Page 109 of Off Limits

Sometime later, I wake up to Lochlyn carefully climbing over me. I watch silently as he quietly puts things away, throws away garbage, and puts my book back on the shelf with the others. He turns off the lights, climbing back over me and sliding under the covers. Knowing Chelsea likes to sleep with the TV on, he turns the volume down before putting the remote on my desk.

He wraps his arm around me and pulls me tight against him. “Good night, baby girl. I love you,” he whispers against my hair.

“I love you too.” He places the tiniest kiss behind my ear as I fall back to sleep.

The next morning, Chelsea had gone out early, bringing back muffins and coffees. But I can’t really eat.

“Shay, are you sure? You should eat something.”

“Chels, let it go.” Lochlyn understands. It’s just another one of the many things he knows that Chelsea doesn’t. And something I told him well before we got together.

Lochlyn places his hand on my lower back, and that’s all it takes for me to fall apart. He doesn’t hesitate to pull me against him, leaning back into the pillows he’s built up in the corner, anticipating my needs.

My hands twist in his shirt as I sob against him. His arms wrap around me, chin resting next to my forehead. The bed dips as Chelsea climbs up on the bed behind me and slides against my back, wrapping her arm around me to rest against my stomach. I reach one hand down to hold hers.

I sit there, bawling over the loss of my dad, for the first time since he died, surrounded by the two people I love and need most in the world.

Chapter 21

Afterthetearsstopflowing and my breathing returns to normal, I sit up. Chelsea and Lochlyn are both still wrapped around me. When the tears were at their strongest, it felt like they were holding me together.

I take a long, deep breath, filling my lungs, and wipe at my face, feeling the dried saltiness, tasting it at the corners of my mouth.

“Chelsea, you should go to class. Both of you. I’m fine. I don’t want you to miss classes because of me.”

“I’m not going anywhere. Don’t argue.” Lochlyn’s voice is low and firm. I know there’s no way to convince him to leave, which is good because I don’t actually want him to.

“I’m happy to stay, too.”

“No, it’s okay. You’ve already missed one class today. You need to go. I’ll be fine. Loch’s here.”

“Are you sure?”

“I am. I’m really thankful you were here this morning, though. But please, go to class.” Not only do I worry about her academic stability, but she wouldn’t let me be if she were here. She’d constantly check in, offer things to do, and I just want peace today.

She looks at me for a minute, trying to read me, before looking over at Lochlyn. He nods slightly. “She’ll be fine, Chels.”

“If you change your mind, just text me and I’ll come right back.”

“I will.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.” Sure, I promise to message herifI change my mind. Which won’t be happening. Lochlyn is all I need.

She points her finger at Lochlyn. “You take care of her.”

He scowls at her but replies nicely. “I will.”

Before whisking out the door, she pulls me into a hug. “I love you, Shay.”

“I love you too, Chels. Now go, before you’re late.”

Once she’s out the door, I let out a sigh, hanging my head over my lap.

Lochlyn runs a finger down my neck, causing me to look at him. “How are you?” He always asks the loaded questions.

“I’m…okay.” It takes me a moment to take an inventory of my body, of my mind, to be able to answer him honestly.

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