Life With HIM: Rennillia Series Prequel (Companion Novelette) Read Online Free PDF Page A

to breath. I didn’t want to take a bath. I wanted to go to sleep. At the moment, I couldn’t even remember what started the fight in the first place. All I knew was this was the worst fight we ever had.
    I slid into the warm water and it burned. Tears , that refused to subside, poured down my cheeks. Looking at Henley sitting on the bathroom floor staring at the wall instead of me, I knew it was bad.
      Taking slow shallow breaths, I asked, “Are you ok?”
      “I didn’t mean to hurt you that bad,” he mumbled.
      Nodding, I consoled, “I know,” before saying, “Look at me.”
      His breath grew heavy as he narrowed his eyes at me, swearing, “I will take care of you until you get better.”
      “I wanna get out,” I said before noticing his expression and clarifying, “Out of the tub.”
    Slowly standing up, he grabbed a towel and lifted me out of the bathtub.
    Finding it hard to stand on my own , I held onto his arm as he carefully dried me off. Every time I tried to glance at myself in the mirror, he moved blocking my view.
      Helping me to the bed, he questioned, “Why did you make me do this to you?”
      “I’m sorry,” I whispered, wondering why myself.
    My father always said I didn’t know my place. What was wrong with me?
      As he slowly pulled the covers over me , I assured, “I need you.”
      Sliding into bed next to me, he pulled my back against him, saying, “I’ll be gentle.”
    ~
    Henley fell asleep almost instantly. Lying on my back, his head was against mine and I could feel his breath on my shoulder. In the years since I met him that was one thing I could never get over. No matter what the situation was, feeing his breath on any part of me always brought me back to the first time he brought me to his house.
    ~
    I couldn’t fall asleep. Whether it was the dull ache in my body or of my mind, I had grown accustomed to both. It was hard for me to imagine life any other way. I would never survive without Henley. I needed him and for him to need me in return, was more than I could have ever hoped for.
    Every time I closed my eyes, I could see my father’s face and almost hear him saying the same things to me as Henley said. Guilt filled me as I wished I could go back and tell my father I was sorry. There wasn’t a moment growing up that I didn’t make things more difficult for him and most of the time it was intentional.
    Recalling the day my mother sat on the side of my bed, trying to defend my father’s actions to me. She asked me what I would do if I had though my life would turn out one way and it didn’t. At the time, I was so mad at her and my father, I didn’t actually listen to what she was saying. The more I thought about it, the more I realized, I still didn’t know the answer to that question. I didn’t have a plan for my life. I never planned for my future or thought of what would happen to me when I grew up. Maybe that was my problem. With no goals or aspirations, what did I have to lose by not following rules or giving into authority.
    Finally feeling myself drift off, I decided, this is where I belonged. Henley was my life.
      ~L~w~H~
    It took a few months before I healed enough , outside and inside, to have lunch with Emerson. He was sitting at a table in a local restaurant. Trying to prepare myself for the way he looked at me, I took slow controlled breaths. Emerson never asked questions or gave advice, he just assured me that he was there and always would be.
    Sliding into the seat across from him, I watched his thoughtful eyes look me over.
      “I am glad you came,” he assured in a soft voice.
      Nodding, I said, “I am too.”
      Looking down as the waiter brought our food to the table, he shared, “I ordered for you.”
      Since I had missed several lunches with him, I questioned, “ What if I hadn’t shown up?”
      With a light sigh Emerson replied, “I always do, whether you show up or not.”
      Feeling my jaw clench as my eyes