Page 132 of Love Bleeds Red
“Closer is okay,” I say softly.
I hear him step forward, then feel his presence behind me. Not touching, but near enough that I can feel his warmth, his comfort.
“Who?” he asks.
I swallow hard. “Sir.”
“I hate that he’s still in your head,” Leon says with barely contained rage. “I hate that I accidentally put him there.”
“He’s always there. They all are,” I admit, leaning my forehead against the rough bark of the tree. The scratchy feeling is somehow grounding me. “Some days are better than others, but he’s always there.”
“What can I do? How can I help?”
I turn around to face him, and his expression kills me. He looks devastated, like he’s personally responsible for every moment of pain I’ve ever felt.
“Just... don’t disappear on me,” I say. “When stuff like this happens, don’t treat me like I’m broken. I just need a minute to remember where I am, who I’m with.”
He nods, inching closer. “I’m not going anywhere. Take all the time you need.”
We stand there in the quiet of the forest, breathing together. Little by little, the tightness in my chest starts to ease. Leon’s comforting presence, the smell of pine needles, the sound of Jasper and Falin’s distant laughter—it all helps ground me back in the present.
“Feeling better?” Leon asks.
“Getting there.” I manage a small smile. “Thank you for not making it weird.”
“Thank you for trusting me with your feelings.” He offers me his hand, and I take it, letting him guide me away from the tree. “You constantly amaze me, you know?”
I stop and look up at him. “In what way?”
“How well you’re handling everything.” He takes a deep inhale, letting it out slowly. “You’re stronger than the rest of us, I’ll tell you that much.”
“My therapist would be proud,” I say with a humorless laugh.
“I’m proud,” he says. “So fucking proud.”
My pulse speeds up, and I squeeze his hand in response.
After a moment of silence, I clear my throat. “I guess we should find more kindling if we want a decent fire tonight. I refuse to put my trust completely in Jas.”
“Yes, ma’am. Put me to work,” he says in a mock salute voice. I raise a brow and shake my head. “Sorry,” he adds. “Was that okay to say?”
“That one’s fine. Ma’am makes me feel like a Southern belle or something though. Maybe refrain from using that one around my brother. I know he’ll torture me with it.”
He squeezes my hand back in agreement.
As we gather sticks together, I catch Leon glancing at me every few minutes, making sure I’m really okay. It’ll take some time to get used to again—the way he cares for me. But it might be exactly what I need.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
LEON
I watchBailey more than the fire in front of me. She tosses some more kindling onto the growing flames, intent on her task. It’s the small details in her body language that catch my eye—how her shoulders aren’t holding the tension they were in the woods earlier, how she’s smiling and laughing at Jasper’s dumb commentary. Seeing that she’s feeling more relaxed allows me to relax too.
I get up from the sunken-in camping chair to grab a beer from the cooler. “Anyone want one?”
“Nah, I’m good,” Jasper says. “But what do we have to eat? I’m getting hangry.”
I twist the cap off and toss it into the trash bag in the trunk, while peering at the stockpile I organized earlier. “Well, there’s?—”
