Page 100 of His White Moonlight
When I opened the door almost fifteen minutes later, my bed was back, fully made, and Bennett was on sitting on it, wearing a loose pair of shorts and nothing else.Seeing his bare chest bothered me more than it should have.
“Let me see your hands,” he said.
I made a face, cautiously moved a little closer, and held up my newly bandaged hands.
“Not good enough,” he said.“Closer.”
He stayed right where he was as I inched toward him until I could almost touch him.This time, when I held out my hands, he captured one, turning it and running a finger lightly over the bandage.
“You can get mad at me.You can leave me in the middle of nowhere without clothes—thank you, for leaving me the phone, by the way—but you can’t hurt yourself.Ever.When you want to get away from me, tell me.Do you understand?”
“I want to get away from you,” I said.
A hint of a smile tugged at his lips.“I know.Why are you so nervous around me, Wrenly?You weren’t like this yesterday.What changed?”
“Your unpredictability leveled up.”
He looked down at my hand and smoothed his thumb over my bandage again.
“It has.But I promise I’m trying.”
I wasn’t sure what, exactly, he was trying to do.Not to kill anyone or break anything?Those were good things.Not to use me as a substitute for his missing mate?Also good, but very concerning.
He’s more patient than most.He’ll give her the time she needs, even if it drives him crazy.
“I really want to get away from you,” I said, my voice a stressed whisper.
His gaze snapped to mine, searching.
“Please.”It was almost a whine.
I was so close to breaking down under the intensity of his stare, and I didn’t like what that meant.The delusion I was clinging to was a fragile, thin shard that would take nothing to shatter.
“Okay.”
He released me, and I stumbled back several steps, my hands tingling and trembling.I hid them behind my back so he wouldn’t see as he stood.
“Get some sleep.”He paused at the door on his way out.“What do you want for breakfast?Pancakes with chocolate chips?”
I nodded, not caring about breakfast but wanting him to leave.Once he did, I hurried to the door and locked it.
You made it through seven years of hell.Ten more weeks will be nothing.
My shaking grew more pronounced, and I hurried to my bed.
* * *
The soft snickof a door closing brought me fully awake.I opened my eyes and saw that it was daylight, and my bedroom door was closed.Gazing around the room, I saw that both my bathroom and closet doors were open.
My gaze returned to my bedroom door.I’d locked it.I knew I had.
Slowly turning my head, I looked at the space beside me.The blankets were in place, but there was a slight indent in the pillow.Sliding my hand under the covers, I touched the bedding.
It radiated heat.
I struggled to come up with a reasonable explanation.Maybe Mom had come home and slept beside me.
You know she didn’t, Wren.
