me, eyes wide and wild. She shakes her head. “What? What are you talking about? This isn’t your fault.”

I frown. “It is. I’m the Daddy. I’m the Dom in this relationship. I should’ve been more careful.”

“No. Stop it. I’m not angry with you. I’m angry with me. I’m angry with the world. I’m angry with my father and his fucking partner and his fucking son. I should’ve known they would hunt me down. I did know. That’s why I’ve been in a panic for weeks. I knew. Deep down, I knew. And I used age play to hide from my problems. I made poor choices, and it bit me in the ass. You’re not to blame.”

I wince. “Lacy, you did not make poor choices. All you did was honor your instincts. You learned something about yourself you hadn’t known and acted on it in good faith. You’re Little. Deep inside, you know that. I’m so damn proud of you for tapping into it and letting yourself be true to yourself. You can’t let those assholes steal your power. We’re going to fight them, and we’re going to win.”

She shakes her head. “No. We’re not. We’ll never win against them. They will fucking chase me to the ends of the earth to get what they want. I should’ve just gone home and faced them in the first place, and none of this would’ve happened.”

I frown. “That would have been detrimental to you, Lacy. You did the right thing. You ignored them and held your ground.”

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