Page 41 of Homesick
My eyes dart around the room, willing someone to notice the man pressed up against me, but all I see are other sloppy drunks doing the same thing. My heartbeat races uncontrollably when I realize how helpless I am. The only hope I have is waiting for his grip to loosen so I can escape.
“I’m s-sorry,” I whisper, barely getting the words out.
A smile creeps across Adam’s lips, but before he can respond, a hand grabs his shoulder out of nowhere and I’m free.
I close my eyes and whisper a silent prayer before turning to my rescuer. When I look up, I see Blake has Adam pinned against the wall.
“Don’t you fucking touch her.”
I tear myself from the table I was pressed against and lunge into action. “Blake, let him go. I’ll get one of the bouncers to throw him out.”
I would love to see him beat Adam’s ass, but I know Blake, and this wasn’t him. He didn’t lose his temper that easily unless it involved someone he loved.
“Blake, please,” I beg, placing my hand on his shoulder.
The second I touch him, his entire body relaxes and snaps him out of his focus. He releases Adam from his hold and throws him toward the door. I see Sheila waiting near the door next to our bouncer and before I can spring into action, Adam is gone.
Sheila practically stomps toward us, and my body goes still at the fury radiating off of her. She obviously didn’t see what happened before Blake had Adam against the wall.
“Blake, you need to leave. You know the rule,” she says before pointing to the sign that says, fight and get kicked out in bright red letters.
Without even attempting to defend himself, Blake stalks toward the door. It takes me a moment to register the events that unfolded in less than ten minutes, but before I know what I’m doing, I’m following Blake outside.
“Curse his long legs,” I mutter before navigating through the sea of cars. “Where the hell did he go?”
I’m not sure what I want to say to him, but I need to say something. If he wasn’t there tonight . . . I can’t even finish the thought.
I keep walking, not knowing where I’m heading. Suddenly, a random hand gently reaches out and I scream, expecting it to be Adam.
“Whoa, Wren. Calm down. It’s just me,” Blake says, caressing my shoulders with both hands. “Shit, that was dumb of me. Are you okay?”
Before I can process what I’m doing, my arms wrap around Blake, and I let him hold me. I can’t deny how safe I feel in his arms. I expect tears to begin falling, but everything falls into place when I inhale his oaky scent.
Blake begins to stroke the back of my head and rocks me in place. His hold is strong and shows no sign of letting go.
“I could kill that kid,” he says with a heavy breath.
My head lifts and sinks into his chest as his breathing becomes uneven. I pull my head from its space nestled in the crook of his neck and use my hands to cradle each side of his face.
“Listen, Blake. It’s over and done with. If he knows any better, he’ll stay away,” I say, trying to convince myself the same thing. “He’s not worth it.”
The anger in his eyes begins to fade with my reassuring words and I want to melt into the field of green staring back at me.
“Are you sure you’re okay,” he asks with a furrowed brow.
“Yes.”
Saying that word makes me aware of how close Blake and I are right now. Almost as close as we were the other night. The memory sends goosebumps across my skin.
I expect Blake to let go when I see the same realization cross his mind. But he doesn’t. He keeps holding me.
For a few seconds, we don’t say anything. All I can focus on is how quickly Blake’s heart is beating against his chest. My hand falls from his shoulder and presses to his chest.
When I look up, Blake’s eyes are on mine, and I can see the shift when they fall to my lips. Without thinking, my tongue darts out and swipes across my lips in anticipation.
“Do you want me to stay?” he questions again.
“Yes,” I whisper into thin air.