Page 18

Chapter Eighteen

Adelaide

I slowly opened my eyes, locking them on Joey’s darker ones. He was kneeling beside the bed in front of me, his eyes running over my face. “Hey, pretty girl,” he quietly greeted me as he reached up to run the tips of his fingers over my face.

“Hi,” I whispered. I swallowed thickly, tears burning in my eyes. “I missed you,” I croaked. “It hurt so fucking much to think that you were gone?—”

“ Easy ,” he soothed as he cupped my cheek, brushing his thumb over my cheekbone. “You know I’ll never leave you. That has always been my one promise to you. Always remember that promise, pretty girl.”

I sniffled as a tear ran down my cheek. “You’re my rock, Joey. I can’t ever lose you. It’ll fucking kill me.”

He gave me a tender smile, one that warmed my heart and melted my soul. “I’ll be your rock for as long as you need me to be,” he promised. I smiled at him—a broken smile. He was the only man I’d ever let see just how shattered I was inside. “Always so fucking pretty,” he breathed. Leaning forward, he smoothed his lips over mine. I softly sighed into the kiss, reaching up to clutch his shirt in my fist, holding him with me.

“We may fight, and we may clash heads, but you fucking hold me with you for as long as you need me, pretty girl.” A tear ran down my cheek, and my chin wobbled. “Tristan tries, baby, but he doesn’t see you . So, you hold me with you for as long as you need.”

I audibly swallowed as I nodded. “Lay with me?” I quietly asked him.

I slid over on the bed, allowing him to slide beneath the covers with me. He instantly wrapped his arms around me, holding me close to him. I snuggled further against him, desperately needing every part of him wrapped around me at that moment. “I know things are different, Adelaide.” My throat closed up with an impending breakdown. I wasn’t ready to hear this. “It’s not just me anymore. I know that. But something in my gut tells me that it’s not going to be just Tristan, either. It doesn’t end with him either, pretty girl.”

“It may,” I whispered, my voice breaking. All I knew at that moment was that I wanted Joey though. To hell with everyone else.

Joey shook his head. “The vibe between you two… it doesn’t sit right with me. You’ve changed. Quite frankly, you’ve changed too much for you two to ever fit together again.” He drew in a deep breath. “Adelaide, when that man comes along that warms your soul, that sets you on fucking fire, you need to let this go between us.”

I clutched his shirt in my fist, shaking my head. “Never,” I croaked.

Joey sighed as he brushed his lips to the top of my head. “You will. I know you will.” He tightened his arms around me. “Just go to sleep, pretty girl.”

I shut my eyes, not wanting Joey to know how much he was ripping my heart apart. I knew things were coming to an end between us.

But I would hold him with me for as long as I could.