me up. Slowly I look up and see a look on Ian’s face, which I’m sure I haven’t seen before.
“What the hell Ally!” Oh crap! He’s angry. “I just….umm, I need the bathroom again.” It takes me a second to realize that small voice is my own. Ian takes a long breath and finally starts to move toward the bathroom. He sets me down by the counter and I suck in air as my feet hit the ground. Damn these sore muscles! “Put your arm on my waist, like before.” Ian walks in a little further until we are in front of the toilet, where he turns around again and waits. God this is humiliating! Before this morning, I had never peed in front of a man, and now I’ve done it twice in one day! I cringe at the thought of having to relieve myself in another way. There is NO way I’m doing that with an audience!
I use Ian’s belt to pull myself up and drag my underwear and sweatpants up with my other hand. After I flush the toilet, he asks over his shoulder, “Okay?” “Okay.” I say as he turns around and helps me walk to the sink. I wash and dry my hands and once again meet his eyes in the mirror. He nods again, and I do the same and then I am scooped up into his arms and carried out. I fully expect him to take me back to the couch, but instead he turns right and walks into my bedroom. After he set me on the bed, he walked out to the living room and is just as quickly back with his laptop and a folder in tow.
“I assume you sleep okay during the day?” He asks with such compassion. “Umm, yes.” I say as he pulls the un-made comforter down further so I can climb under it. “Okay Ally, in you go. You need to sleep.” I scoot down and he puts his hand behind my shoulders and helps me lay back. I watch him walk around the bed, kick off his shoes and lay down next to me.
Chapter 22
~Ian
Boy this woman can be stubborn! I was gone only for forty minutes and when I walk back in she is doubled over against the couch. I don’t know why it infuriated me so much, when she didn’t ask me to stay here—I’m the one who insisted on staying.
Now I’m sitting here on her bed working while she is sleeping next to me. I could easily work from the other room, but I don’t want to leave her here, in this bedroom where the nightmares find her. She says they happen if she sleeps at night, but I can’t take that chance. I can’t watch her do that again.
Her room is bright. The walls are a very warm crème color and her bed and furniture is a light oak. She has the same hardwood floors as I do, and has a huge plush crème colored rug at the foot of the bed. There are several beautiful art pieces around the room, mosaics that catch the light and reflect it back into the room. It is a very soothing room, at least for me.
I hadn’t planned on stopping in at the office until Monday, so when my eyes start to droop when I’m only half way through the document I’m working on, I decide to save it and take a nap too. If I’m going to help Ally stay awake tonight, I’m going to need my rest.
After setting my computer and papers on the nightstand, I climb under the comforter and roll to my side. Ally is lying on her left side facing me. Her hair is fanned around her face and her lips are slightly parted, and I lay there just watching her breathe for several minutes. She seems so peaceful right now, and I don’t want to disturb her, but I can’t help myself as I reach out and gently place her hair behind her ear. When she doesn’t move, I move my hand gently over her scar. “Oh Ally, who did this to you?” I whisper. I want to know more about this woman. She seems so strong at times and so completely broken at others.
***
“Please don’t go! Please don’t leave me!”
“Ian?” “Ian, wake up.” I don’t want to open my eyes, I want so badly to see Laney like she was just in my dream—healthy, happy but walking away? Why was she
“What the hell Ally!” Oh crap! He’s angry. “I just….umm, I need the bathroom again.” It takes me a second to realize that small voice is my own. Ian takes a long breath and finally starts to move toward the bathroom. He sets me down by the counter and I suck in air as my feet hit the ground. Damn these sore muscles! “Put your arm on my waist, like before.” Ian walks in a little further until we are in front of the toilet, where he turns around again and waits. God this is humiliating! Before this morning, I had never peed in front of a man, and now I’ve done it twice in one day! I cringe at the thought of having to relieve myself in another way. There is NO way I’m doing that with an audience!
I use Ian’s belt to pull myself up and drag my underwear and sweatpants up with my other hand. After I flush the toilet, he asks over his shoulder, “Okay?” “Okay.” I say as he turns around and helps me walk to the sink. I wash and dry my hands and once again meet his eyes in the mirror. He nods again, and I do the same and then I am scooped up into his arms and carried out. I fully expect him to take me back to the couch, but instead he turns right and walks into my bedroom. After he set me on the bed, he walked out to the living room and is just as quickly back with his laptop and a folder in tow.
“I assume you sleep okay during the day?” He asks with such compassion. “Umm, yes.” I say as he pulls the un-made comforter down further so I can climb under it. “Okay Ally, in you go. You need to sleep.” I scoot down and he puts his hand behind my shoulders and helps me lay back. I watch him walk around the bed, kick off his shoes and lay down next to me.
Chapter 22
~Ian
Boy this woman can be stubborn! I was gone only for forty minutes and when I walk back in she is doubled over against the couch. I don’t know why it infuriated me so much, when she didn’t ask me to stay here—I’m the one who insisted on staying.
Now I’m sitting here on her bed working while she is sleeping next to me. I could easily work from the other room, but I don’t want to leave her here, in this bedroom where the nightmares find her. She says they happen if she sleeps at night, but I can’t take that chance. I can’t watch her do that again.
Her room is bright. The walls are a very warm crème color and her bed and furniture is a light oak. She has the same hardwood floors as I do, and has a huge plush crème colored rug at the foot of the bed. There are several beautiful art pieces around the room, mosaics that catch the light and reflect it back into the room. It is a very soothing room, at least for me.
I hadn’t planned on stopping in at the office until Monday, so when my eyes start to droop when I’m only half way through the document I’m working on, I decide to save it and take a nap too. If I’m going to help Ally stay awake tonight, I’m going to need my rest.
After setting my computer and papers on the nightstand, I climb under the comforter and roll to my side. Ally is lying on her left side facing me. Her hair is fanned around her face and her lips are slightly parted, and I lay there just watching her breathe for several minutes. She seems so peaceful right now, and I don’t want to disturb her, but I can’t help myself as I reach out and gently place her hair behind her ear. When she doesn’t move, I move my hand gently over her scar. “Oh Ally, who did this to you?” I whisper. I want to know more about this woman. She seems so strong at times and so completely broken at others.
***
“Please don’t go! Please don’t leave me!”
“Ian?” “Ian, wake up.” I don’t want to open my eyes, I want so badly to see Laney like she was just in my dream—healthy, happy but walking away? Why was she
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