Love Always, Damian by D. Nichole King

Author:D. Nichole King [King, D. Nichole]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Limitless Publishing LLC
Published: 2015-05-26T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

Damian

The sound of high-pitched screaming jolts me awake. Ripped from my sleep, I throw back the blankets and jump out of bed, searching for the source. It takes me a second, but I recognize the little voice piercing my ears.

I jog the few the steps to Lia’s bed. She’s sitting up, her favorite blanket clutched to her chest.

I kneel down and reach for her. “Hey. Shhhh. It’s okay. It’s okay.”

Cuddled up against me, she nods, but she’s crying. “I—I—I—”

“Shhh,” I say again to soothe her. It’s what my mother did whenever Liam or I had a nightmare.

“I had—a—a bad—dream,” she sobs.

“It’s all right. You’re all right.”

“I dreamed Mommy came back and took me away, and I never saw you again.”

Her words cut through me. The last few weeks have gone by so fast, and the only times Lia’s not with me is when I visit the cemetery. I kept Cassie’s phone number, but I haven’t called. I’ve been wrapped up in my time with Lia—I haven’t needed to call her.

I don’t talk to Ellie at all when she calls anymore. I taught Lia how to answer my cell and how to hang up, cutting out the middleman between her and her mother. Lia’s never said Ellie’s asked to speak me, so the arrangement works well.

Back to the way it was between Liam’s old girlfriend and me after she left—other than the fact I sleep restlessly because I’m wondering what she’s doing and with whom.

I guess Cassie didn’t completely fuck Ellie out of my head.

“Lia, Lia. That won’t happen, okay? I won’t let that happen,” I tell her.

She glances up at me, the nightlight brightening her eyes. “Can I sleep with you?”

I don’t even stop to consider. “Come on.”

I kiss her head before I pick her up. She cradles her blanket and sticks her thumb back in her mouth. As I carry her to my bed, she leans her head against me. She nestles in, and I hold her closer.

I lay her down on the mattress, her thick blonde hair spilling out over the pillow and tiny bare feet sticking out from under the sheet. While I tuck her in, her eyes fall closed and stay closed.

I round the bed and get back in, facing her. Both of her hands are by her face, her blanket held in her fists. Moonlight flows over her. She’s so precious, so innocent.

She reminds me of Ellie when she sleeps, except for the thumb. I smile as a memory rolls through my mind. I don’t recall why I woke that night, but when I did, Ellie had her head on my chest and one leg woven around mine. Blonde hair tickled my nose.

At first, I wanted to push her away. We had sex, period. Cuddling afterward wasn’t part of our deal.

Yet I didn’t make an effort to move.

She sighed in her sleep, snuggling closer to me, then her arm draped over me and rested against her face, like Lia’s is now.

“Damian,” she murmured.

“Yeah?” I answered.

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