Page 43 of The Burdens We Share
“You didn’t fail, Dallas. He never got close enough to touch me because of you,” I remind him. The thought of my faceless, nameless, stalker getting that close to me makes me want to vomit and even makes me tremble a little, but I try to keep my expression reassuring.
Dallas reaches out and cups my cheek gently. I lean into his rough palm, savoring this rare moment between us. I know he did this to me earlier in my mom’s kitchen, but I wasn’t sure then if it was real or for show. I have my answer now that we’re alone. “He willneverget close enough to touch you,” he glowersand I almost pity my stalker because Dallas’ tone promises nothing but death.
“I trust you.”
He pulls me against his chest and holds my head against him with one hand, his other on the small of my back. I wrap my arms around him and take a long inhale of his scent. He smells so fucking good, I hope he never lets me go.
“You should get some rest,” he says into my hair.
I look up at him immediately, disbelief on my face, “Are you fucking crazy? You seriously think I can sleep after that?” Rare moment officially over.
He releases me from his arms and frowns, “You need to rest. We can’t go to your mom’s house tomorrow and have you falling asleep.”
I know he’s right but there is just no chance I’m gonna be able to sleep in this room alone after what happened. I look over my shoulder at the bed and feel the hair on my arms rise as goosebumps form on my skin. A chill even runs up my spine as I look at my bed and remind myself thathetouched it, that I could’ve been in the bed when he was that close. “You’re sleeping in my room,” Dallas leaves no room for argument.
My head immediately whirls in his direction, “What?”
Dallas is stone-cold serious as he repeats himself, “I said you’re sleeping in my room.”
My cheeks turn pink, “Like with you in the room too?”
He raises a brow at me like I’m asking a stupid question, “You’re delusional if you believe for even a second that I’m allowing you out of my sight after that.”
“Are you…sleeping in the bed?” I ask. I wouldn’t entirely be opposed if the answer was yes.
Dallas frowns, “No. I’ll take the floor.”
Boo.I want to complain, but I have no place doing so. I let him lead me into his bedroom and I watch as he pulls the coversdown and gestures for me to get in the bed. When I comply, he places the covers over me and reaches over me to get the spare pillow. I watch as he drops it down on the tiled floor and lowers himself down.
Is he so for real? I perk up, the covers falling over me slightly. “Dallas, are you fucking kidding me?” I snap, suddenly furious.
He looks up at me from the ground with an annoyed look, “What?”
I scoff, “You are not sleeping ontile. Especially with no blanket.”
He rolls onto his side, giving me his back as he responds, “Yes, I am because unless you haven’t noticed, there’s no second bed in this room.”
“So get your ass in this one,” I say before I can think better of myself. The room goes silent. Fuck.
He probably thinks that was totally weird of me to say. Oh my God, I’m so embarrassed right now. I will hang my head in shame for the rest of my life. I just didn’t want him to sleep on the cold, tile floor. I’d also be lying if I said I didn’t want him next to me while I slept. I’d feel a lot safer with him closer.
I whisper, “Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize,” he says a moment later.
I try to explain, “I just don’t want you to sleep on the tile.”
“I’ve slept on worse,” he retorts and my mind immediately goes to his days in the military. I want to ask him about those days, but now is not the time or the place.
Silence returns around us and an idea suddenly comes to mind. If he wants to be stubborn, I’ll be stubborn too. I push the covers back and grab the pillow beneath my head before I step out of bed and drop the pillow down next to him on the floor, about a foot away. I sit down, the cold tile immediately biting into my skin, but I force my body down and he immediately snaps, “What are you doing?”
I lower myself completely, “You’re sleeping on the tile, so I am too. It isn’t fair that I get the bed.”
He sits up and leans over me, “Get up and get in the bed,now.”
I smirk, “No.”
He growls, “Ivory.”
