Page 160 of Breaking Point
Bambi comes barreling up the deck stairs with a stick in her mouth. When she drops it, I pick it up and throw it with a frown pulling down my brows. “Was me what?”
“You paid my mother’s medical bills.”
I’m halfway to putting my hands in my pockets, the crisp mountain air chilling my bones, my mouth opening to refute, but she simply holds up her hand.
“Don’t lie to me. Did you or did you not pay for her medical bills?”
Her eyes are completely unreadable. I steel myself for a fight, for her to be mad and angry for overstepping, but as I confess, “Yes,” Bella surprises me.
She throws herself at me.
Her chest collides with mine, making the breath in my lungs leave me in a rush. She wraps her arms around my neck and buries her head in my chest. “Thank you.”
Her shaky voice matches my hands as I quickly return the hug, savoring her warmth and scent as it envelopes me. “You aren’t mad?” I ask, dumbfounded.
“Mad? About yanking me out of medical debt? No. I am shocked and feel like I’m undeserving of it, though.”
“How are you undeserving of it?”
“I’ve done nothing to deserve such generosity. There are families that deserve it more?—”
My hands are on her hips and I push her away from me slightly so I can peer into her eyes. “I’m going to stop you right there.” My voice is hard, stern enough that she pays attention. “You, more than anyone, deserve to be taken care of. Everyone does, Bella. No one deserves to have cancer or a family member with it, let alone the pile of medical debt, but you have been taking care of her by yourself for nearly a year.Youdeserve it.”
“It would feel wrong to take it?—”
“Don’t make me take it back. I won’t.”
“But why?” she murmurs. “Why would you do this?”
Because I think I’m falling in love with youwould probably make her run, so instead I whisper, “Because your mom means everything to you, so in turn, me.”
Her breath hitches as silver lines her eyes. “You didn’t have to do that, though.”
“No, I didn’t.” I drop my head, hoping she can still see me through her tears as I say, “But I wanted to.”
Suddenly, I realize that neither one of us has let go of the other. Both of us still have our arms wrapped around each other from the hug. I tighten my hold, knowing that I’m dancing along a fine line, and yet I can’t seem to care.
Not when Bella tilts her chin up a fraction.
I shouldn’t do this, my brain is screaming at me not to do this, but I find my head lowering to meet hers anyways.
“Tell me to stop,” I breathe. “Because I can’t do it by my own willpower.”
Bella swallows thickly before tilting her head up more, a thousand thoughts floating behind those honey-brown eyes. “Just for practice, right?”
Something crumbles in my chest but I don’t let her see it, not when I’ll take the scraps she gives me. I’ll takeanythingover nothing.
“If that’s what you have to tell yourself,” I murmur, our lips a hair’s breadth away.
“Is that not what you tell yourself?”
“No.”
I don’t give her a chance to respond because in the next breath, I’m upon her. Sliding my hands from her waist up to her cheeks as I place my lips against hers.
As they unite, a zap of electricity, an addictive feeling, hums throughout my body, urging me to continue. I realize I’m cradling her like she is the most precious thing in this world. She is—to me.
A moan falls from her lips, her fingers gripping my shirt, pulling me closer.
