Page 31 of Sinful Skulls
Someone knocks on the door.
Oh no!That’s too soon!
Chapter Twelve
Brody
Ipress my ear to the wood. I can hear her whispering, but she’s not answering. I send her a text.
Me: Daisy, baby, open the door. It’s me.
It sounds like she moves farther away from the door. I can still hear her, but it’s quieter.
It takes everything in me not to kick the fucking thing down. I’ll just have to go to the lobby and see if I can sweet talk the lady at the desk into letting me in.
A few minutes later, I’m sliding a key card into the slot. I open the door slowly. “Daisy, it’s me … Brody.”
My heart slows as I take in the scene around me. The room is a mess, and she’s curled in on herself in the corner.
“Daisy, it’s just me,” I say as I approach her cautiously. “You invited me here, remember?”
Her whispering stops and her chin rises, her eyes meeting mine.
Shit, she’s manic.
“You didn’t forget about me, did you?”
The way her bottom lip begins to tremble breaks my heart. I drop to my knees in front of her. “Tell me what happened.”
Tears begin to run down her cheeks. “I’m so tired.” A loud sob escapes her, but she continues, “I can’t sleep.”
My gaze runs over her. She’s exhausted. I don’t need her to waste energy explaining why. That will come later. Right now, I just need to end her suffering. “Will you let me help you?”
She nods, wiping her eyes.
I walk around her space, picking up all the trash and straightening up. Then, I start the shower. Her eyes follow me around the room. I lay her pajamas on the bed. “Come on, let’s shower.”
Her blank stare has me wondering if she heard me. I’m about to speak again when she stands and steps toward me. I reach for her hand as soon as she’s close. “The warm water will help,” I tell her.
She lets me undress her. Before I remove my clothes, I ask her if she’s okay with that.
A tiny smile forms on her face, and she gives me a slight nod. My heart rejoices, because it’s the first glimpse of the girl I said goodbye to at the airport just a few short weeks ago.
I hug her after we finish cleaning ourselves. She melts into me, letting me hold most of her weight. When I begin to hum a little tune, she hugs me tighter.
Once I’m sure she’s relaxed, I shut the water off and help her get dressed.
“Are you hungry?” I ask as I make her a cup of tea.
“No,” she answers quietly, watching me from the middle of the bed.
I walk over and hand it to her. “Be careful. It’s hot.”
She pulls it to her chest with both hands. “Thank you.”
I turn the lights down and crack the bathroom door open. It leaves just enough light to see around the room.
When she’s finished with the tea, I lie down beside her. “Come here.” I open my arms, and without hesitation she lowers herself beside me, resting her head on my chest. The second my arms are around her, she sighs.
