more. “Julian.” This time I felt her touch, I felt the warmth beneath her hand as it rested lightly against my cold chest. How? How was she here?
“Julian?”
I slowly peeled my eyes open and startled when I saw her face hovering just inches above mine.
“Julian, it’s okay. I’m here,” she soothed.
I bolted upright and my panicked eyes frantically searched my surroundings. I hadn’t been here before. I was sitting on a small bed, a plum coloured duvet tangled tightly around my heavy legs. There was a small oak dresser to the left of the bed and on that dresser stood a mirror and a collection of bottles and various items. My head snapped to my right and my gaze lingered on the squared chipboard that held what looked like photographs. I narrowed my eyes as I studied the four different female faces that I could just about pick out. One was Emily, there was no doubt about that as her brilliantly glowing blue eyes stared straight back at me, and in her arms was a small child, a baby whose eyes were familiar somehow, they were exactly like Emily’s, only marginally larger in her smaller face. The third face held the same child in her arms whilst her other arm circled Emily’s shoulder. And, the fourth face I hadn’t seen before. This one was a stranger to me, although her delicate features looked familiar.
“Julian, are you awake?” Emily whispered in a strangled voice.
I gasped aloud as I fully awoke and saw Emily’s beautiful face blanketed by a heavy sheet of concern, her brows deepened by her frown.
Emily’s bedroom, I concluded. I rubbed at my eyes with my trembling fingertips and slapped at my cheeks - just to be sure that I was actually awake.
“Julian?”
“Yeah, I’m awake.” My voice sounded husky, thick with sleep.
“Are you okay?” She stroked a gentle hand across my forehead, removing my moistened locks and pushing them back to join the rest of my hair in their correct position.
“I am now, come here.” I wrapped my arm tightly around her waist and hauled her body up and onto my lap. Then I held her there, feeling her warm breath breeze across my naked chest as her shoulders rose and fell. I had never been more grateful for that simple pleasure. She was here, and she was safe in my arms. At least for now.
“Julian. Have you got to work?”
I opened my eyes slowly only to quickly squeeze them closed again as the bright mornings light seeped in through the thin material of the curtains. “What time is it?” I mumbled.
“Eight thirty. I wasn’t sure whether to wake you.”
I suppose my answer to her question should have been yes, I had to work, but I didn’t want to leave her. I didn’t want to separate myself from her ever again, in fact. I was growing far too dependent on Emily. The mere thought of her not being at my side made my chest tighten, and it scared the life out of me. But at the same time, I relished in it. I thought about it for a few seconds and then decided no, I didn’t have to work. Ryan knew well enough by now that if I wasn’t in the head office by 9a.m, then I wasn’t going to be at any other point during that day. He would automatically re-schedule any meetings where my presence was a must, and anything else, he would stand in on my behalf. I was sure he would soon tire of the extra pressure my obsession with Emily was putting on his work day, but until then, I would take full advantage of his loyalty.
“No, I don’t need to work.”
I squinted almost painfully as I glanced across to where Emily sat, in front of the small wooden framed mirror. Her lips pouted dramatically as she struggled to tie a band around her hair that she was holding high at the back of her head. She always pouted whenever she concentrated on anything, it really was very cute. She finally managed to snap the band into place and then twisted around in her chair to look at me. I loved her hair like that, all scraped back off her face and piled into a messy heap, it exaggerated
“Julian?”
I slowly peeled my eyes open and startled when I saw her face hovering just inches above mine.
“Julian, it’s okay. I’m here,” she soothed.
I bolted upright and my panicked eyes frantically searched my surroundings. I hadn’t been here before. I was sitting on a small bed, a plum coloured duvet tangled tightly around my heavy legs. There was a small oak dresser to the left of the bed and on that dresser stood a mirror and a collection of bottles and various items. My head snapped to my right and my gaze lingered on the squared chipboard that held what looked like photographs. I narrowed my eyes as I studied the four different female faces that I could just about pick out. One was Emily, there was no doubt about that as her brilliantly glowing blue eyes stared straight back at me, and in her arms was a small child, a baby whose eyes were familiar somehow, they were exactly like Emily’s, only marginally larger in her smaller face. The third face held the same child in her arms whilst her other arm circled Emily’s shoulder. And, the fourth face I hadn’t seen before. This one was a stranger to me, although her delicate features looked familiar.
“Julian, are you awake?” Emily whispered in a strangled voice.
I gasped aloud as I fully awoke and saw Emily’s beautiful face blanketed by a heavy sheet of concern, her brows deepened by her frown.
Emily’s bedroom, I concluded. I rubbed at my eyes with my trembling fingertips and slapped at my cheeks - just to be sure that I was actually awake.
“Julian?”
“Yeah, I’m awake.” My voice sounded husky, thick with sleep.
“Are you okay?” She stroked a gentle hand across my forehead, removing my moistened locks and pushing them back to join the rest of my hair in their correct position.
“I am now, come here.” I wrapped my arm tightly around her waist and hauled her body up and onto my lap. Then I held her there, feeling her warm breath breeze across my naked chest as her shoulders rose and fell. I had never been more grateful for that simple pleasure. She was here, and she was safe in my arms. At least for now.
“Julian. Have you got to work?”
I opened my eyes slowly only to quickly squeeze them closed again as the bright mornings light seeped in through the thin material of the curtains. “What time is it?” I mumbled.
“Eight thirty. I wasn’t sure whether to wake you.”
I suppose my answer to her question should have been yes, I had to work, but I didn’t want to leave her. I didn’t want to separate myself from her ever again, in fact. I was growing far too dependent on Emily. The mere thought of her not being at my side made my chest tighten, and it scared the life out of me. But at the same time, I relished in it. I thought about it for a few seconds and then decided no, I didn’t have to work. Ryan knew well enough by now that if I wasn’t in the head office by 9a.m, then I wasn’t going to be at any other point during that day. He would automatically re-schedule any meetings where my presence was a must, and anything else, he would stand in on my behalf. I was sure he would soon tire of the extra pressure my obsession with Emily was putting on his work day, but until then, I would take full advantage of his loyalty.
“No, I don’t need to work.”
I squinted almost painfully as I glanced across to where Emily sat, in front of the small wooden framed mirror. Her lips pouted dramatically as she struggled to tie a band around her hair that she was holding high at the back of her head. She always pouted whenever she concentrated on anything, it really was very cute. She finally managed to snap the band into place and then twisted around in her chair to look at me. I loved her hair like that, all scraped back off her face and piled into a messy heap, it exaggerated
Similar Books
