Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 61190 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 306(@200wpm)___ 245(@250wpm)___ 204(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61190 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 306(@200wpm)___ 245(@250wpm)___ 204(@300wpm)
The last thing I wanted was for her to act happy only to please me.
“I love you,” she told me. “I’m just tired.”
If we hadn’t gone through what we did with the guys, I would’ve accepted that as a good answer because we had a hell of a time in Vlasica. We saved lives, fought intense battles, and solved daunting problems. But something told me that she wasn’t just tired.
“Are you sure? Do you want to talk?” I asked, my eyes shifting between her and the road as we neared our street.
Brianna reached out and gave my hand a squeeze.
“I’m okay,” she replied before turning up the radio’s volume, classic rock music filling the car.
Somehow, it still felt so quiet in here because she didn’t feel like talking. As much as I watched to push and pry into her brain to figure out why she looked so lost, I decided against it. She would only push away more.
She had to come to me.
When we got home, she went right to the bathroom to take a shower, leaving me alone in the bedroom with a heavy feeling in my chest.
Home didn’t really feel like home. All I could think about was all the fun times we had in that cottage with the guys and how we all came together like we had lived like that for years.
Now, she seemed to feel so alone, and there wasn’t any brightness in her smile. I wanted to fix that, but I just didn’t know how. Never had I ever felt so useless, and it was the worst feeling in the world.
“Brianna! Are you up?” I called out as I ventured toward the bedroom. I checked the time on my tactical watch, frowning when I saw that it was close to noon. This was the seventh day in a row that she had stayed in bed so late, which wasn’t normal for her at all. She was typically a morning person.
Brianna groaned when I walked into the bedroom and opened the blinds to let the sunlight in. Her hair was slightly matted in the back from lying down for so long, and her eyes were half-lidded.
“I wanted to sleep a little more,” she murmured.
I sighed and sat on the edge of the bed next to her, my heart hurting. I wasn’t used to seeing her so down for so long. Sure, she had her moments of doubt and sadness like we all did, but this was different. It took over her whole being, making her a shell of the happy, pleased woman that I was with in the cottage with the guys.
“Let’s go get something to eat. How about that breakfast place you like? I’m sure they’re still serving at this time,” I suggested as I gave her thigh a little nudge, hoping that I could get her to perk up at least.
Brianna wrinkled her nose and shook her head. She turned onto her side, putting her back to me.
“No, thank you. I’m not hungry,” she said as she stared ahead, the sheets swallowing her body.
I frowned and rubbed her back. She hadn’t been eating much lately. Hell, she hadn’t been doing much of anything lately. It was like she couldn’t find the strength or willpower to even be herself, and I barely recognized the somber, still person in our bed.
“I’m worried about you,” I told her. “Are you sick?”
Brianna sighed and turned to face me, a frown lining her lips.
“I just have a lot on my mind. I’m sorry,” she said.
I leaned closer to her, my hand caressing her cheek. I could see the sadness in her eyes. The conflict. Just having a lot on her mind was an understatement, but I tried not to push. The last thing I wanted was for her to draw away even more than what she had already been doing since we got back.
“Do you want to talk about anything? You know that I’m here for you,” I told her.
Brianna offered me a faint smile and placed her hand over mine.
“Maybe not right now. I wouldn’t mind if you would just lie with me for a while, though,” she said, some of the sadness fading into hope. She didn’t truly want to be alone, but she wasn’t ready to say what was on her mind.
Even if I could take a guess.
“Of course,” I replied before spooning her from behind and wrapping my arms around her. I pulled her against my chest, resting my forehead against the back of her head as she gradually relaxed. Despite having her wrapped up in my arms, I still felt a sense of distance between us.
It crushed me to know that she was suffering so much and trying to heal on her own. All I wanted was for her to open up to me and let me help her. But I feared that this wedge that had been driven between us wasn’t going anywhere any time soon.