Page 71 of His White Moonlight
I stared down at his dark head of hair and let my doubt show on my face.He looked up then, his pupils blown wide as he took in my expression.
“It’s the truth,” he said.
“Well, there are better ways to keep me safe than by making me feel like a prisoner.”
He took my hand and applied the salve to it as well.
“Let’s make a deal,” he said.
My skin tingled when he blew on my palm.
“What kind of deal?”I asked to distract myself from the sensation.
“When you feel like you’re being restricted, tell me.Let me try to find a solution that won’t break any rules, will keep you safe, and will give you a way to feel free.”
My chest ached, and my eyes started to water.He noticed and blew on my palm a second time.
“And what do you want in return for helping me?”I asked after swallowing hard.
“No more running away from me.”
Technically, I’d never run away from him; I just avoided him as much as possible.
“Okay.You have a deal.”
He finished with my second hand and brushed my wet hair back from my face.His pupils were still fully dilated.
“So if running away isn’t allowed, what do we do when we’re annoyed with each other?”I asked.“Fight it out?”
His lips twitched like he found that the funniest thing ever, and he started placing the large bandages he’d brought.
“I’d never win,” he said.
I snorted.“Only because Mom and Dad would have your hide when I break my hand hitting you.”
“You’ll have to find a way to fight without hitting, then,” he said.“To keep things fair.”
Since I was creative when angry, I nodded in agreement.
“Do you need help dressing?”he asked after he placed the last bandage.
“If I did, I wouldn’t ask you, Bennett,” I said, waiting for him to move so I could stand.“That’d be more of a Mom thing.”
He nodded after a moment and rose with a fluid grace I envied.
“Give me twenty minutes, and I’ll be ready to head into the office,” I said.
“You want to go?”
I shrugged.“At least there, I can walk to the park with less chance of being purposely tripped.With my face and neck bruises and whatever stern lecture Mom gave everyone at the office yesterday, I’m sure the women there will leave me alone for a while at least.”
“When you say things like that, it makes me want to put you in a bubble.”
“Putting me in one won’t keep me safe.It’ll just stop me from learning the skills I need to survive once it pops.Because bubbles always pop, Bennett.”
I walked out of his room, pinning the towel to my torso with my forearm to hide a minor scrape he’d overlooked.Once I was in my room, I dropped the towel and added a few more adhesive bandages.
Dressing wasn’t fun.I chose lightweight, loose clothes that wouldn’t aggravate anything.My hair was a mess.Holding the hairdryer hurt.Attempting to comb out my tangles was extra hard, and…it hurt.Trying to tie my hair back hurt.
