Page 24 of Follow Me

“I’ll be there, sweetheart.” He took a deep breath and silently blew it out. “I haven’t talked to Mom yet. Do you want me to tell her you’re home?”

“Oh. Um, no. I’ll call her tomorrow. I’m afraid she might try to come over tonight. I just…I need…”

He heard her sniffle and it took every ounce of will he had to remain in his chair and not jump in his truck and race home to comfort her.

“I know you’re scared,” she finally said. “I’m scared, too. But I had practically no privacy there. I’veneverlived alone, Kel.Ever. I’mnotpushing you away—I’mnot. I need a hard reset. Ineedthis, for now, because I’ve never had it before.”

He didn’t know what to say that was right. It felt like he was surrounded by an emotional minefield where he’d emerge unscathed but any misstep on his part would brutally slaughter her. “I know, sweetheart. You told me. If this is what you need, you need to do it. I’m behind you one-hundred-percent.”

There. Hopefully that was supportive enough.

And didn’t give away how he felt like he was dying inside.

“Thank you. You don’t know how much that means to me. I’m going to go put the clothes in the dryer and get ready for bed. I’ll text you when I wake up tomorrow.”

“Okay, sweetheart. Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

She ended the call and he couldn’t ignore how his heart ached that she hadn’t called him Sir or Master.

He thought about her day collar sitting on the dresser upstairs and wondered if he’d ever again have the chance to put it on her.