Page 50 of Make Me Whole
Chapter Twenty-Four
HAILEY
I woke upfeeling better than I had in years.
It was stupid, I knew it was, but it kind of felt as if the hurt and sadness that had been embedded in me for so long finally retracted its claws the moment my body gave into sweet ecstasy.
Cleanse by orgasm—now, wasn't that a novel idea.
Pushing the covers off me, I slipped out of bed and padded to the wardrobe. As I wiggled into a pair of jeans, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror attached to the door. That goofy look was back. To be honest, I didn't think it ever left.
Nibbling on my lip, I thought back to Bradley's kisses. Holy hell, the man could kiss. Each stroke of his tongue felt like it came from somewhere deep inside him. Almost like he was kissing me with his entire being.
That also had me wondering what else he could do with that sinful mouth of his.
Shaking my head at myself, I snatched a t-shirt from the top of the pile and pulled it over my head. The grin never left my lips. Not while I was pulling my hair into a ponytail, not even when I shut my door behind me.
I made two steps before I heard Bandit barreling toward me. Digging my heels in, I braced myself for the paws that were about to hit my chest. Even though I expected it, prepared for it, I still stumbled backward with the impact.
Shoving my fingers into his thick fur, I set the laughter free that bubbled from the pit of my stomach. "We seriously need to find a new way for you to greet me in the morning." One loud bark filled my ears before he leaned forward and licked my chin. I laughed some more. "Okay, that's only mildly better."
I took my time scratching behind his ears until he'd had enough and trotted off again, finally allowing me to get on with my day. Entering the kitchen, I was met with the sight of Mavis working her dough on the counter.
"Morning," I greeted cheerily, while I headed for the sink to wash my hands. After I gave them a good scrubbing, I dried them off and grabbed a mug from the cupboard. Mavis was being uncharacteristically quiet, I thought as I poured myself some coffee.
Fingers wrapped around the warm porcelain, I moved to the breakfast nook to make the tarry liquid palatable. All the while Mavis' attention remained on the dough she was manhandling.
Carefully, I watched her work while I sipped on my coffee. This silence between us was new and unfamiliar and it had nervous tension traveling down my spine. "You're awfully quiet this morning," I finally said, when I couldn't take it anymore.
Her hands, still firmly buried in the dough, immediately stilled. She eyed me over her shoulder before letting out a heavy sigh. My fingers traced the rim of the mug while I waited for Mavis to wash her hands and walk over to where I was standing.
"I heard about the parking lot…and the creek party." For reasons I didn't know, her words felt like a backhand to the jaw. When all I did was stare at her, she spoke again, "Didn't I tell you to be careful?"
Was she reprimanding me for kissing Bradley? An entire new set of emotions had my blood heating up. "Mavis, with all due respect, I'm a grown-up. Pretty sure I can do whatever I want with whoever I want to do it with."
Her hands came to rest on my shoulders. "Hailey, I care about you and I'm worried."
Just like that the sadness and hurt burrowed again. Digging deeper, latching onto my soul and staining it with a big black blotch. While I tried to process her words, she delivered a blow so low I almost choked.
"You've only just left the center… What if things don't work out? You don't handle it well when people leave." Her voice might've been soft and full of concern, but it didn't lessen the pain. "Look what happened after your parents—"
With a gasp, I recoiled and took a step back. "My parents didn't leave, Mavis." I heard the edge in my tone. "They died!" My voice was rising, but I was unable to stop. "And you know why I…" the words died on my tongue as a sob broke free.
Mavis rushed forward, I held up my hands and shook my head. "Hailey," she pleaded. "I'm sorry. I'm worried about you. Afraid you'll get in too deep and end up with another gash to your heart."
There were so many accusations floating around in my head, but I had the good sense to not voice any of them. Because deep down I knew they stemmed from anger, just like her words came from a place of love.
Didn't mean I had to stand there and listen to them, though.
Wordlessly, I spun on my heels and stormed out of the house and straight into a six-foot-something wall of hard muscle. Like a safety net, his arms looped around my waist and saved me from crashing to the ground.
"Hey. What happened?" The tenderness in Bradley's voice almost produced a fresh batch of tears. I swallowed hard and willed them away.
With my face buried in his broad, comforting chest, I shook my head as much as I could. "Nothing."
He pulled back slightly and tucked two fingers under my chin. With a gentle push, he guided my gaze to his. "You're lying to me, sweetness."
"Can we pretend you don't know that?" With a frown, he searched my eyes. That piercing blue stare working hard to knock down the walls I'd temporarily erected around myself. "Please, Bradley? I don't think I can talk about it right now."
