Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 146666 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 733(@200wpm)___ 587(@250wpm)___ 489(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 146666 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 733(@200wpm)___ 587(@250wpm)___ 489(@300wpm)
What would he do if she didn’t open it?
The door lock clicked and he took a deep breath before he opened the door slowly, not wanting to smash it into her if she was standing right on the other side.
Shame and horror filled him as he took her in. She was sitting on the floor between the wall and the dresser. Her knees were bent, her legs against her chest, her arms around them.
Shit. What had he done? He knew what had happened to her, yet he pushed her too hard.
“Greer.”
Wally was pressed to her nose while tears streamed down her cheeks.
Fuck. He’d done this.
He walked in, then fell onto his ass in the middle of the room and just stared at her sadly. Her breathing was too fast, so he knew that first, he had to get her to calm down.
“Just take a nice, slow breath for me. You can do it. In. Then out. Good. Nice and slow. That’s better. You’re safe. I’m just going to sit here. I won’t come any closer.”
He waited until her breathing eased before he spoke again, wanting to ensure that she heard him.
“I’m so sorry, baby. I went too fast, didn’t I? Sometimes, it feels like we’ve known each other forever. But that’s no excuse for scaring you.”
No reply.
“I’m going to go get you some tissues, okay?” he said softly as she tried to wipe at her nose and cheeks.
Grabbing the tissues, he returned to where she was sitting, watching him. He put the box in front of her, not wanting to push by trying to clean her up.
But she looked down at the tissues like she didn’t know what she was supposed to do with them.
A shiver ran through her.
“Oh, Ladybug,” he murmured sadly. “I’ll get you a blanket.” He turned to the bed to get her one. He couldn’t take this. He needed to hug her tight. To reassure her that everything would be all right.
When he turned back, she was still staring down at the tissues.
“I’m coming closer, baby. If you want me to stop and back off, then say red or hold your hand up.”
She didn’t seem inclined to talk much at the moment.
She didn’t do anything but watch him as he moved closer with the blanket. He wrapped it over her and tucked it around her, careful of her injured wrist and hands. Then, picking up a tissue, he lightly grabbed her chin and wiped her face before holding the tissue over her nose.
She stared up at him.
“Blow.”
A frown marred her forehead. A spark of something filled her face. Embarrassment? Grumpiness? Whatever it was, he’d take it over the blank look she’d had on before.
She shook her head.
“Yes, blow. I know you have to be all blocked up.”
Her frown deepened and she glared at him.
Lord, she was gorgeous. Even with skin blotchy from her tears and her hair all messed up, with anger and pain in her eyes, she was still absolutely stunning.
“Blow your nose, Little girl, please. For me? I need to take care of you in some way.” To try and make it up to her.
“Gross.”
“It’s not gross. It’s my privilege to take care of you. Even if you don’t want me, I want to look after you.”
“Not want you? Who wouldn’t want you? You’re perfect.”
“I’m far from perfect. And who wouldn’t want me? Well, pretty much every woman I’ve dated.”
She gaped at him. “You’re kidding.”
“I’m not. And will you please blow your nose?”
“Oh.” She blew a tiny breath out her nose.
“You can do better than that. Harder.”
She tried again.
“Come on, I want you to blow so hard I can feel it.”
She took a deep breath and it rushed out of her nose. He quickly wiped her nose, then pretended to fall backward. “Whoa! Easy there, Ladybug. You could hurt a guy with that blow.”
“Sorry.”
Bunching up the tissue, he put it to one side. “I’m so sorry, Ladybug. The last thing I would ever want to do is upset and scare you.”
“This isn’t your fault. It’s mine. It’s my messed-up brain.” She smacked her hand against her forehead.
“Hey, no! I’m trying very hard to hold myself back right now. But I cannot sit by and watch you harm yourself.”
“It didn’t hurt.”
“Not the point,” he growled. “Do not hit yourself, understand me? You are not allowed to hurt yourself.”
If possible, her face grew paler. “You wouldn’t want me if I did that?”
Shock filled him at her question, followed by confusion.
“Baby, no. That’s not what I meant at all. There is nothing you could ever do that’d make me not want to be with you. Well, other than say you aren’t attracted to me. And then I’d probably just pine for you from afar. And end up married to Mrs. Fluffybottom.”
“Mrs. Fluffybottom?” she asked in a choked voice.