After making Vi a new sandwich and writing her a note just in case she woke up while I was gone, I headed to her place and picked up her things. The bitch hadn’t been lying.
Violet owned three boxes.
The Rubbermaid kind my mom used to store Christmas decorations in.Three.I hadn’t believed it and made her roommate show me her old room. The walls in that space were cleaner, the old wood floor shined like it didn’t in the rest of the place when I’d walked through, and I knew it wasn’t because the bitch had decided to sweep and mop for her new tenant.
Three bins.
I shook my head as I put my truck inParkand stared at my house. Every minute that ticked by, I had a hundred more questions I wanted to ask my girl. The first was what she had been through in her life that could have led her to not having one person she could call after a crappy day.Where was her family? Why’d she agree to live with that horrible woman? Did she have anyone? And what had she been through that she felt the need to keep her life nice and tidy in three bins?
Those and about a million more would be answered eventually. I grabbed her things and walked in, surprised she was still sleeping soundly on the couch. I set the bins down gently, cautious of not making a noise, but the moment I shut and locked the front door, I heard her shift on the couch. When I glanced over my shoulder, she was staring at me.
“Hey, princess.” I smiled, hoping like hell she wouldn’t flip out I’d gone to get her things.
“Hi.” She smiled shyly. Her hands stroked the blanket on her lap as she sat up slowly. “Those pain pills are no joke. I must have fallen asleep.”
“Yeah, baby, you knocked out.” I hung my keys, and her head tilted.
“Did you have to go somewhere or—“ Her gaze caught the bins in the corner of the room. “Are those… are those my things?” It was obvious she was trying to school her features.
“Your roommate called while you were sleeping,” I shared as gently as I could. Her shoulders dropped and her lips thinned.
“Of course, she did.” Vi shut her eyes. I could tell she was embarrassed. When she opened them, they locked with mine. Fuck, I could look into those eyes for the rest of my life. Who the fuck was I kidding? Iwouldlook into them for the rest of my life! “I am so sorry, Logan. Did she demand you go get my things?”
“No.” I shook my head. “I went to get them. I didn’t want her to do anything to them. I don’t know if you guys are friends or what, but that girl is a piece of work.”
“I know,” she sighed softly. “You regret having to take care of me yet? I mean, I bet you’re counting down the hours until I can leave.” Her lips wobbled and her words broke my heart.
“Not in the least,” I answered honestly and that was the god’s honest truth. Picking up her things, as many or as little as they could be, and bringing them home to where I planned on keeping her just hurried things along.
“You’re sweet,” she whispered, and when she tried to stand, I hurried over to help her. “I can stand on my own,” she mumbled but didn’t move.
“I know,” I muttered before I picked her up like a groom would his bride, careful of not jostling her bruised body. “But with me around, you don’t have to.”
“Until you kick me out, too?” By the surprised look on her face, I knew she hadn’t meant to say the words out loud. Fuck, she was breaking my heart while putting it to work for the first time in my life.
“That’s not going to happen, princess,” I vowed. I might not know what her life had been like, but it was obvious that it hadn’t been good.
“Logan, you should know…” She swallowed hard, and something in her gaze caused me to hold my body still. Afraid I’d blink and that would somehow scare her away. “People don’t really stick around in my life.”
“Until now,” I promised without hesitating.
“You can’t say?—“
“What did I tell you earlier?”
“Lo—“
“Shh… let’s get you fed, and then how about we lie down on my bed and watch a movie?”
“Your bed? You’re incorrigible.”
“Whoa! That’s a big SAT word. I’m just a cop, Vi. Take it easy on me.” I leaned forward, and she froze. She might not have known what she was doing, but her facial expressions softened, and her eyes fluttered shut as her lips parted for me. The temptation to kiss her again was immeasurable.
But I didn’t.
I wanted to. Fuck, did I ever, but something held me back. When I kissed her again, I wanted it to be special. Memorable. Because it would be the official start of the two of us. Not to mention, I didn’t want her in pain when I did it. Instead, my head dipped down and kissed the top of her head.
“Let’s get you fed,” I hoarsely whispered and watched her. With her eyes still shut, she nodded before leaning her head against my shoulder, cuddling into my embrace.
