Total pages in book: 180
Estimated words: 182075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 182075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
And he rocked her back and forth until she calmed.
“Sorry.”
He let out a low grunt and she could feel his disapproval at her apology.
“I didn’t mean to lose it like that,” she said.
He typed something on his phone, then turned it to show her.
You’ve had to be strong for a long time. To take care of everything. And now you don’t have to do that. You can relax and let us take care of everything. We’ll hold things together when it’s all falling apart. It’s bound to make you emotional.
Was that it?
Was she letting go of everything she’d held inside because she’d known that there was no one to pick up the pieces if she fell apart? And now there was?
Maybe.
Just rest. Suck your thumb if you need to. Cuddle your toy. I’ve got you.
She sniffled again. “Need a tissue.”
“Here.” He grabbed the bottom of his sleeveless T-shirt and drew it off.
Holy moly.
Rock was bare chested.
He was bare chested and she was sitting on his lap. Right next to all that skin and those muscles . . .
How could she think while he was sitting there like that?
“Blow.”
Huh? She gazed up at him. Then she realized that he was holding his shirt to her nose. She shook her head.
“Blow,” he repeated.
“I can’t. I’ll go find a tissue.” She really didn’t want to move, though.
Who knew that sitting on his lap could be so darn comfortable?
“Blow.”
There was definite command in his voice this time and she found herself blowing her nose into his shirt.
Gross. But at least she could breathe through her nose now.
He used another piece of the shirt to wipe her eyes gently.
“Sorry, if you leave it with me, I’ll wash it.”
He simply snorted. Hmm. What did that mean?
“Rest,” he commanded, massaging the back of her neck lightly.
Oh.
That was so nice.
She sunk into his embrace as he held her with one hand over her stomach and one rubbing her neck.
“Will you ever tell me about your voice?” she blurted out.
What are you doing?
Why did you say that to him?
It’s none of your business. And if he wanted you to know he would have told you.
Rock grunted and picked up his phone.
“No, wait.” She grabbed hold of his hand. “It’s all right. I don’t . . . I don’t want you to tell me unless you want to. I don’t want you to feel like you have to . . . to make something up to me or something.”
He moved his hand away from hers and she felt a pang of something. Insecurity? Regret?
But then he typed something and turned his phone to her.
Not keeping any secrets from you. Anything you want to know about me, I will tell you. All you have to do is ask.
“Really? Are you sure?”
Rock nodded. “Yep.”
“Okay.” That was a really nice offer. Anything she wanted to know?
He wrote some more on his phone and when he turned it, she realized that she hadn’t actually been prepared for what his answer might be.
She sucked in a breath as she read it.
I was eleven when my parents died and I ended up with my grandfather. My father had never spoken of him. I didn’t know him. Turns out, my father ran from him at fifteen because he was an abusive bastard.
Oh no.
Already, she was filled with horror and regret. But she kept reading.
Mostly it was just a few slaps. He’d push me around. But when I got a scholarship for boarding school he lost it. Said I wasn’t going. No grandson of his was going to some rich boarding school. I don’t know why that angered him so much. He had a chip on his shoulder. Hated everyone, was jealous of everything that others had.
Man. He sounded like an absolute peach.
Guess he was jealous of me. The first time that I came home from boarding school for the holidays I woke up to his hands around my throat, strangling me. I managed to push him off me, I guess he didn’t expect me to fight back, and then I ran to the next door neighbor who called the cops. Turns out he did a lot of damage to my vocal cords and larynx. I had swelling and nerve damage. Didn’t talk for close to a year and when I did I could only speak two or three words before I grew hoarse and sore.
Grandfather went to jail and I got to go to boarding school for most of the year, then during the holidays I’d go stay with Spencer’s family who officially fostered me.
Horror filled her.
“Oh, Rock. I’m so sorry.”
He shrugged as though it didn’t matter. But it did. And she couldn’t stop herself from thinking about her baby.
What if something happened to her?
Should she ask Maggie to be Button’s guardian or something? She needed to make sure that Button was looked after.