Page 28 of Unforgettable

12

Matthew

I can tellthat I’ve hit a trigger for her anxiety. There’s no telling what those sick fucks did to her, but obviously being tied down distresses her. I can smell the fear rolling off of her. I want to help her through her growing anxiety, to assure her that I won’t ever do anything she doesn’t give consent for, but she needs to be able to control her panic on her own.

Rose looks up at me with those too big for her face blue eyes, and I can visibly see the fear leaving her as she works through her anxiety. She closes her eyes and takes a deep, cleansing breath, then levels that blue gaze back on me. “I’m okay.”

“Yes, you are,” I confirm, giving her a brief kiss.

I’m so fucking proud of her. She’s resilient, and seeing her anxiety triggered and her finding her way through to the other side proves that she’s going to be fine. It won’t be easy, but she’s going to heal from her past, and I’ll be here to help her every step of the way.

I roll us to our sides so we are lying face to face. She snuggles close, letting out a little sigh of contentment. We lay in comfortable silence. It reminds me of all the comfortable silences we shared before she disappeared. I still can’t believe that after all these years she’s here, in my arms, in my bed. It’s surreal.

Blinding hot rage floods my mind when I think of all the years we lost. I swear on everything that is holy that I will take down the fuckers that stole her away from me and broke the sweet innocence I treasured. I’ll spend the rest of my life helping her pick up the pieces until she’s happy and whole.