Before I can move, I catch movement behind Nico, causing him to turn. Suddenly, two shots ring out from the entryway. I panic and drop to the floor shielding my stomach, and I feel a body blanket over the top of me. I know instantly it’s Bray covering my body with his. His smell fills my lungs, and I try to focus on that instead of how scared I am.
“He’s dead.”
I jerk at the words, knowing who they came from.
“Sam!” I gasp, trying to break out from under Bray. He realizes my intentions and helps me up. When I try to go to Sam, he wraps an arm around me and holds me back.
Sam looks like he’s taken a good beating, and hasn’t slept in days. Almost a shell of his former self.
“I’m so sorry, Becs. God, I’m so fucking sorry. You’re all I have in the world and I did this to you.”
Before I can respond, the room is flooded with cops. They spot Sam holding the gun and he’s slammed to the ground. It’s then I finally notice the white marble floor covered with Nico’s blood, his unmoving body in the center of it.
The next hours are chaos. I’m never far from Bray’s reach as he gives me comforting touches, but he seems distant once again. He tells me he’ll hire my brother the best lawyer he can find, get him the help and rehab that he needs.
It turns out that Nico got into Bray’s place by knocking Hank out and taking his keys. All the information is a lot to take in but I feel relief in it all. It’s all over with. What’s done is done and the rest will have to play out, but I’m safe, Bray’s safe, and most importantly our baby is too. Maybe some good will come out of this and Sam will get the help he needs.
I look over at Bray who stares at me with pleading eyes, like I’m no longer his. I can’t wait for everyone to leave, because if Bray thinks I’m no longer his, he has another think coming.
Freshly showered, I sit in the middle of our bed, waiting for him to finish his shower. After everyone cleared out I excused myself to clean away the filth I felt was on my skin. I was in the shower for over twenty minutes before I realized Bray wouldn’t be joining me.
When I finally came out he was just sitting on the end of the bed with his head in his hands. When I tried to brush my fingers through his hair he flinched away from me and mumbled that he was taking his own shower now that I was out. Thirty minutes later, he’s still in there. I think he is trying to outlast me. Hoping I pass out before he comes out. Not happening.
“You’re still awake? You should really get your rest, Rebecca.” The use of my name only makes me glare at him.
“What. The. Fuck. Vanilla?” I whip back at him. I have no clue what his deal is.
“Let’s not do this tonight, get some rest and we’ll talk about it in the morning,” he says in a defeated voice. I’m tired as fuck, but I’m more tired of the ‘we’ll talk about it later’ shit.
“No, now. You were hoping I would be asleep, weren’t you? Just admit it. You didn’t want to talk to me.”
Making his way over to the bed, he sits down next to me, brushing a finger up my jaw before tucking my hair behind my hair.
“You need new color. This has washed out too much. I got you more dye. I left it on the sink. I checked, and it’s okay for pregnant women to use.”
I roll my eyes at his statement even though I want to throw myself at him and kiss him until I can barely breathe.
“Answer me.”
“You’re right, I wanted you to be asleep when I came out here,” he says without telling me more. It looks like I’m going to have to pull it from him.
“Why?” I say, dragging out the word to show my annoyance.
“I wanted one more night. To hold you in my arms before you push me away.”
“You’re shitting me right now, aren’t you?” It comes out harsher than I mean, but I wasn’t expecting him to say that. I’m not really sure what I thought he was going to say if I’m honest with myself. Maybe that I am more trouble than I’m worth. It feels like he is pushing me away, but Nico’s words ring in my head. ‘He’s obsessed with you.’ The idea of Bray being obsessed with me thrills me. Hell, it turns me on.
I climb onto his lap ignoring the shock on his face. “Because you’re obsessed with me?” I taunt, letting a smile play on my lips. His eyes jerk up to mine and he just stares at me and says nothing. “Are you going to lock me in a room and never let me out?” I joke.
His face turns even more serious at my words. Maybe making a Nico joke wasn’t the best idea.
“I won’t lie, I’ve thought about it.”
I giggle at his words. “Good luck with that, Vanilla.” Leaning in, I place a kiss on his mouth. He returns it, harder than I expected. And before I know it, I’m beneath him.
“I’m not fucking around, Rebecca. I’ve become so obsessed with you, I’m not sure what I’d do to keep you. The lines I wouldn’t cross. I’m not sure if you asked me to leave, I’d let you,” he confesses.
“But moments ago you said you thought I would in the morning.”
“Thinking and doing are two totally different things. I’m not sure what I would’ve done come morning.”
Placing a soft kiss on his lips, I mumble, “Okay,” because I don’t really care. He wants me here, I want to be here, so what does it matter to me? When I try to pull him further into me, he pulls away.