Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 66962 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66962 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
He helped me back to the bed, and I collapsed as soon as my legs touched the mattress.
Carlo laid a hand on my arm. “I’ll be right back.”
He brought a cool washcloth and bathed my face and neck, then he crawled into bed beside me. I was already mostly asleep, but I tried to protest. “You don’t have to do this.”
“Will it help if someone holds you?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t… No one has been in my bed since I… since…”
He lay down next to me, not waiting for an answer. “You don’t have to explain, but did you forget I’ve been in your bed?”
I was never going to forget that. I settled against him, laying my head on his chest.
Could Carlo keep the dreams away? I thought he probably could.
18
CARLO
I gazed down at Blade. He’d finally let go of the tension he was holding and surrendered. It felt so good to have his weight against me. It made me feel like I could truly help him. I knew he’d dealt with something horrible, but seeing him struggle in his dream, seeing the haunted look on his face when he woke up, feeling his desperation when he knocked me away made me realize how bad it had truly been.
I wasn’t going to leave him, even if he tried to send me back to the main house. I was going to insist on staying at his cabin. He’d had enough time alone.
His eyes fluttered open, and he met my gaze. “You shouldn’t be this close to me. You’ll get sick.”
“I took Nonna’s remedy too.” I’d even snuck away while Blade slept soundly and given some to everyone else. I was determined this flu wasn’t going to spread any farther.
He smiled. I thought he was going to say something more, but his eyes closed and soon his breathing had evened out. It was far less labored than it had been earlier.
I stayed awake watching him and enjoying the feel of his body against mine for a long time before I finally fell asleep.
I woke around dawn when Blade stirred. He rolled over onto his back and scrunched up his nose.
“I smell horrible. How can you stand to be in bed with me?”
So much for a romantic moment when we woke up together for the first time.
“You needed me, so I’m here.”
“I need a shower.”
“Will you be able to stay on your feet that long?”
“I’ll find a way.”
“You don’t have to be a superhero.”
He shook his head. “Trust me. I’m not.”
“I think you were, and you got battered, but that doesn’t mean that isn’t who you are, a strong, capable man.”
“I… Please don’t.”
I dropped it. Blade wasn’t going to suddenly get over what he was going through because I was nice to him. He needed a lot more than that, but I was going to figure out how to get him the assistance he needed, even if I had to work with Grumpy Grant to do it.
I could tell his fever was down. His body felt much cooler, and he’d continued to sweat during the night. I had to admit he was right; he didn’t smell good at all and neither did I.
“I could join you in the shower. I need one too.”
I thought he’d tell me to wait my turn, but he reached out and touched the tender spot on my jaw. “I’m so sorry. You should have iced it last night.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re spending all this time trying to make me better. You need to take care of yourself.”
“Trust me. Everyone in my family would tell you that’s the first thing I do.”
“They’re wrong.” He said it with such conviction.
“You hardly know me.”
“Is that really true?”
I thought about it. In some ways, he knew me better than anyone, even though we had spent less than a total of two days together.
I wanted to tell him my secrets so he could know the real me, but that wasn’t possible. I’d sworn to my mother I wouldn’t let anyone know the truth.”
Of course, when I asked for help to escape, she’d put me off, and she still hadn’t answered my texts from yesterday, but there had to be a good reason for that.
Blade can keep a secret.
I opened my mouth, but the confession wouldn’t come.
Blade frowned. “What is it?”
I shook my head. “Nothing. Go on and shower.”
“Alone?”
“That’s… probably best.”
He frowned, and I wondered if he was going to argue, but he didn’t.
I walked to the bathroom with him. He was better, but I knew he was still weak.
“I’ll be right here,” I said and closed the door. If I watched him undress, I might do something foolish.
I worried as minutes passed, praying he wouldn’t fall. I called to him asking him if he was all right. He started coughing, and I stepped in.
“I’m fine,” he said, but his coughing fit continued.