Page 224 of My Sweet Dollie, You Have to Love Me
Annabelle:
We need to get rid of him.
Not in a killer way.
In a regular, we want her to move on and be happy kinda way.
CHAPTER 53
Dollie—present day
Atrembling hand releases the catch on the downstairs bathroom door, and I close it behind me once Bubbles creeps in.Nothing has happened to cause upset. It was just a clearing out. Shane says it’s a good way to let go of the past. He doesn’t understand my attachment to all my things. That’s why I kept my tears in until I hid myself away down here. He’s still upstairs, dressing the bed in the new sheets I bought earlier with money he’d loaned me.
I’m officially out of money now.
And despite his pep talks, I’m also upset.
I’m hurt because I never protested to keep my stuff when that’s what I wanted to do.
Fear had kept me quiet.
He’s hurt me once…and there’s a niggling feeling that if I upset him, it could happen again.
It’s better to keep the peace.
Now, if only I could find peace.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood tall all the way across the landing hallway and are still on alert now.
I keep my palms flat to the wood for a moment. It’s a failed attempt at centering myself.
Heated steam from the recently used shower behind me kisses up the backs of my legs, and I spin around quickly.
Ambrose, who I had no idea was home, stands with a pink bath towel hanging low on his hips. Bubbles and her scratching paws almost pull it down. That’s why my eyes sink down his body, over lean muscles and new scratches.
It’s not his perfectly toned V I know I shouldn’t look at, with my mouth gaping open.
With a look of pure love, he takes in Bubbles’ perfect continental cut.
Shane honored his word, and she got her haircut this morning.
Maybe he’s right.
He always said I should be more thankful for the things he does to help.
He fades from my thoughts as I blink in Ambrose and our dog. With lots of ear scratches and face smooches, it’s clear he thinks she looks beautiful.
An excited tail wags back and forth with the fresh mud she’s just rolled through after having her late-night bathroom break.
Ambrose doesn’t shy away from it.
Despite the makeup, there’s an innocence to him right now as longer strands of hair fall into eyes that glance my way. I let my eyes enjoy the view until my brain catches up, then I spin back around in a whirl of pink hair, realizing what I’m doing.
Looking for comfort in the wrong place. A place I can never take it from.
I fight it, and it gets harder to do as heat rises around me, as Ambrose moves closer.
My cheeks flush, and I dip my eyes, shielding them with my fingers, even though I’m not facing him.
