Tethered to Him by Michelle F. Adams

Author:Michelle F. Adams [Adams, Michelle F.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Beachwalk Press, Inc.
Published: 2019-06-19T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter 6

Brandon

I’m roused awake when I hear the doorbell ring. I know who it is, and I also know I can’t put them off any longer. They’re worried about her too.

I slowly detangle myself from Julia and stand up from the bed. She frowns in her sleep and rolls over but promptly goes back to sleep again. Good, she needs her rest. This has been an emotionally exhausting day for her. I bend and kiss her hair before heading downstairs to open the door.

James and Clarissa are standing outside. James’s hand is locked inside Clarissa’s, and I think she is the only thing anchoring him, because even though his face is carefully neutral, I’ve known him long enough to recognize the fury burning in his eyes.

I invite them inside, and we all walk into the living room. They don’t take a seat. Instead, James looks in the direction of the stairway and takes a step toward it. I step in front of him and block his path.

“She’s asleep.”

“Move, Stone. I need to see if she’s okay for myself.” His words are gritted out from between his teeth.

I put my hands palm up and attempt to make him see reason. “She was emotionally drained when I brought her back here. It took a while, but she finally went to sleep. She needs to rest and recover from this.” My voice gets firmer. I won’t allow anyone, not even Julia’s brother, to come in the way of her health. “I will not let you disturb her.”

James looks at me and nods in acquiescence. He guides Clarissa to the couch and helps her sit down before taking a seat himself and bluntly asking, “Since when?”

I look toward the stairs. I want to go back to Julia and hold her. She might wake up without me and startle in unfamiliar surroundings. But I also need to explain everything to James. He’s her brother, and they’re very close to each other. I would never want to come between them. Choosing between the two of us would tear my sweet girl apart.

I sigh and move to take a seat in one of the armchairs. “I want to make it clear that nothing happened before she left for university abroad. Not after her eighteenth birthday, and certainly not before.”

The vehemence in my tone surprises James, but he recovers quickly and leans forward. “Does she know?” he asks.

Clarissa frowns slightly in confusion, but I don’t meet her eyes. “No,” I reply quietly.

James exhales and sits back. He doesn’t say anything else, his gaze fixed on me steadily.

I keep looking at him and say, “I’m in love with her. Have been since the first moment I saw her. I would die protecting her. If nothing else, you know this to be true.”

I see Clarissa give his hand a squeeze. He squeezes back before saying, “I’ve always believed you’re a good man, Stone. A good man who was dealt a bad hand in life, but he struggled to rise up from that and make something of himself.

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