Chapter 13
Sloane
Day Four
My eyelids were heavy. I’d been awake for almost twenty-four hours, and my body was on the verge of dropping. I just wanted a bed.
And Rhys.
Once the adrenaline wore off, the exhaustion kicked in, and when Rhys mentioned booking a flight to Denver… For the first time in probably my entire life, I didn’t fight him.
Whether it was the exhaustion or the remnants of the sheer terror felt last night, I had no clue.
But I didn’t care. I didn’t want to be home alone, and as much as I loved Cami, I didn’t want to be in her home either.
I wanted to be far away. I needed miles put between me and that motherfucker if I had any hope of sleeping for the next week.
Our plane had landed, but we had been sitting on the tarmac for almost ten minutes. They made an announcement after the first five minutes, but it was mostly garbled nonsense, so it was hard to tell when we’d be getting off.
Before the flight to Denver, Rhys’s parents picked us up and drove us to the apartment under the guise that they needed to take care of Rookie for the next week.
I wasn’t sure what Rhys told them, but neither Lisa nor Jim asked questions.
They picked us up from Cami’s house, then drove us across town to my apartment, waited for me to pack a bag, and took us to the airport.
I could tell Lisa was concerned, but she just smiled and hugged us tightly before watching us disappear through the airport doors.
Finally, we were instructed to gather our belongings and exit the plane.
The relief that swept through my body when my eyes landed on Rhys was enough to buckle my knees. I didn’t realize how much I needed him until he was jogging towards me. My bag slipped off my shoulders, and within seconds, I was swept into his arms.
The tears were almost immediate. The moment his arms locked around me, the first sob broke through, and I couldn’t seem to get them to stop.
Sob after sob tore through me, and Rhys was there to hold me through it all.
I don’t remember the walk through the airport or climbing into the car.
But I remember the seatbelt winding around me and Rhys’s arm draping over my shoulders as he pulled me into his side. I sighed, feeling safe for the first time in hours. My eyes fluttered shut, and the last thing I remembered was his lips brushing my temple as he whispered, “I got you, baby.”
***
Rhys’s hand was gentle against my cheek, my name the softest whisper on his lips. I could tell he was trying not to startle me.
I peeled my eyes open, feeling as if I’d slept for hours instead of mere minutes on our trip from the airport to the hotel.
It was early. The sun had barely begun its rise over the mountains. The morning air was cool against my skin, though I knew it was a cruel trick. I’d checked the weather for the rest of the week on the flight here, and it was supposed to be nearing ninety-five degrees today.
I slid out of the car, taking Rhys’s hand in mine. My bag was slung over his shoulder, and Dom and Cami were climbing out of the car in front of us. She turned and caught my eye, immediately walking over and wrapping me in a hug.
I was so freaking grateful for Cami and Dom.
“You okay?” Cami asked softly. She eased away, but kept her hands on my shoulders.
“I’m okay. Just a little shaken up, I think. And tired.” I offered her the best smile I could muster.
“Is there anything we can do?”
“God, no. I think you've already done enough. Seriously. Thank you so much.” I pulled her back in for another hug, “Go get some sleep, okay? I’ll be fine.”
Rhys and Dom exchanged some weird manly nods before Dominic grabbed Cami’s bag and led her away.
“You sure you’re okay?”
I looked over at Rhys, the tension and exhaustion weighing just as heavily on him as it did on me. “I am now. Promise. Just tired.”
He smiled softly, his knuckles brushing the length of my jaw. “Let’s get some sleep.”
The ride up to our room was short and thankfully uneventful. Part of me was expecting to run into every single one of his teammates on the way up, and I didn’t have that in me.
He tossed my bag onto the bed next to the window. “Do you want to shower or anything? Or just jump in bed?”
“Bed, please. I’ll shower when I’m certain I can stay awake the whole time.”
He chuckled. “I can step out, give you some privacy.” His thumb hooked over his shoulder as he gestured to the door.
An irrational burst of panic swept through me. I knew that Stu was miles away. We were on the fifteenth floor of a highly secure hotel. He had no way of getting to me. But my body didn’t seem to fully comprehend that.
“No,” I responded quickly. “Don’t leave. Please.”
“Hey, yeah. Okay.” Rhys took a couple of slow steps toward me. “I’m here. I won’t leave. Okay?” I let out a shaky breath as his hands landed on my shoulders. “You’re safe, Pip. I promise.”
I nodded, scrubbing my hands over my face. “I know, I’m sorry. I’m just tired. I’ll be fine after I sleep.”
He nodded, backing away and plopping down onto his bed.
Way past the point of caring, I slipped my sweats off and pulled an oversized shirt out of my bag while Rhys averted his gaze to the ceiling.
Despite the heaviness of the night, I could not help but laugh.
I tugged the shirt over my head and pulled my bra out of the sleeve before walking over to the bed and climbing under the covers.
“You can stop staring at the ceiling now.”
Rhys coughed and scratched at the scruff on his cheek. “Great. Yup. Okay, then. Good… Night.”
I laughed again and pulled the covers up to my chin. “Goodnight, Rhys.”
***
I wasn’t sure how long it had been, but I knew it’d been at least a few hours since I climbed under the covers, and I was still tossing and turning. I saw Stu every time I closed my eyes or heard the blaring horn behind me as I sped away from him.
I couldn’t escape him. Not even in sleep. He wouldn’t even let me do that.
Turning to face the window, I sighed softly when I noticed sunlight poking around the edges of the blackout curtains. It was hopeless. No matter what I did, I couldn’t fall asleep.
I rolled back over to face Rhys’s side of the room.
“Rhys? You awake?”
“Mhmm.”
I sighed again. “I can’t sleep.”
“I can tell,” he replied playfully. His blankets rustled. “C’mere.”
“What?”
“I know you’re tired, but you’re probably also scared. Come here, Pip.”
Slowly, I slid out of my bed and shuffled the short distance to him. It took my eyes a second to adjust to the darkness of the room, but when they finally did, Rhys was towards the middle of the bed. He patted the space next to him.
How many times since birth have we shared a bed? No big deal. I was scared; he was my source of comfort. This was something totally normal to do.
My head was fuzzy with exhaustion, so I caved. I crawled into bed with Rhys, snuggling into his side and resting my head on his arm. His other arm draped over my waist as he pulled me closer, tucking me into his body. Almost instantly, my eyes began to shut.
“Better?” he whispered.
He didn’t seem to notice the way his fingers traced a gentle pattern against the fabric of my shirt.
“Perfect,” I answered, seconds before falling asleep.