Page 63 of Seven of Hearts

She let out a quiet laugh. “Not gonna lie, I’m probably going to need help getting to the bathroom. Or at least help standing up.”

I chuckled. “Tell me when you’re ready. I’m gonna go grab a washcloth.”

Leah lay still while I eased out of her. Something about seeing my cum spill out of her pussy made me feel like a caveman.

Leah Holloway wasmine.

I came back with a warm washcloth and gently wiped the mess I had made between her legs. Slowly, she sat up, pausing with her hand on her belly.

Fear flashed inside of me. “Are you okay? Is something wrong? Is the baby okay?”

Leah shook her head. “I’m fine. I just got a little lightheaded. It happens.”

I didn’t like that one bit.

“What do you need?”

She laughed. “Food. And a shower, probably.”

We divided and conquered. While Leah slipped into the bathroom for a quick rinse, I pulled on my boxers and threw the takeout I had ordered from Revanche into the microwave. It was a shame we hadn’t been able to eat our dinners the first time. It was an even bigger shame that Leah’s parents were dickheads, but that wasn’t a problem I was going to tackle tonight.

The one I had in mind was much, much bigger.

My overnight bag was still tossed on the floor where I had left it when I barged in. I was fine sleeping on the couch, even though I really wanted to sleep in her bed.

Hell, as long as she didn’t kick me out, I’d sleep on the floor.

“Something smells good,” Leah said as she padded into the kitchen, tying the sash of her robe over the top of her bump. The sides of the fabric parted ever so slightly, giving me a peek every time she took a step. Her skin was flushed pink from sex and the steam of her shower. Her hair was wet and piled in a bun on top of her head.

I handed her the first takeout container as I threw the second into the microwave. “Your pasta from earlier.”

She looked up with wide eyes. “But...we left. We didn’t box it up or anything.”

“I swung back by and ordered some to-go. It’s a shame this is the second dinner you haven’t gotten to eat because of your parents, and I saw how you looked at that pasta when they brought it out. Maddie even threw in a dessert for you.”

Tears flooded her eyes.

“Leah—”

She waved her hand and reached for a fork. “I’m not sad. I just cry over everything these days. Especially pasta.”

I caught her around the waist before she could dart off, and cupped her cheek. “You’re sure you’re okay?”

She tipped her head and kissed my palm. “Promise.” Leah surprised the hell out of me when she eased up on her tiptoes and pecked my lips.

I grabbed my food from the fridge and joined her on the couch.

“Can I ask you something?” Leah said after ten minutes of silent eating.

I scraped my fork across the bottom of the container. “What’s that?”

She set her plate aside. “Why did you come back?”

I opened my arms. To my surprise, Leah came willingly, climbing onto my lap. “After my parents got arrested, I started having panic attacks. When I was younger, it often resulted in some poor decision making. Through some observation and process of elimination, I found that they get triggered when I feel like a situation is out of control, and I go into a fight or flight response. Usually, I opt for flight. I’m not proud of it. It’s just the way that it is.”

“I mean, it makes sense,” she said. “You were so young when it happened. Everything changed for you so fast.”

I nodded. “I have a habit of trying to control everything now. If I don’t let something slip out of my grip, it can’t trigger that response.”

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