Page 49 of Switch

I clench my jaw. “Full of shit—duct tape, zip ties. A fuckingknife.”

She pulls away from my chest, sitting up, fear flashing across her face.

My gut twists. Ihateseeing that look on her.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers, her voice barely there. “I should have told you.”

I sit up too, leaning against the headboard, my eyes locked on hers. “Told mewhat?”

She swallows hard. “He’s been calling. Texting. I just kept ignoring him, hoping he’d get the hint and stop. But now?” She shakes her head, her arms wrapping around herself. “Now I feelstupid.”

I grip her chin, tilting her face up so she has no choice but to look at me. “Don’t,” I say firmly. “This isn’t on you. It’s onhim.”

Her eyes shine with unshed tears. “But if I had just said something—”

“Bella,” I cut her off, my voice rough. “I handled it. You never have to worry about him again.”

Her breath catches, and I canfeelthe question hanging between us. She wants to ask,how? Andwhere? But she doesn’t. Instead, she lets out a slow exhale, nodding once. Then she presses her forehead to my chest, her fingers gripping onto me like she’s grounding herself.

I wrap my arms around her, holding her tight, letting her know without words that she’ssafe. That she’ll always be safe. As long as I’m breathing,no oneis ever going to touch her again.

Bella’s bed is smaller than mine, the sheets softer, carrying the scent of her—vanilla and something sweet, somethingher. It lingers in the air, woven into the fabric, clinging to my skin like she’s marked me without even trying. And I fucking love it.

Bella’s curled up against me, one bare leg thrown over mine, her arm draped across my stomach like she’s trying to keep me from moving. Her face is pressed against my chest, her warm breath steady and slow. Peaceful.

I need this, every damn morning for the rest of my life. I need to figure out a way to get her moved into my place ASAP. This back-and-forth shit ain’t doing it for me. I press a kiss to the top of her head, letting my lips linger in her messy hair. “I gotta go, baby,” I murmur. “Gotta let Oreo out and feed her. Then I’ve got church.”

A soft groan vibrates against my chest, and she tightens her grip around me. “No,” she mumbles, nuzzling closer.

I laugh, rubbing my hand slowly down her back. “No?”

She shakes her head against me. “Stay,” I smirk, shifting slightly, but she just clings harder. “Five more minutes,” she whispers.

I shake my head with a smirk on my face. “Oh no, we can’t play this game. I give you five now, and you’re going to ask for five more.”

She tilts her head up, her brown eyes still heavy with sleep but she smiles innocently. “Maybe if you didn’t make the bed so damn comfortable, I wouldn’t care if you left.”

I grin, brushing my fingers along her spine. “Pretty sure it’syoumaking it hard to leave.”

Bella bites her lip, studying me for a second before shifting up to press a lazy, warm kiss to my jaw. “Then don’t leave,” she murmurs against my skin.

Fuck me. I cup her jaw, tilting her face up and kissing her slow, deep, letting myself get lost in her for a few seconds. She melts into me, her fingers digging into my side like she doesn’t want to let go. And for a second, Ireallyconsider blowing off the club and spending the whole damn day right here.

But duty calls.

I pull back with a sigh, resting my forehead against hers. “What do you got going on today?”

She shrugs, her fingers lazily tracing over my chest. “It’s Sunday, so probably a whole lot of nothing. Might read, might watch something. Probably a whole lot of nothing.”

I smirk. “That sounds like a good plan.”

“Yeah, well, itwasgoing to include sleeping in,” she mutters, shooting me a glare.

I laugh, pushing myself up and grabbing my jeans off the floor. “That’s on you, babe. You’re the one who wouldn’t let me go.”

She huffs, rolling onto her back and watching me get dressed. “Don’t act like you hated it.”

I grin, buckling my belt. “Never said I did.”

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