Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 99949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
“Dolphins,” I murmured as a wave of exhaustion washed over me. I missed Lincoln’s warmth. The icy chills that had been racking my too-hot body all night returned with a vengeance. “Surfboard,” I mumbled. “Surfboard with a wave and dolphins.”
Lincoln let out some kind of sound that made his chest rumble. I pretended he was laughing. He probably had a great laugh. I was dimly aware of the fact that knowing that his chest had rumbled meant I’d probably sought out the comfort of his upper body once again.
“Theo,” I heard him say again, but I couldn’t tell if he was mad or sad or anything in between. I barely had enough sense to remember what he wanted from me.
“You,” I said tiredly and without any further hesitation. “I pick you,” I added even as the darkness of sleep began to claim me. As the pain began to fade away into nothingness, I tried to remind myself that I couldn’t put myself completely into Lincoln’s hands, but my traitorous mind focused on the only thing that finally seemed to be true for the first time in a very long time.
I’m okay.
Have you let His light shine through, Theodore?
Light and dark warred with one another as my brain tried to process the answer… the right answer. Before the word could leave my lips, pain ripped through my body like a thousand little knives were slicing open my skin.
“Goddamn it, Theo, open your eyes!”
The vicious swear along with hard fingers digging into my skin had me coming back to reality with such force that my stomach instantly rebelled and I began retching. My insides cramped painfully as the involuntary spasms continued.
“It’s okay, sweetheart. It’ll be over soon. I’ve got you.”
The endless dry heaving had tears streaming down my cheeks and by the time it was all over, I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, couldn’t feel. It was like my body was at war with itself and I could only watch from the sidelines.
“That’s it, deep breaths,” I heard that familiar voice say—the one that was already burned into my mind along with so many others. But this voice wasn’t impatient, disgusted, or disappointed.
It will be if he learns the truth…
“Lincoln,” I managed to choke out. There was no reason to say his name, but I needed to test my voice somehow and my fucked-up brain had apparently decided the man’s name was the way to do that.
“You’re okay. We’re okay,” came the response. It was accompanied by a deep, heavy breath that told me I was once again plastered against the man’s chest. He sounded as worn out as I felt.
Reality was a bitch as she slowly made herself known bit by achingly little bit. My arm burned like someone was pressing a hot poker against it and my stomach felt like it was going to keep trying to expel something that wasn’t there. I was so fucking dizzy that I couldn’t have moved even if I’d wanted to.
Lincoln was literally the only thing keeping me upright on the bed. Shame coursed through me as one fact after another began to hit me.
The bed I was in was his, not mine.
He was the one clothed now while my sweatshirt was gone.
The spittle that was clinging to his shirt was mine because I’d thrown up all over him.
I was in the gorgeous man’s bed, nearly naked, clinging to him like a frightened child, and he was covered in my puke.
What fresh hell was I in?
I was horrified to hear a ragged laugh leave my lips as I considered the fact that maybe Father Abbott had been right—maybe God had forsaken me, because surely if I was in His good graces, He would have saved me from showing nearly all my weaknesses to a virtual stranger in one fell swoop.
I wasn’t sure how long Lincoln held me against his chest—or maybe I was the one holding on to him, I didn’t really know—but when he gently forced me to sit back, I instantly missed his warmth.
Okay, and maybe his strength a little too.
I could feel his eyes on me but try as I might, I couldn’t meet them with my own like I knew I should. I was basically exposing my throat to the man; something he’d likely use to his advantage. How many times had I done that during the treatments meant to save my soul? How many times had I thanked the very man who’d stripped me of every dignity in his determination to cure me? How many times did I still thank him?
“Theo—”
White-hot anger had me jerking away from Lincoln when he tried to touch my cheek with his fingers. I didn’t miss the momentary flash of hurt in the man’s eyes before he hardened his expression.
“Stay here,” he said. The words were clearly a command but there was no hint of anger in the man’s voice. His body seemed completely at ease as he stood and disappeared into the bathroom.