Page 32 of The Destruction You Desire

"Please," he whispers, making a shudder race down my spine.

Squeezing my eyes closed, I fight back any kind of reassurance that wants to fall from my lips. He doesn't deserve to hear those words from me, he doesn't deserve to hear that I'm here for him, that I'll support him in any way through whatever it is he's going through right now.

Having said that though, as I lie there in his arms and surrounded by his, albeit whisky-infused scent, I find my body getting heavy with my own exhaustion.

I tell myself I'll just give it ten minutes, let him fall back into a heavy sleep once more and then I'll slip out confident that he's okay. I can call an Uber and get home to do work on my assignment.

I awake with a start sometime later and attempt to sit up but the deadweight of Luca still pins me to the bed. Forcing my eyes open, I find the room in total darkness, my brows pull together, knowing that there was a light on when I fell onto the bed.

Not allowing myself to dwell on it, I twist around to look at Luca.

He's fast asleep, his dark lashes resting down on his cheekbones, his full lips parted and the lower half of his face covered in weeks worth of scruff, hiding what I know is a square jaw beneath.

His brow is furrowed even in his sleep, showing just how tormented he is with everything in his life right now.

Knowing I need to leave before he wakes up, I slip out from under his heavy arm and tiptoe across the room.

It's not until I'm at the door that he moves. I freeze, holding my breath as he rolls onto his front but thankfully, he doesn't wake up.

I manage to get out of the house unnoticed, ordering an Uber as I do so. I only loiter on the sidewalk for a couple of minutes before a car pulls up to take me home.

It's long past midnight when I let myself back into Aunt Fee's house. It's dark, so the last thing I expect when I step into the kitchen is for someone to speak.

"Bit early for the walk of shame, isn't it?"

My heart thunders in my chest as I turn to the dark figure leaning against the counter.

Slamming my hand on the switch, I turn the light on.

"Jesus, Elijah. What the hell?"

"Sorry," he mutters, lifting a glass to his lips.

"Well, it's good to see you're still alive," I scoff, pulling the refrigerator open.

"Could say the same thing about you."

"Yeah, how'd that 'I'll keep you safe' thing work out for you?"

"A blonde happened," he confesses with a shrug. Although to be safe, he does look a little regretful.

"Yeah, I saw. Everything you hoped she'd be?"

"You have no idea. Listen though," he says somewhat nervously, lifting his hand to the back of his neck. "I'm sorry I bailed on you. Mom ripped me a new one when I got back."

"It's fine, E. I don't need a babysitter."

"What happened with Luca?"

I sigh, mimicking his stance at the opposite counter. "I dunno. He's a mess. I got trashed. He took me home, took care of me… kind of."

"Mom said Leon came to meet Kayden."

I can't help the smile that curls at my lips as the memory of the two of them playing this afternoon fills my mind along with Kayden's smiling face.

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure it was the best day of Kayden's life."

"How'd Leon take the news? I'm assuming good, seeing as he spent most of the afternoon here."