Read Online Then Came Indecision (Southern Love #2) by E. L. Todd - Free Book Online
Authors: E. L. Todd
Ads: Link
love how caring and compassionate you are. I admire you for it. But why isn’t it applying to me right now?”
She looked out the window.
“Answer me!”
“Because you’re different.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
She took a d eep breath. “I expect everyone to treat me bad. When they do it, it doesn’t bother me. But with you…I expected nothing but perfection from you. And when you hurt me, it hurt a million times more than it should have.”
He stared at her. “Is that why you still have feelings for this guy? Because you didn’t expect him to be a good guy?”
“No…”
He rested his head on the steering wheel for a moment before he drove the rest of the way home. They were silent as they passed the endless fields. When they arrived at the house, the dogs didn’t move from the porch, recognizing Alexandra through the window.
When they walked inside, it was pitch dark. Martha was already asleep in her bedroom. Only the sound of the creaks of the floorboard could be heard. Alexandra stood there awkwardly.
Paul turned to her. “Let’s go to bed.”
Alexandra was too shaken up to sleep.
Paul walked into her bedroom.
Now Alexandra was confused. She followed him and saw him pull his jeans off. “What are you doing?”
“Don’t start,” he snapped.
“Don’t start what?”
“I’m sleeping with you.”
She stared at him. “Your bed is on the couch.”
He stared her down. “No.”
“No?”
“I can’t sleep unless I feel you in my arms. I need to know you’re safe. My world almost ended. You will do this for me, Alex. I won’t do anything but hold you. You have my word.”
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“I’ll turn around so you can change.” He faced the opposite wall, standing in his boxers. She stared at the outline of muscles in his back, seeing every groove. After a moment, she pulled his shirt off and dropped the remains of her dress. She returned his shirt to her body then got into bed.
“Are you done?” he asked.
“Yeah,” she said quietly.
He came to bed and got under the covers. His arms immediately hooked around her waist and dragged her to his chest. He buried his face in her neck, breathing deeply. His chest pushed against her back every time it expanded. Alexandra knew how upset he was by listening to him. His heart thudded against her back, racing like it would give out.
Paul kissed her neck then her head before he lied still. His hand never left her waist. It was large enough to span her stomach. They hadn’t slept together in months. Alexandra thought it would be weird but it wasn’t. It felt like it did months ago before everything fell apart.
When she reflected on the events of the night, she thought she would feel panicked and scared. But she didn’t. Feeling Paul next to her, his large body wrapped around her, assuaged any fear she had. Nothing could hurt her when he was watching over her. She was safe.
Chapter Eleven
Blaise was more frustrated than he’d ever been. The specialist was out of town so they’d been waiting days for his return. Blaise just wanted to fly home and return later, but he knew that would be a waste of time.
The worst part was being away from Alexandra. Danielle was finally out of the house and out of his life forever, and he wanted to scream the news from the highest mountain. He could finally tell Alexandra everything and hope for the best. Knowing how much pain she was in made it a million times worse. She was suffering for no reason. But it gave him peace of mind that she still loved him just as much as she did before. She wouldn’t have called if she felt otherwise.
His phone rang in his pocket, and he pulled it out quickly, hoping to see Alexandra’s name on the screen. He sighed when he realized it wasn’t her.
“Hello?”
“Hey,” Danielle said quietly.
“What?” he snapped.
“What the hell is your problem?” She sighed into the phone. “You haven’t checked on me
She looked out the window.
“Answer me!”
“Because you’re different.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
She took a d eep breath. “I expect everyone to treat me bad. When they do it, it doesn’t bother me. But with you…I expected nothing but perfection from you. And when you hurt me, it hurt a million times more than it should have.”
He stared at her. “Is that why you still have feelings for this guy? Because you didn’t expect him to be a good guy?”
“No…”
He rested his head on the steering wheel for a moment before he drove the rest of the way home. They were silent as they passed the endless fields. When they arrived at the house, the dogs didn’t move from the porch, recognizing Alexandra through the window.
When they walked inside, it was pitch dark. Martha was already asleep in her bedroom. Only the sound of the creaks of the floorboard could be heard. Alexandra stood there awkwardly.
Paul turned to her. “Let’s go to bed.”
Alexandra was too shaken up to sleep.
Paul walked into her bedroom.
Now Alexandra was confused. She followed him and saw him pull his jeans off. “What are you doing?”
“Don’t start,” he snapped.
“Don’t start what?”
“I’m sleeping with you.”
She stared at him. “Your bed is on the couch.”
He stared her down. “No.”
“No?”
“I can’t sleep unless I feel you in my arms. I need to know you’re safe. My world almost ended. You will do this for me, Alex. I won’t do anything but hold you. You have my word.”
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“I’ll turn around so you can change.” He faced the opposite wall, standing in his boxers. She stared at the outline of muscles in his back, seeing every groove. After a moment, she pulled his shirt off and dropped the remains of her dress. She returned his shirt to her body then got into bed.
“Are you done?” he asked.
“Yeah,” she said quietly.
He came to bed and got under the covers. His arms immediately hooked around her waist and dragged her to his chest. He buried his face in her neck, breathing deeply. His chest pushed against her back every time it expanded. Alexandra knew how upset he was by listening to him. His heart thudded against her back, racing like it would give out.
Paul kissed her neck then her head before he lied still. His hand never left her waist. It was large enough to span her stomach. They hadn’t slept together in months. Alexandra thought it would be weird but it wasn’t. It felt like it did months ago before everything fell apart.
When she reflected on the events of the night, she thought she would feel panicked and scared. But she didn’t. Feeling Paul next to her, his large body wrapped around her, assuaged any fear she had. Nothing could hurt her when he was watching over her. She was safe.
Chapter Eleven
Blaise was more frustrated than he’d ever been. The specialist was out of town so they’d been waiting days for his return. Blaise just wanted to fly home and return later, but he knew that would be a waste of time.
The worst part was being away from Alexandra. Danielle was finally out of the house and out of his life forever, and he wanted to scream the news from the highest mountain. He could finally tell Alexandra everything and hope for the best. Knowing how much pain she was in made it a million times worse. She was suffering for no reason. But it gave him peace of mind that she still loved him just as much as she did before. She wouldn’t have called if she felt otherwise.
His phone rang in his pocket, and he pulled it out quickly, hoping to see Alexandra’s name on the screen. He sighed when he realized it wasn’t her.
“Hello?”
“Hey,” Danielle said quietly.
“What?” he snapped.
“What the hell is your problem?” She sighed into the phone. “You haven’t checked on me