Not Broken: The Happily Ever After(58)

“Can you honestly tell me had you known, you wouldn’t have treated me differently? More so than you already were?” She sounded tired. Defeated.

“Hell yes, I would have, but not for the reason you think. You went through an impossible and traumatic experience. No one expected you to be fine whether we knew that part or not. If you needed to scream, cry, punch someone, whatever, that’s what you needed to do.”

I took a step forward. She shook her head.

“I would have been there, by your side the whole way through, trying harder to make sure you knew you weren’t alone. Making sure you knew you had someone to take care of you when you couldn’t take care of yourself. I fucking love you, Calida! I would have been there to make sure you felt it even when you didn’t realize it.”

I stared into her red-brimmed eyes. Seeing her like this, so lost and deflated, all fight drained from me. I pinched the bridge of my nose, and mentally counted to ten. Since learning about what he’d done, I’d racked my brain to figure out why she felt like she had to keep it a secret, and now it made sense. She didn’t trust us.

She’d resorted to putting on this act, pretending, all while hiding her deepest pain from all of us. We’d failed her. I’d failed her.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I put that kind of pressure on you. And I’m sorry that because of it, you had to keep everything in. We’ve made you feel alone in this, but you’re not. I’m here. I’ll always be here for you. In whatever way you need me to be.”

She drew in a shaky breath before dropping down onto the bed, and burying her face in her hands. Without hesitation, I crossed the room, and pulled her into my arms when I took a seat beside her.

“I’m so tired. I...I just don’t know anymore. I’m so tired.”

I kissed the top of her head. “Get some sleep. The bed is very comfortable.”

I started to get up, but she stopped me. “Stay with me.”

I thought about telling her no. I didn’t want her to wake up and possibly freak out in the morning, but she was so frail and vulnerable that I couldn’t leave her.

“Okay, just let me get changed.”

“For what?”

“Because sleeping in jeans would be hella uncomfortable.”

She sat up and gave me a shy smile. “But I thought you said you slept in nothing.”





Chapter 32


Malcolm





I was at a loss on how to respond.

“I don’t want you to be uncomfortable in your house.”

“Uh, I’ll be fine in a pair of gym shorts. No biggie.”

She leaned forward, kissing me for the second time. With her lips still pressed against mine, she whispered the last words I expected to hear. “Make love to me, Malcolm.”

I took in a sharp breath. What the hell was happening right now? “I’m...I’m going to take the couch. You...you should get some sleep.”

I stood, and she did the same. “I thought you said you wanted me.”

My head fell forward. Fuck! I didn’t want to put any more cracks in her fragile spirit, but I needed to let her know this was a bad idea. She stepped closer, resting her hands on the waistband of my jeans.

“Baby, I do, but tonight is not the right time. You’re emotional, it’s been a long night—”

One hand wandered to the front of my pants and stroked the outline of my cock. Rational thought flew out the window.

She stretched up, placing a kiss on my chin. “That’s exactly why I need to. I don’t want to be scared anymore. I want you to make love to me,” she said, slowly unzipping my pants until my dick sprang free.

“Baby, please, it’s too soon.”

Her warm hand wrapped around my throbbing cock and slid down the length at a tortuously slow pace, drawing a low groan from me and cutting off my objection.

“It’s been two years, Malcolm. Two years of me hiding. Two years of me being ashamed. Two years of dealing with the nightmares and memories of everything that happened. I need to be reminded that it’s not about pain and anger. Please, Malcolm,” she begged softly. “I need you to remind me, to show me what’s good. Let me feel your love.”

Those last words were my undoing. I leaned down to kiss her. Her hand abandoned my dick, and she wrapped her arms around my neck, kissing me with a desperate passion. We walked back toward the bed, breaking from the kiss when my legs hit the mattress. I took a seat on the edge of the bed. She stood between my legs, gently chewing on her bottom lip. I watched her face for signs of distress as I ran my hands under her shirt. When I started to lift it off, Calida leaned to turn off the light, but I stopped her.

“I want to see you.”

She shook her head.

“Yes, baby. You said no more hiding.”

Taking a deep breath, Calida closed her eyes before lifting her shirt over her head, and dropping it to the floor. I stared at her as she stood before me topless. Her breasts rose and fell with the steady breaths she took. Her nipples were tight, rosy buds begging to be sucked. She was beautiful, but as my eyes journeyed farther north, I saw she was terrified. Her eyes remained closed, and her lips were pressed together in a tight line.

I put my hands on her waist, bringing her closer. “Look at me…Ginger.”