Page 37 of Dare To Live

“The closet, with the door ajar,” I admit quietly. “I tried under the bed, but I got claustrophobic because I couldn’t move and felt trapped.”

“Do you have nightmares a lot?”

“All the time.”

Another crashing boom of thunder explodes above our heads, and I swear the force of it shakes the walls of the cabin. I shriek, and crawl on top of Eli under the covers and tangle my limbs around him again. Something hard pokes into my thigh, but I’m too frightened to think about what it is.

“Arabella.” Eli’s groan is low and tortured.

“Don’t let me go.” I plead, digging my nails into his t-shirt. “Please, don’t leave me on my own.”

Chapter 22

Eli

Why the fuck did I bring her to my bedroom?

I should have taken her into the living room and sat her on the couch. In what fucking reality was putting her in my bed the best idea?

Another crash of thunder has her flattening herself on top of me with a scream.

Any second now and she’s going to feel my dick pressing into her thigh and lose her shit. But at least it’ll take her mind off the storm.

I press my hand against her spine, roll onto my side and try to put some distance between us. Her arms lock around my waist.

“Where are you going?” Her voice shakes.

“Nowhere. But honey, you need to relax your grip a little.” I reach back to loosen the death grip she has on the back of my shirt.

“No, you’re going to leave me here alone.”

“I’m not going to leave you.” I clamp my jaw closed before I follow that up with pointing out that she was the one who’d left me. This isn’t the time.

Instead, I smooth my palm up and down her spine. “Do you remember when your mom forced us to spend the day together? We ended up staying in a hotel for the night.”

She nods against my chest.

“You smoked your first joint. You remember that?”

Another nod.

“I need you to let go of me for a second. I promise, I’m not going anywhere, I just need to move.”

“You promise you’re not going to leave me?”

I dip my head and press my lips to her hair. “I swear. I’m not going anywhere.”

Her arms relax, and I turn until my back is to her and stretch out a hand to pull open the drawer on my nightstand. The thunderstorm is still crashing overhead, and as I rummage in the drawer, Arabella scoots forward and plasters herself to my back. I can’t help the laugh which escapes me. Patting the hand clutching at the shirt over my stomach, I finally find the small box I’m searching for and take it out. Carefully untangling myself from her grip, I sit up and open the lid. Inside are two rolled joints, and a lighter. I take one out, pop it between my lips, light it and take in a lungful of the smoke.

“Sit up, honey.” I tip my head against the wall and exhale, feeling the drug go to work while the mattress bounces as Arabella moves around.

When she’s sitting up beside me, I pass her the joint. “Take a hit. It’ll make you feel better.”

I watch while she lifts it to her lips, draws in the smoke and holds it for a beat before exhaling. We pass it between us in silence until I feel her relax beside me.

“Feel better?” I drape my arm over her shoulders and tug her closer to me. She doesn’t resist, burrowing into my side and dropping her head against my chest.

“A little.” She jumps at the clap of thunder and counts softly.

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