Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 38439 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38439 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
“It’s gonna be OK, baby.” The male voice was calm. Almost tender. He sounded familiar, but my mind wouldn’t go there. A hand pulled my hair back and held it carefully out of the way while I vomited one last time. Somewhere close I heard the high-pitched whine of a dog. The toilet flushed, and a damp cloth was wiped gently over my face as I was urged away from the commode to sit back. I thought I was in someone’s arms, but I wasn’t sure. My vision was blurred with tears, and I was too overwhelmed to really care. “Let it out if you need to. I’m here and I ain’t goin’ nowhere.”
“I j-just w-wanna go h-home.” I continued to cry. Grieve.
“Tell me where that is and I’ll get you there.”
I shook my head. “She’s gone. I c-can’t get b-back.” Voicing Mrs. Wagner’s death out loud, no matter how reserved the form, brought a fresh flood of sharp grief. Before her, I’d never had anyone to lose. The time I’d spent with her had been the happiest of my life. I helped with her care. I talked with her endlessly. We shared stories. She’d actually cared about me. At least I’d thought she had. What if all that had been one more way someone had manipulated me? What if the one person in the whole world I’d grown to love hadn’t loved me back?
“We’ll figure this out, honey. Just breathe for me. Let it out if you need to, but I need you to breathe.”
On some level, I knew he was right. I wasn’t breathing like I needed to because of the great sobs racking my body. All the grief I’d tried so hard to suppress crashed down on me, and there was no way to escape it.
I took a big gulp of air, letting it out in a wail of grief. I had no idea how long I sat there, but the arms around me never let go. The soft words of promise never stopped. Occasionally, the man would wipe my face gently before wrapping me up tightly in his arms again.
When the storm had finally passed, I took a tentative peek up at my comforter.
Warlock…
With a gasp, I tried to pull away. He frowned down at me and growled, tightening his grip.
“Let me up.”
“No.”
He continued to hold me, rocking slightly. I wanted to protest. I really did. But the sensation was so foreign, so… welcomed, all I could do was sit there in his arms and soak it all up like a sponge.
As the time went by, he didn’t make a move to release me, and I didn’t dare move in case he took that as his cue to let me up. Like I’d told him to do. Because, now, I really didn’t want him to let me up. I trembled in his arms, tears still leaking from my eyes down my cheeks. Warlock was the last link I had to Mrs. Wagner. The only link I had to the one person I considered family.
As expected, Warlock finally shifted me to the floor beside him. Surprisingly, when he stood, he bent and scooped me up. Back into his arms.
“You don’t have to do this.” At least my voice was steady now. I was sure I looked a mess. A pretty crier I was not. “I can walk. Nothing wrong with my legs.”
“I know.” He continued to walk to the bed and sat, swinging his legs around so he sat with his back against the headboard, his booted feet hanging off the edge at the ankle, with me sitting sideways in his lap.
I expected him to say something, to break the spell weaving around us, but he didn’t. He sat there, me wrapped in his arms, his chin resting on top of my head.
At some point, I dozed off. When I woke to a darkened room, I was alone in the middle of the bed. A blanket was tucked securely around me and the bathroom light was on, the door left open a crack so I could see if I needed to get up.
I sat up, looking around with a sigh. It was expected, but more disappointing than I thought it would be. A big dog, the one I’d been playing with, lay next to me. He whined softly, scooting closer so he could lay his huge head in my lap and looked up at me with sad eyes.
“At least you’re still with me, buddy.” I rubbed his head. His tail thumped softly on the bed.
“Still here, girl.” Warlock shifted from his seat in a chair next to the bed. He was in the darkest corner of the room, which was why I hadn’t noticed him right away. He should have startled me but instead I felt a surge of relief. “Wasn’t gonna leave you alone after you bein’ so upset.”