Page 93 of What If I See You

My shoulders slump and I tilt my head, a hopeless feeling washing over me. “You know I do.”

“Then let me fucking carry your bags and help you wherever I can so you can heal, all right?” I stare at her wide-eyed and taken aback. She’s not usually this…demanding. “You don’t have to do all this on your own, Griffin. I know youcando it, but you don’t need to.” She gestures to my body. “I can’t fix bruised ribs and I can’t heal stitched wrists, but…” she blows her hair out of her face, “but I can do this. I can carry shit and move shit and get you more shit whenever you ask for it, okay? I can do this. Please let me.” Her gaze is pleading now and I suddenly feel bad for making her feel like I don’t want her around.

We step onto the elevator and she punches the button for my floor.

“I’m sorry,” I tell her, cupping her cheek. “I’m sorry, Layken. I didn’t mean to be a dick.”

“You’re not a dick.” She gives me a sympathetic smile. “And you’re allowed to be grumpy. You took a beating out there today. If it had happened to me, I’d be a sad sack of potatoes right now and all I’d want to do is bitch and sleep.”

I grunt a silent laugh but even that hurts. “Sounds about right.”

“Just remember that I’m here to help you because I care about you, okay? Please don’t push me away just because you’re grumpy and hurting. I can’t fix you, but I can help you.” Her imploring eyes melt me and I give her the tiniest of nods. “Okay. Thank you.”

She folds her hand over mine as the doors close. “You’re welcome.”

We ride the elevator in silence and I mull over my thoughts until the bell dings for my floor.. I unlock my apartment door and hold it open wide enough for Layken to carry everything in. She drops my gym bag on the floor.

“I’ll wash all that tomorrow,” she reports.

“Okay.”

She drops her backpack on the couch and then grabs our suitcases to deliver to our respective rooms.

“Will you stay with me?” The question comes out of my mouth like a worried little child when she returns to the living room. A tingling feeling shoots through my chest that has nothing to do with my bruised ribs.

She cocks her head at my question, her brows furrowed. “Did you think I was going to leave you here alone?”

I shake my head. “I meant will you stay with me, in my room? Will you sleep in my bed?”

“Oh.” Her brows arched now, she considers my request. “Is that what you want?”

I pull her into my chest and she steps into me, tenderly wrapping her arms around me careful not to apply too much pressure. “Yeah, Naughty. It’s what I want. As far as I’m concerned, I don’t want you to sleep anywhere else but with me ever again.” I smooth my hand down her hair and kiss the top of her head.

“I’ll go wherever you want me to go.”

“I don’t want to fall asleep without you,” I tell her.

Something about having her near makes me feel calm.

Wanted.

Loved.

“Okay. Then I’ll stay with you. Are you ready for bed now?”

I nod. “Actually yeah. I’m exhausted. Not sure how comfortable it’ll be but…”

She brings her hands to my chest. “Well, let me get you a few pain relievers and some water first and then we can figure it out together.”

Tipping her chin with my finger, I gaze down at the woman who is singlehandedly changing my life and press my lips to hers, my thumb tracing the edge of her jaw, my hand resting on the column of her throat.

“Thank you, Layken.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

LAYKEN

When I brought my body pillow into Griffin’s room last night for him to use so he could comfortably sleep on one side, I didn’t consider the fact he would deposit it on the floor and simply wrap himself around me instead.

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