Page 70 of Little Sunshine

Fine.

Completely normal.

I burst into tears.

“Are you in pain? What’s wrong? Where does it hurt?”

At the panic in Ash’s voice, I started crying harder as I forced out, “It doesn’t hurt.”

That was a lie.

Such a huge lie.

“Shit,” Ash bit out softly, climbing fully onto the bed before pulling me to him. He didn’t speak as he palmed the back of my head and held my face to his chest.

Or maybe he did, and I just couldn’t hear him over my loud sobs.

Once they turned to hiccuping whimpers, he ordered, “Tell me what happened, sunshine.”

“My mother happened.”

He paused for a second. “Did she call you?”

I scoffed. “Yeah, right. My phone is broken, but even if it wasn’t...” More tears poured down my face. “I think she set me up to get jumped.”

“You think your own fucking mother did this shit?” His whole body went rigid, but I was too exhausted and emotionally raw to keep my walls up.

They could be down around Ash.

Just for a few minutes.

“It wouldn’t be the worst she’s done,” I said. “She’s the one who chose that location. I was only there so she could pay me back when?—”

“For what?”

“Huh?”

“Why was she paying you back?”

“She stole my paycheck and my savings. I usually let it go, but I need that money since she also got me fired. I threatened her, and this”—I gestured down to myself—“was her version of payback.”

“I don’t even know which what the fuck to start with, baby.”

I’d have laughed had it not been for the fresh wave of tears that started at his soothing tone. It made the echoes of my mother’s laughter grow louder in my head.

Taunting me.

A little kindness and attention are enough to make you unravel?

Pathetic.

Ash didn’t seem to share the same sentiment. He gathered me closer so my front was pressed to his side as tight as it could be at our awkward angle. One hand still palmed the back of my head while his other stroked down my spine. His heartbeat thumped in my ear, chasing away my inner demons and leaving me drained.

I must’ve dozed off because the next thing I remembered was him shifting me off his chest.

Before I could stop myself, I clutched him tighter.

I blamed being partially asleep, but the truth was, I would’ve done the same thing if I was wide awake. And not because I didn’t want to be alone. That was technically true, but I didn’t want just anyone there.

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