Page 41 of Stripped

The words comforted me, even as I heard the doubt and fear in them. I heaved until I was puking up last night's pizza and then I kept heaving, empty, dry heaves that made my throat hurt and my stomach twist. “It's all out,” he said, still rubbing my back. “It's okay, baby. You got it all out. You can stop now. Please, baby, you can stop now.”

He spoke in a low, soothing voice and I listened to his words like they were from a deity, a promise I could believe in. I needed something to believe in, because I had no freaking clue which way was up or what the heck was going on. Sobs wracked my body as I heaved. My body and my emotions were going absolutely haywire. I sucked in deep breaths of air between heaves and, slowly, my stomach stilled and my tears subsided. My body stopped trying to throw up my internal organs and I fell back against Zane, exhausted.

He lifted me in his arms and pressed a kiss to my forehead. He laid me down in the bed and tucked me in. When he started to walk away, I grabbed his wrist, my eyes only half open, barely having the energy to speak. “Don't leave me.”

“Water, babe,” he said. “I'm just getting you water.”

Letting him go, I closed my eyes. My whole body hurt and my head was screaming with pain. Zane didn't just leave to get me water, I heard him talking to someone, probably on his phone, but I was too tired to open my eyes and look. Then he was back. He lifted me to a sitting position and placed a bottle to my lips. He tilted it and I drank, suddenly desperate with thirst.

“Not too much,” he said, pulling the bottle away. “Lay back, now, and go to sleep.”

He climbed into the bed behind me, wrapped his arms around me and whispered over and over, “I've got you, baby. They won't touch you again. I've got you. I've got you.”

I fell asleep to the rhythm of his promise. It felt so good in his arms, I felt safe, truly safe, which was crazy considering what had happened. Too tired to grapple with those thoughts, I groaned, wishing for the oblivion of sleep. Zane rubbed my stomach in a warm circular motion. “I've got you. I've got you. I've got you.” I leaned into him, and I let myself fall.

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