Total pages in book: 50
Estimated words: 47521 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 238(@200wpm)___ 190(@250wpm)___ 158(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47521 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 238(@200wpm)___ 190(@250wpm)___ 158(@300wpm)
Baker gives me a penetrating look and grabs my hand. ‘You know I’m not sick of you.”
I grin, but it doesn’t quite meet my eyes. Even though we’ve been together for a week, we haven’t really talked about anything too personal, and it’s driving me crazy. There are so many things I want to get off my chest. “And you have probably another month before you get released for light duty.”
He shrugs because he doesn’t want to argue. He’s already tried to tell me that he’s going back to work next week. I ignore his shrug. “A month. I have talked to Ryan and Brook. They’re both coming at different times to check on you and make sure everything is okay. I’ll be here after school, but if you need anything, just call me and I’ll come.”
He’s sitting on the couch, watching me move around. I’m just trying to stay busy because I'm feeling antsy. “Stop,” he says and holds his hand out. “Come here and talk to me.”
But I don’t take it. I stack some magazines on the coffee table and act as if I have to clean up when almost every corner of his house is immaculate.
His hand drops. “Brook said that Walker has an apartment that opened up.”
I nod and avoid looking at him. “Yeah, I’m going to go look at it this week. It’s time for me to move out. After talking to your dad this week, I don’t think he and Mom are doing well. But I don’t blame him. I think the fact she didn’t come to the hospital was the breaking point for him.” I lift my eyes to Baker, embarrassed about how my mom is behaving. “I tried talking to her the other day and told her she was messing up. You can imagine how she took it. Anyway, I think your dad is better off. He deserves a woman that loves him more than anything.”
“Cassie,” he says.
I finally turn around and look at him. “Yeah? You need something?”
He nods. “Yeah, I need you to come over here and sit down and talk to me.”
I walk over and sit on the couch. “Have you liked staying here this week with me?”
I draw patterns into the seat cushion between us. “You know I have.”
He sighs in frustration. “I don’t know because any time I try to talk to you, you change the subject.”
Ashamed, I lower my head. I’ve tried to soak this whole week in. Every bit of it I’ve tried to commit to memory because I’m afraid at any point he’s going to tell me to leave. “Do you remember what happened between me and you before everything?”
“There’s nothing wrong with my memory. You mean the ‘pause’?”
I shudder, remembering the fight we had. The way he looked when he thought I was telling him he wasn’t worth it. And the whole time, I was scared. I need to come clean because I’ll regret it if I don’t. “I was scared, Baker. I thought you would leave me anyway. I didn’t want to hurt you or come between you and your dad.”
His gaze bores into me. “And so what? You’re taking care of me because I’m your stepbrother? Is that it?”
“No. Of course not.”
“Then why?” he challenges.
Looking at him, I know I need to be brave. I move closer to him, and he reaches for my hand. His touch gives me the confidence to say what I need to say. “I’m going to tell you something, and I want you to know that you don’t have to say anything. I just need to let you know.”
He tenses and looks at me apprehensively, but I continue. “I love you, Baker. I know I said that we shouldn’t do this and nothing could come of us, but I fell for you. Every day of these last few weeks you’ve shown me how it feels to be loved, cherished, and taken care of. I don’t want to lose what we have and—”
His voice is husky as he cuts me off. “You love me?”
I bring my hand up and cup his jaw. “How could I not, Baker? You’re the one that showed me what love is.”
He brings his forehead to mine, and I can hear the emotion in his voice. “Fuck, I love you. I love you so much.”
I gasp, and he pulls back to look at me with his soulful brown eyes. “How did you not know, Cass? From the moment I met you, I knew.”
He claims my lips and crushes me to him. I kiss him, putting every ounce of love I feel for him into it.
He groans, and I jerk back. “Your shoulder.”
His gaze is intense as he stares at me. “Not my shoulder. Woman, you’ve lain next to me in bed for a week, snuggled up to me, and I need you.”