Page 6 of Messy AF
The dizziness slammed into me instantly, toppling me back onto the sofa. Perched on the edge of the cushions, I squeezedmy eyes closed and hunched forward, dropping my face into my hands. My stomach rolled uncomfortably, forcing me to take low, deep breaths while I waited for the world to stop spinning.
With my eyes closed, I didn’t see Warren approach, nor had I heard him. Honestly, the guy moved like a freaking ghost. I sensed him, though, like a steadying presence, right before strong hands came to rest on my shoulders.
He didn’t say anything as he guided me upright, then into a slightly reclined position. His large hand settled on my chest, right over my sternum, a solid, comforting weight that both grounded and reassured.
We sat that way for a few minutes until the dizziness subsided and the nausea passed, but I didn’t try to sit up or move right away. Instead, I rolled my head and blinked my eyes open with an embarrassed smile.
“Thank you.”
It had taken barely forty-eight hours for Warren to integrate himself into my life so seamlessly that it felt as if he had always been there.
Not forcibly. Not aggressively.
He had simply come in and filled a space I hadn’t even realized existed.
I had worried it would be weird, or that I would regret inviting a stranger into my space. Warren made it easy, though. Natural. A constant fixture in my days that had quickly become a comfort rather than an intrusion.
Quiet, calm, attentive without being suffocating, he always knew exactly what I needed. More importantly, he provided care in a way that always made me feel like I was doing him a favor rather than being a burden. Like I could make him happy just by letting him watch over me.
Of course, I still struggled with my limitations, and according to Warren, I still tried to do too much, like now.
“What happened?” he asked.
There was no heat behind his words, just gentle exasperation mixed with a thread of indulgence.
“I tried to stand up too fast.”
He carded his fingers through his thick blond hair and sighed. “Why didn’t you call for me?”
“I didn’t think about it,” I admitted.
Resting his head on the back of the sofa, his face only inches from mine, he arched an eyebrow in question. “Where did you want to go?”
“No idea.” I shrugged, a quiet chuckle puffing from my lips. “I was frustrated with work, and the next thing I knew, I was on my feet.”
He echoed my laughter, the sound warm and infectious.
I glanced away, cheeks flushing. “I guess I just thought moving would help.”
His gaze softened, his smoky gray eyes flashing with an emotion gone too quickly for me to read. “I get that, but this isn’t something you can run away from.”
I rolled my eyes, but the weight in my chest eased a fraction. “I wasn’t running away. I’m just used to doing things on my own.”
“Trust me, I know, but asking for help doesn’t make you weak. That’s why I’m here, remember?” He winged his leg to the side, nudging my knee with his. “Besides, I like being needed.”
His words hung between us, bold and unhurried, as if he had all the time in the world to wait for me to believe them.
My throat tightened, thick with emotion. Unable to form a response, I offered a smile and a shallow nod of understanding.
“You’re not too much,” he continued. “You’re not going to annoy me by asking for something that makes things easier for you. So, let me help you, okay?”
I released a shaky breath and nodded again.
When I hired him, it had been based purely on practicality, and I hadn’t actually believed I would get used to someone taking care of me. Certainly not this quickly.
Yet, for reasons I couldn’t explain, I trusted the vampire. Even more confusing, I found myself wanting to make him happy, wanting him to like me.
Piece by piece, he had been dismantling the walls I had built around myself without me even realizing it. He made it feel okay to be vulnerable, proving with actions instead of words that I could rely on him.
