Page 157 of Her Daddies' Everything

“Shield between you and your Little. Let her out.”

Immy stiffened. Her first thought was to reject that idea immediately. She didn’t have a Little and she wasn’t shielding her, and she couldn’t just let her out.

“Before you protest, you should know I’ve been in relationships with Littles before. You’re a Little and you might have your reasons for denying that. But you’re safe with me.”

Immy sucked in a breath. “I know I’m safe with you.” But she didn’t have a Little to let out.

Right?

Who are you kidding, Immy?

“Nope. Don’t think you do.” He cupped her face between his hands. “You’re safe with me, Immy. I will not harm you, won’t let anyone else harm you. I swear this.”

She’d always denied it to herself, even if she’d known deep down that she was like Cat and Maeve. Actually, she thought if there was a scale, she’d be the littlest Little of the three of them.

Did that sound silly? Maybe she meant that she would regress the furthest?

Or maybe what you really think is that you’d like to live your life in a sort of permanent Little headspace.

And perhaps that’s what really scares you. That you’ll become the person your father always said you were. Childish. Ridiculous. A burden.

You can’t be a Little all the time. You can’t live your life that way. You have responsibilities. Besides, no one would want to take care of you full-time.

But she was scared that if she let her Little out that she’d completely take over.

“I can’t,” she whispered.

Why did he have to push her? Why couldn’t he just leave her alone?

She attempted to get off the sofa, needing to get away from him, to be able to think, but he put his hands on her thighs. “Little girl?—”

“I’m not a Little!” she cried.

“Yes, you are,” he said calmly.

“I’m not. And you don’t get to tell me who I am. I don’t care whether you think you’re in charge or not. This is my life. Keep pushing and I’ll push back.”

It was a ridiculous thing to say. Like she had any power to push back.

You’re powerless.

You’ve always been powerless.

A sob escaped her. And something like regret filled Tobias’s face.

“Immy, talk to me. Tell me why you’re so afraid of this. You shouldn’t be scared of that side of yourself. Especially when she’s already here.”

“What . . . what do you mean?”

“Your Little side, she’s always with you. She’s a part of you. You just need to let her fully out instead of keeping the heart of her locked away.”

What the cupcake?

Why was he doing this?

“I’m not doing this.”

Keep it together, Immy.

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