6
Kinsley
Colt comes out of the bathroom and goes straight to the chair in the corner of the bedroom. He has boxers on, but besides that, he’s naked. His black hair looks even darker with it being wet. There’s water dripping off his back, and I can’t take my eyes off his bulging muscles and tattoos as he runs the towel through his hair and finishes drying off. He walks to the side of the room and sits down heavily on a small chair. “Are you sleeping there?” I ask. I haven’t been through the house, but I know there’s more than one bedroom in it.
“Yes. And it’s not up for discussion, debate, negotiation, whatever. There’s no way I’ll be able to sleep in the next room.”
I blink and nod at him as I sink lower on the bed and pull the covers up my chest.
“Wow, you handled that well. I was sure you were going to argue with me.”
I shake my head and turn off the light next to the bed. “No, honestly, I’m a little shaken up so I appreciate you sleeping in here.”
He sits on the chair, leaning forward, elbows on his knees. He’s watching me, and when I look away and stare up at the ceiling, he sits back. I roll to my side, facing him. The chair looks even smaller with him in it, and guilt starts to eat at me. I can’t let him sleep there all night, but I don’t want to suggest he sleep somewhere else either. I wasn’t lying. I want him close. I feel safe with him here.
“Colt...”
“Yeah?”
I sit up on my elbow. “Will you come and sleep next to me? And that’s it, I’m not asking you for anything else, just to sleep next to me.”
I can hear him breathing, and I know he heard me, but it seems like it takes forever for him to respond. When he doesn’t say anything, I lie back on the bed, rolling to my back.
It sounds like he’s gritting his teeth when he finally responds, “Scoot over. I need to be closest to the door.”
He stands up, and I hurry and scoot to the other side.
The bed dips when he lies down, and I see a glint of metal in his hand. “Is that a gun?”
“I sleep with it every night.”
I watch as he moves it under his pillow. “Do you have to tonight?”
He turns to me. “Probably more than ever.”
I take deep breath and blow it out to try and calm myself. “Right.”
He’s silent, and I can’t take my eyes off him. “Thank you for coming, Colt. I mean, to save me.”
“I’ll always come when you need me.”
I swallow because I know he’s telling the truth. “Can I move closer?”
He nods his head, but I don’t move. “I just want you to hold me. That’s it. I can’t – I won’t – let anything else happen. I can’t live through another morning of you walking away.”
He grunts. “I won’t –“
But I don’t let him finish. I slide across the bed until I’m right next to him. I put my hand on his stomach and rest my head on his chest. He tenses underneath me until I feel his arm come around me and his hand rests on my back. “I don’t want to talk about the past, Colt. It’s done. We’ve both moved on. Let’s just try to get through tomorrow.”
It’s a lie, and I know it. I haven’t moved on. I haven’t gone on one date since the day he walked out of my apartment. But there’s no reason for him to know that. We lie there for so long, I finally start to drift in and out of sleep. I want to fight it. I want to stay awake as long as possible because I know I won’t have this opportunity again. Heck, I shouldn’t even want to be in this position after everything he put me through, but obviously I’m a glutton for punishment. I burrow deeper into his side until the whole front of my body is touching the side of his before I finally let sleep take me.
Colt
I hear the noise and know the sound. Someone has used a key to open the door. I start to move, and Kinsley protests next to me, holding me tighter. Fuck, I would give anything to stay in this bed right now. It’s been torture of the sweetest kind to lie next to her all night. I turn my head and kiss her forehead, hating that I have to wake her up and the reason for it. I push her to her back and put my hand over her mouth because I can’t risk her screaming. Her eyes pop open, and she stares at me. “There’s someone here,” I whisper to her, and her eyes get even bigger. “I’m going to go-“