“The silent treatment.” I purse my lips. “Way to make a girl feel special.”
Rafael finally swivels his head to stare directly at me, and the intensity in his eyes nearly takes my breath away. A boulder wedges itself in my throat.
“What do you want me to say, little bird?” His voice is low and raspy, scraping across my skin in a way that’s almost painful. It sounds as if he doesn’t speak often, which makes me hold on to each word he says like the gift I believe it is. “That I’m hard as fuck thinking about those sexy moans you made? That I can’t help but imagine how tight your pussy would be as I fuck you? That when I close my eyes, all I can see is your perfect body and tight nipples and wet cunt?”
A pulsing ache erupts in my center.
Did I whimper? I think I whimpered.
Fuck.
“You’re really bad at giving the silent treatment,” I whisper, moving towards the makeshift bed on the floor.
He smirks and returns his attention to the television. “Go to sleep.”
It’s an order.
“Sir, yes, sir.” I offer him a mocking salute, then I plop on the floor.
Rafe’s eyes narrow. “What are you doing?”
“Going to sleep.” I give him a “duh” look and then fluff the pillow behind me.
“You sleep on the bed.” Anger flavors his words.
“Everett is already cranky. Can you imagine how evil he’ll be if he doesn’t get his beauty rest?” I snort and then shake my head. “Not happening. Not on my watch. I’ll be fine here. Besides, I don’t even know if I’ll be able to sleep.”
I fall onto my back and rest my hands on my chest. The floor is uncomfortable but not too horrible with the blankets beneath me to soften it.
Silence stretches between the two of us, broken only by the quiet television.
I break it first.
“I really don’t want to fade away again.” It’s a whispered confession, tugged from deep in my chest. A blistering burn crawls up my throat and crowds my eyes. “Now that I know what it’s like to be alive…I can’t go back to the way things were. Ican’t.”
“That won’t happen,” Rafe vows solemnly.
“You can’t promise me that.” I turn on the makeshift bed until I’m lying on my side, my hands under my cheek. “No one can.”
“I will.” With my back to him, I can’t see his expression, but I can feel his gaze on my flesh, white-hot and burning, eliciting shocks of skittish sensation.
The intensity of his promise brings unexpected tears to my eyes.
I’ve been alive for…well, it feels like forever.
No one has ever promised to take care of me before.
Do I expect Rafe to uphold his promise? Not at all. He barely knows me.
But it’s nice to know he cares enough—at least right now—to make a vow in the first place.
“You guys never gave me popcorn,” I murmur drowsily.
Rafe chuckles darkly. “Later, my little bird.”
And then I do something I’ve never done before.
I sleep.
