Page 20 of Ravage (The Wellard Asylum #6)

W aking up the next morning proves difficult between still feeling nauseous, and Kole has me wrapped up in his arms. Surprisingly, the sense of safety I feel in his arms is enough to quiet my mind.

I inhale his scent, making me sigh, completely content to stay here all day long.

However, my stomach has other ideas. I push myself out of Kole’s arms, and he groans at the sudden movement as I rush towards the bathroom.

My knees hit the floor with a slam, but I don’t have time to dwell on the pain before I’m heaving up what I ate last night in the porcelain bowl.

My throat is burning from the acid that rushed up it, my head pounding with the exertion.

I feel a hand on my shoulder when I eventually stop puking my guts out.

“What is happening to me?” I whimper out.

“I’ve never felt this bad in my life.” My eyes tear up with annoyance, because I know I’m being a big-ass baby.

“I don’t know, Sloane.” He rubs my back with a comforting hand, letting me whine about how crappy I feel.

“I think I should go back to the hospital. I haven’t gotten any better.” I go to get up from the floor, but the world spins on its axis, sending me tumbling into Kole.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea right now.

Honestly, I think you just need to rest some more.

If you still feel bad tonight, then I’ll take you in.

” He helps me back into bed, tucking me under the covers.

“We never did finish that game of twenty questions.” His voice has a hint of a smile in it.

If I’m honest, I don’t have any desire to play that game, but I also don’t want to sit in silence either.

“Okay then, have you ever had any pets?” I ask, deciding to start out with a simple question.

“I had a dog when I was younger; his name was Meatball. My parents hated him.” He chuckles like he just told a joke. “What’s the worst thing that you’ve ever done?” I have to ponder this, because I don’t think I’ve ever done anything bad.

“Honestly, the worst thing I’ve ever done was accidentally steal a Reese cup from the store, which I felt so bad about that I returned it.

” That gets a full belly laugh out of him.

“Why don’t you have a good relationship with your parents?

” I know asking this question will probably shut him down like the last time, but maybe he’ll take pity on me for feeling so bad.

“Sloane, I don’t—” He raises his voice in irritation, so I cut him off with my own words.

“It’s okay; you don’t have to talk about it.

What’s your favorite season?” I roll over onto my back and stare at the ceiling, wondering when he will ever let me into his head.

I feel like all I’ve done is let him into parts of me that I keep closed off to everyone.

Kole leans his head back into the headboard with a loud sigh, seemingly lost in thought.

“My parents weren’t like yours, Sloane. They were shitty as fuck, and I’m better off without them.

” I open my mouth to reply, but he puts a finger to my lips to silence me.

“I’m not done. My mother was too busy whoring herself around to even remember she had a kid.

And my dad? He’s the one who sent her out to spread her legs for strangers, because ‘her pussy was a money maker’ I was stuck at home with him, being beaten for every little thing that set him off.

” My heart breaks for childhood Kole the more he keeps talking.

“I came home from school one week with all A’s on my report card, so excited to show him, and he beat me black and blue because I interrupted his football game.

” My eyes sting from unshed tears, but I continue to keep my mouth shut, hoping he will tell me more.

I reach down and wrap his hand in mine, rubbing circles on the back of it to calm him.

“I tried to give them both the benefit of the doubt, but the day I turned 18, my father told me that I had to prove my worth to the family. We were sitting on the couch when my mother came in with a man on her arm. He was dressed to the nines in a suit and leather shoes that were too expensive to walk on our crusty carpet.” Kole stops to collect his thoughts, and I squeeze his hand to show him that I’m here.

“My dad said the man was willing to pay five thousand dollars to fuck me in the ass. I remember the man throwing the wad of cash on the table in front of me, scattering trash to the floor. I couldn’t do anything but stare at the money that I knew I would never actually see.

I told them I had to go prep myself and I’d be back.

I went to my room and packed everything I could in a duffle bag and jumped out my window.

Haven’t looked back since. They’re both probably dead for all I know.

” He finishes with a shrug, and I’m so shocked that I’m speechless.

My eyes well with tears that spill down my cheeks without my approval.

Kole looks down at me, his face swimming in my teary vision.

“It’s okay, Sloane. Not everyone gets a normal childhood.

” He swipes my tears away gently, shushing me when I start to blubber about how awful it was for him.

“Hush, I mean I think I turned out okay.” We both stare at each other before bursting out in laughter.

We lay there in content silence until he speaks again, “What’s your favorite season? ” His words are streaked with humor.

“Spring. It’s like a fresh start. Everything that had died off comes back more beautiful than the last time.” I say as a soft smile spreads across my face with my memories of reading in the meadow behind my childhood home.

“You’re beautiful.” Kole says, catching me off guard.

I chuckle as I look over at him in surprise.

“You are. Every time I call you perfect, I truly mean it.” He pushes my hair behind my ear and leans down to give me the most gentle kiss I’ve ever had.

His lips are soft and unhurried as he takes his time, amping up my pleasure and making my toes curl.

My arms curl around his neck on their own accord while I fall deeper into the kiss.

He doesn’t try to go any further, seemingly content on ravaging my lips.

However, my stomach rumbling totally ruins the moment, and we both pull away with a laugh.

“I guess your pussy isn’t the only thing that’s hungry, huh?

” He says with a wicked gleam in his eyes before kissing my forehead and getting out of bed.

“I’ll get you something to eat; hold tight.

” He walks out of the room without a backward glance.

I’m conflicted on what to feel now that I’m left alone to my own devices.

I decide to get out of bed myself and stretch my sore limbs.

Looking around Kole’s room, I finally notice how impersonal it is.

It might as well be a hotel room with how little of him is on the walls or shelves.

I hear pots and pans clattering in the kitchen, and my curiosity gets the better of me.

I search through the room looking for any crumb of Kole’s life I can dig up.

His desk is empty except for a laptop, a few pens, and sticky notes.

I walk towards a door on the other side of the room I have yet to see him open, and all that lies behind it is the closet.

Neatly hanging clothes line the walls, and not a shoe is out of place.

I look around the space, and there isn’t even a tattered box on top of the shelves or a dust bunny for that matter.

With a huff, I leave his closet, crossing my arms over my chest in the middle of the room.

I try to think of where someone so reclusive as Kole would hide his secrets, and the only thing I can think of is under the bed.

But the simplicity of that thought is so absurd it makes me laugh.

I tiptoe over to the door, cracking it open just enough to hear Kole still milling around in the kitchen.

Rushing back over to the bed, I drop to my knees and peek under the bed skirt.

Frustration courses through me when beneath the bed is as spotless as his closet, but then I see a dark object tucked into the very far corner.

Looking back at the door to confirm he’s not standing behind me before I slither under the bed and grab the object, pulling it out into the light.

It’s a small oak box with nothing descriptive on it; just plain polished wood lies before me.

Getting up, I make sure the door is firmly closed before I plop down next to the box again.

Part of me says this is a bad idea to infringe on his privacy, but the other part that is too nosy for their own good wins out on this argument.