Page 27 of Safe Word
She nodded as she tiptoed and kissed me. “Say it, Kannon.”
I wasn’t sure what she meant exactly, but it didn’t matter. The answer would be the same either way.
“Anything, Carteay,” I assured her, kissing her forehead. “Everything. That’s what I would do and give to have this forever.”
Her response was a smile that did something funny to my heart. As I looked down into her eyes, she looked like mine. I’d be damned if that wasn’t fucking with my head. I moved to the couch, dragging her with me before flopping down and pulling her feet into my lap. After passing her the remote, I got comfortable on the couch while rubbing her feet. When I noticed that she never turned the TV on, I lifted my head so I could look at her face.
“What’s up?”
She was hesitant as she looked my way. Her eyes moved from me to the coffee table then back to me. “I-uh kinda want to check my socials and send my sister a message to let her know I’m fine.I don’t even know if she knows I’m off the radar. It’s starting to bother me.”
“You sure you’re up for that?”
I hated the thought of her seeing the plethora of bullshit that was probably out there. I had on good authority that her being missing in action had been kept low-key, but that didn’t mean there weren’t rumors swirling around. Some of those bloggers were as resourceful as they were treacherous. As much as I wanted to protect her from whatever they were spewing, I knew I couldn’t treat her like a child. I would be no better than her label if I did that.
“I know I can’t hide forever. I might as well see what the damage is.”
I took a deep breath, hoping that I didn’t regret letting her open a can of worms when she was finally remembering how to be happy and free. I couldn’t hide her forever, but we had been so perfect in our bubble I wanted to enjoy it as long as I could. I had Blaine taking care of most of the business so I could lay low with her. I leaned forward and picked up my tablet off the table before passing it to Carteay.
“The password is 1234.”
She burst out laughing. “How will I ever remember?”
“If you forget it, just ask me again. I’m sitting right here.” I shrugged.
She laughed. “Whatever.”
“I don’t know how good your memory is, girl.”
“I just can’t believe you’re giving it to me.”
“My password? I don’t have any top-secret files or anything to hide on it.”
“I mean the tablet,” she clarified.
“Why not? I’m not here to control you. If you want to see what’s out there, go ahead. Just remember not to let none of the shit you might see get in your head. Those people don’t know thedifference between their ass and a hole in the ground, let alone real and fake.”
She nodded as she punched in the code to unlock the tablet. I watched her face for any sign of distress as she scrolled and read what was on the screen. For a while, her facial expressions didn’t give away much. Eventually, she smiled at something, making me relax a little. Maybe it wasn’t as bad as she was expecting.
Her people probably realized that she needed a break and were giving her time to come around. Somehow, that sounded too good to be true. I didn’t miss the very second her smile dimmed. I wanted to snatch the tablet from her and throw it across the room but thought better of it. Carteay was a big girl. She would tell me if she needed me. Still, the reaction put a knot in my stomach.
“You good?” I asked, trying to sound casual as I finally turned the TV on.
“Um, yeah, just a few things that made me roll my eyes.”
For more than one reason, I didn’t believe what she said. Still, I decided not to push, not yet anyway. I would give her time to come around if she wanted to talk. Just maybe it wasn’t as bad as I thought. I lifted her foot, kissing the side of it before pulling her closer. I kissed the side of her head, holding her body tight against mine.
I needed her to understand that the past week hadn’t just been about fucking the time away while I helped her hide out. I wanted her to know that I would always be here for her. I took the tablet from her hand and placed it back on the table before lying back and pulling her onto my chest. I held her and kissed the top of her head, hoping to remind her that she was safe. I didn’t have to repeat that she was mine to protect. She knew that. Her hands gripped my biceps as she cozied up in her rightful place.
“You sure you good, Carrie?” I asked after a minute.
She raised her eyes. I could tell she was trying to read my expression. Hopefully there was no sign of the fear and anxiety I felt bubbling right under the surface. I was worried about her. I couldn’t shake the way her smile died so quickly. Her attempt to correct it only made it worse. She took a deep breath, and for a second, I thought she was going to tell me what was on her mind.
“I’m fine, Kannon.”
Her words shattered me. Not just because it was a lie, but because she didn’t trust me to protect her from whatever she’d seen. I needed her to trust me to fix the shit she’d been swindled into. I knew I could get her out of that predatory contract; I just needed to know where to start. For now, I had to let it go.
“Come on. Let me finish teaching your ass how to play spades,” I told her, deciding to lighten the mood.
