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“Fuck.” Blake moaned as I dragged my tongue over his jaw and tasted his skin. His nails dug into my hips as he trembled below me. How I thought I could ever live without him was beyond me.
I smirked. “That’s the plan, Bug.”
“I like that plan,” he whispered.
I shifted off him and onto the bed. I pulled Blake closer to me as I watched him. My heart felt full, happy, and calm for the first time in years. Probably since the day he left Canfield and me behind.
“I love you.”
“Not as much as I love you,” I promised.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Blake
Five Years Ago
I buried my face into Tommy’s shoulder as the shrill sound of his alarm blared through the room. I felt his arms tighten around me before he pulled away to turn off his phone and then he yanked me back against him. The comfort of his big body, the warmth of his skin, and the way he held me made me feel safe. Like I didn’t have to worry about my mother or what was going to happen in the future.
“I have to get up, Bug,” Tommy murmured in the dark.
I twisted around to face him. “Can’t you stay home just one more day with me?” My voice hitched, and shame slithered beneath my skin.
“Blake,” he murmured.
I nodded. “No, yeah, I get it. You have obligations other than me. I shouldn’t have asked you that.” But I wanted him to pick me today. I needed him.
“Do you need me?” Tommy carded his fingers through my hair. When I nodded, he slid his lips against mine. “Then I’ll stay.”
Tears burned my eyes, and I couldn’t stop myself from wrapping my arms and legs around him like a koala. “Thank you,” I whispered.
Tommy hummed as he held me. He didn’t complain when the tears slipped down my cheeks and soaked into his shirt. He promised me he’d take care of me, that he loved me, and that he would always be there when I needed him. I trembled against him; my body racked with sobs. I couldn’t do this without him. I wasn’t strong enough.
“Bug.” Tommy’s lips brushed my ear. “Let me just go tell my parents I’m staying home. I’ll be right back.”
I shook my head. “No, please.”
I expected Tommy to pry my finger off him, but instead he eased himself onto his back, taking me with him, and grabbed his phone from the table with one hand. I had never been like this before. Clingy, needy, and desperate. I didn’t like it at all. When I finally gathered myself together, my tears drying on my face, I managed to untangle myself from my boyfriend and stared up into his dark eyes.
“You want to talk about it?” Tommy brushed strands of hair from my forehead.
My chin began to quiver again. “While I was at the hospital last night, I spoke with one of the nurses. She asked me what my plans were when my mother came home. What would I do? Would I need in-home care or would a nursing facility be better. There’s a good chance that she might need to learn to walk, talk, or even write again.”
“That’s a lot for you take on alone.”
“I have no clue what I’m going to do.”
Tommy gripped my cheeks with his large hands. “That’s why you were so upset last night.”
“I just... I don’t.... I’m sorry.” I felt sick as my stomach twisted with anxiety.
He shook his head. “You have nothing to apologize for, Bug. You have your entire life ahead of you and shouldn’t be saddled with this burden.”
“She’s my mom, and I love her, even if she hasn’t been the best. We might have had a lot of bad times, but there have been good ones, too. Like for my twelfth birthday, she let me skip school, fed me cake for breakfast, and took me to Six Flags. I know I should have said something to you last night, but I was just so upset and needed you. I still need you.” I ducked my head.
“I know.” Tommy gripped my chin to force me to look at him.
I searched his handsome face. “You’re not mad?”
