Bear My Soul by Joyce T. S

Author:Joyce, T. S. [Joyce, T. S.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2015-05-03T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Cody sat on the edge of the bed with his back to her. He was fighting a fear she could only imagine. Whatever his bond with Sarah had done before Rory had come along, it had scarred him deeply.

Slowly, she crawled to him and placed her hand on the hardened cords of muscle in his back. It took minutes of her rubbing gently over the entire expanse for him to relax under her touch.

“The scariest day of my life was when I had Aaron,” she admitted for the first time out loud. “I was sure I wouldn’t be good enough, fit enough, firm enough. I was just afraid I wouldn’t be enough. My mom disowned me when she found out I was having a child out of wedlock. She is conservative about things like that. My friends were twenty and in college. They were clubbing and drinking and worrying about final exams while I was growing a baby. I had no one except for Aunt Leona, and she lived states away. I had Aaron alone. No one was in the hospital room holding my hand or telling me everything would be all right, and I was so scared. I don’t know what happened between you and Sarah, but I know that look on your face because I’ve seen it in the mirror many times. If you’re scared of me, Cody Keller, I want you to know that you are enough.”

“You’ll leave,” he said low. “And not just in a few days. Someday you’ll see everything. All of the terrible things I’ve done to protect my people. The lines I’ve crossed. You’ll see how dark I am inside, and you’ll run and never look back.”

“I’m not running anymore. I’ll stay. All you have to do is ask.”

His gaze jerked to hers. “You’ll stay here? You and Aaron? With me?”

“A bond is a big thing, right?”

A nod as he pivoted his shoulders and rubbed her thigh with his warm hand.

“And it would hurt you if I took Aaron and left?”

A wince and another nod.

“Well,” she said, heart in her throat. “It would hurt me deeply, too. I can’t imagine driving away anymore. I don’t want to break up the family we have. And I don’t care if it isn’t like others. If we aren’t married or if we’re still calling ourselves ‘friends.’ Our family can be different because we’re different. All I know is Aaron…” She paused as tears burned her eyes and she tried to regain control of herself. “Aaron has never smiled so much. And for me? I’ve never been happier than when I’m with you. I broke your bond with Sarah because you didn’t belong with her. You belong with me.”

A hopeful smile, soft and slow, transformed his face. “Are we really doing this?”

“If you’ll have us. I mean, I’ll have to find a job here and a place to live and—”

Cody’s lips collided with hers, and he pulled her over his lap until she straddled his hips. “We’ll figure everything out,” he promised.

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