Page 99 of Reaper's Rival

“Just get into bed, Abby, before I make you.” He would have no problem whatsoever about dragging me to bed. Which is the only reason I sighed and gave up walking to the bed and throwing the blankets back.

“You know this is pointless. I can't sleep.”

I lay down, moving the pillow under my head. I felt the dip of the bed next to me. His arm wrapped around me and he dragged me back to him.

“You’ll sleep.” His voice was low and he kissed the back of my head, sliding his other arm under it. His other hand was on my thigh. He had pushed my top up and was drawing calming circles on my skin.

“I haven't been.”

“Yeah, no wonder, after what you've been doing.” He spoke like he knew what it was like to be awake with the demon known as regret and how you couldn't get the image of their body dropping out of your head.

“Kade?”

“Mm?”

I turned on his arm, wanting to look him in the face. Needing to see his real reaction when I asked him.

“Can I leave with you?”

His face softened. “Did you really think I was ever planning on leaving without you?”

“So you want me to come?” Was he sure about this? I didn't see leaving home as a big deal. I wanted to. No. Needed to get out of this town. But was he ready for a relationship that was full time?

“I've been putting off leaving because I didn't want to leave without you.”

“So I'm the reason you haven't left?”

He nodded his head. “I've been trying to come up with a way to get you back.”

“Even though I told you we were over?”

He tucked my hair behind my ear. “Just say I'm stubborn when I want something.”

I rested my head on his chest and his arms wrapped around me. “Thanks for not giving up on me.” I had given up on myself. I had been so set on all this with Blake blowing up in my face. I never thought to think what would happen if it didn't.

“You need to sleep, Abby.” He ran his hand down my spine, and it was so relaxing being touched by him. I snuggled in closer, breathing in his scent. I felt safe. I felt whole. But most of all, I felt like I had found the piece I had been missing these last couple of months. Like the missing puzzle piece was found and now my heart was back together.

“You should go,” I yawned. “I'm basically exhausted. You can go.”

“I know I can. But I don't want to.”

I yawned again and ran my hand down his arm which was wrapped around me.

He was running his fingers under my top, down my back on my welcoming skin. It was warm and comforting. And the more I focused on it, the more my eyelids got heavy.

“I love you, Kade,” I whispered into his chest just before I was completely lost by his touch.

***

God, I was warm and comfortable. I opened my eyes, smiling immediately when seeing Kade asleep. It was either the early hours of the morning or the middle of the night, because the room was dark and I hadn’t shut the curtains last night.

I slowly slipped out of Kade’s arms and got up. My stomach was grumbling for food, seeing as I hadn’t eaten in I didn’t know how long. I grabbed my phone. My stomach had woke me up, otherwise I was sure I would have slept longer.

I took my long tee shirt off and put on shorts and a strapless top and grabbed my keys just in case there wasn’t anything in the kitchen.

I took one last glance at Kade before closing my bedroom door softly.

I was heading for the kitchen. Hopefully someone had done groceries. Before, I used to help Kim do them. But as soon as all the shit happened with Blake, I stopped pulling my weight around the club.

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