stand to hug him.
“Yep, I’m good,” he lies, avoiding my eyes. “I love you,” he says quickly, kissing me on the cheek and walking through the living room towards JT’s room where he’ll be sleeping.
After shutting lights off and locking up, I’m eager to head to bed myself. Not only have I had an insanely emotional day, I’ve barely spent any of it with Drake.
I’m thanking God for the hundredth time at least today for bringing me the miracle I’ve been praying for nearly two years as I walk past Jack’s room.
When I hear a muffled sob through the door, my heart shatters .
Chapter Four
Chase
The harsh light coming in through the living room window behind us wakes me. Rubbing my eyes, I glance down to where Sophie is still lying across my chest, clenching the fabric of my shirt into her small fists. I can tell by her breathing that she’s awake, although she remains silent. Running my hand over the small of her back affectionately, her eyelashes flutter slightly, but she doesn’t move or speak.
“Good morning, Baby,” I whisper as I bend slightly to kiss her hair.
“ Morning,” she says almost silently, her raspy voice sounding even more empty and drained than it had last night.
Her body is trembling slightly against mine. I glance down to see that the jacket I’d covered her with had slipped off of her shoulders while we slept, leaving her arms exposed.
“You cold?” I ask her, moving my hand down to reach for my heavy jacket and pull it back over her.
“I don’t know,” she says softly with a slight shrug.
Keeping my hands under the jacket, I begin rubbing life back into her arms, trying to help her snap out of the trance she’s in.
“ Babe?” I whisper, worry filling my mind when I get no response. “Sophie, look at me, Sweetheart.”
Slowly, she raises her head and brings her eyes to mine. Her eyes are red and swollen from crying. The desperation there makes my heart ache.
“Are you alright, Baby?”
“I don’t know,” she whispers, her lip quivering and eyes filling with tears.
“It’s okay, Baby,” I say softly, cradling her in my arms and kissing her on the forehead. “Don’t cry.”
“Am I crying?” she says in the same lifeless tone, touching her fingertips to her cheek before examining the tears left behind on her hand.
After wiping her tears away, I tuck her into the crook of my neck, loving the smell of her. I softly begin singing the opening lyrics of ‘Come Back Baby’ by Ray Charles into her hair. Wrapping her arms around my waist as best she can, Sophie nuzzles into my chest, causing me to let out a sigh.
I’ll admit I’ve been freaking the hell out over how Jack’s return would affect her, affect us . I’m still not sure what’s going to happen, but it’s hard to think of anything else when she’s lying in my arms.
“We have to go to the hotel,” I say softly after a few moments. “We need to get our things, check out.”
“Okay,” she answers so low, I barely hear her.
“You need to eat breakfast. You didn’t eat anything yesterday.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“Well, humor me then,” I say, gripping her thighs and raising up to stand. “Hang on to me, Baby.”
Walking into the kitchen, I set her onto the counter. I open the fridge, finding the orange juice and pouring her a glass.
“I don’t want this,” she says, her voice still low as she wrinkles her nose up at me after taking a sip. “It tastes like ass.”
“I’ll drink it,” I say with a small smile as I take it from her. “You still need to get something in your stomach, Babe. We’ll stop somewhere on the way back.”
“Are we leaving today?” she asks nervously, causing my heart to drop.
“Well,” I start, releasing a breath as I stand in front of her, watching her features. “I was planning on it. I think Drake and Ana are leaving soon, too.” When she lets out a sigh of her own, I reach up, pushing the stray
“Yep, I’m good,” he lies, avoiding my eyes. “I love you,” he says quickly, kissing me on the cheek and walking through the living room towards JT’s room where he’ll be sleeping.
After shutting lights off and locking up, I’m eager to head to bed myself. Not only have I had an insanely emotional day, I’ve barely spent any of it with Drake.
I’m thanking God for the hundredth time at least today for bringing me the miracle I’ve been praying for nearly two years as I walk past Jack’s room.
When I hear a muffled sob through the door, my heart shatters .
Chapter Four
Chase
The harsh light coming in through the living room window behind us wakes me. Rubbing my eyes, I glance down to where Sophie is still lying across my chest, clenching the fabric of my shirt into her small fists. I can tell by her breathing that she’s awake, although she remains silent. Running my hand over the small of her back affectionately, her eyelashes flutter slightly, but she doesn’t move or speak.
“Good morning, Baby,” I whisper as I bend slightly to kiss her hair.
“ Morning,” she says almost silently, her raspy voice sounding even more empty and drained than it had last night.
Her body is trembling slightly against mine. I glance down to see that the jacket I’d covered her with had slipped off of her shoulders while we slept, leaving her arms exposed.
“You cold?” I ask her, moving my hand down to reach for my heavy jacket and pull it back over her.
“I don’t know,” she says softly with a slight shrug.
Keeping my hands under the jacket, I begin rubbing life back into her arms, trying to help her snap out of the trance she’s in.
“ Babe?” I whisper, worry filling my mind when I get no response. “Sophie, look at me, Sweetheart.”
Slowly, she raises her head and brings her eyes to mine. Her eyes are red and swollen from crying. The desperation there makes my heart ache.
“Are you alright, Baby?”
“I don’t know,” she whispers, her lip quivering and eyes filling with tears.
“It’s okay, Baby,” I say softly, cradling her in my arms and kissing her on the forehead. “Don’t cry.”
“Am I crying?” she says in the same lifeless tone, touching her fingertips to her cheek before examining the tears left behind on her hand.
After wiping her tears away, I tuck her into the crook of my neck, loving the smell of her. I softly begin singing the opening lyrics of ‘Come Back Baby’ by Ray Charles into her hair. Wrapping her arms around my waist as best she can, Sophie nuzzles into my chest, causing me to let out a sigh.
I’ll admit I’ve been freaking the hell out over how Jack’s return would affect her, affect us . I’m still not sure what’s going to happen, but it’s hard to think of anything else when she’s lying in my arms.
“We have to go to the hotel,” I say softly after a few moments. “We need to get our things, check out.”
“Okay,” she answers so low, I barely hear her.
“You need to eat breakfast. You didn’t eat anything yesterday.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“Well, humor me then,” I say, gripping her thighs and raising up to stand. “Hang on to me, Baby.”
Walking into the kitchen, I set her onto the counter. I open the fridge, finding the orange juice and pouring her a glass.
“I don’t want this,” she says, her voice still low as she wrinkles her nose up at me after taking a sip. “It tastes like ass.”
“I’ll drink it,” I say with a small smile as I take it from her. “You still need to get something in your stomach, Babe. We’ll stop somewhere on the way back.”
“Are we leaving today?” she asks nervously, causing my heart to drop.
“Well,” I start, releasing a breath as I stand in front of her, watching her features. “I was planning on it. I think Drake and Ana are leaving soon, too.” When she lets out a sigh of her own, I reach up, pushing the stray
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