Protective Heart by Brighton Walsh

Author:Brighton Walsh [Walsh, Brighton]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781685180201
Publisher: Bright Publishing LLC

Chapter Fifteen

Beck

For as long as I’d lived here, this had been my sacred space. The one place I could go and not have to contend with anyone else. I didn’t even invite Ford out here, and he was closer to me than anyone.

But I couldn’t deny that it felt natural to have Everly here beside me.

Most people wouldn’t be impressed with it. There were no chairs, no tables, no strings of those fancy lights everyone lost their shit over. Usually, I didn’t bother bringing anything out at all, just sat right on the hard roof with nothing but my thoughts to keep me company. But for Everly, I’d grabbed an armful of pillows and blankets and had tossed them into the corner, making it as comfortable as possible for her.

With how the structure was built, we had our own little alcove tucked away from prying eyes. It faced the ocean, with two sides open and the other two comprised of the building, which meant the corner was the perfect nook for us. The closest cottage was fifty yards away, so we might as well have been totally and completely alone, just how I preferred it.

Everly sat bracketed between my bent legs, hers outstretched in front of her and crossed at the ankles. I rested her wineglass on my knee as she reclined against my chest, and I just breathed her in, a unique blend of her usual scent mixed with mine that made my cock twitch.

She hadn’t said much since we came out here, but thank Christ she was no longer crying. In the entirety of our friendship, I’d never seen her cry like that—had never seen her shed more than a couple tears while watching a movie or a commercial that tugged at her heartstrings. Not even when she’d first moved here and was overwhelmed with the transition of the business and being in a new place. She’d taken it all in stride—almost irritatingly so.

I was the downer of our duo. She was an eternal optimist, someone who didn’t let life get her down. So when she’d started crying—no, sobbing…huge, gut-wrenching sobs that had torn at my heart—I knew she’d been pushed to the point of no return. And I fucking hated that it’d happened when I was supposed to be taking care of her. Though I didn’t exactly see a way around this—I couldn’t go back in time and stop the fire, couldn’t save any of the contents of her home or magically create a new clinic for her, so I had to support her however I could.

But the issues weighing on her definitely put into perspective what I’d been worried about earlier today. In the end, it didn’t matter if I was apprehensive or scared or nervous about what was going on between us. Everly needed me, plain and simple, and I had no intention of disappointing her.

“On a scale of one to breakdown, where are we now?” I asked against the shell of her ear.

She vibrated

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