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‘She’s fine,’ he soothes, tightening his hold of iven her breakfast and her es of Miller waiting on Nan in his boxers are suddenly all I can see I would have loved to be a fly on the wall for that I bet sheat his buns

‘Yes’ He drops a light kiss on the back ofhit of irl I ca hter ‘Miller, I need to see Nan’

‘I told you She’s fine’ He wrestles withlap I take i with my hair, and evenfor h and push it away fro my head in wonder as I refresh o over them all – the ones I can see and the ones I can’t ‘I need you ers falter on his naked chest ‘Thing,’ he de hi out the co me in place ‘I’ so hateful’

‘I’ve already forgiven you’

I let the few building tears trickle silently fro , protective, and supportive, to both me and Nan I’m inexcusable ‘I love you’

He pullsunder my eyes ‘And I love you’ There’s no code or alternative words or actions It’s delivered simply ‘I can’t see you sad, Olivia Where’s the sass I love sohe really probably doesn’t y is required to be sassy or spunky or whatever he wants to call it I feel zapped of life, the only scraps of it I have left reserved to care for Nan and ensure Miller kno o to hell

‘No, you haven’t You’ve teives htly ‘I need you strong by uilt He’s being strong for h my own traumatic issues I need to do the same for him We’ve still yet to deal with Miller’s problems – my problem, too, because there is only us But Gracie Taylor has added a whole new dimension to our screwed-up world And now my late period

‘I’m here for you,’ I affiruilt ether That’s what I have to do These proble them will make them disappear either ‘I’m here’

‘Thank you’

‘Don’t thank rateful for you, Olivia Taylor Eternally You know that’ He takes ood’ I’m kissed chastely on my nose,his way down my neck ‘Tiwhen he pauses and slowly pulls from hted at the playful twinkle springing into his sharp blue eyes

His lips pout It’s the rande to the kitchen, find her rin ‘Under norood ten h as he scoopsquickly for the door I so need this ‘You don’t want to disrespect Nan,’ I remind hihted ‘We have to be quiet’

‘Noted’

‘You can’t make me scream your name’

‘Noted’

‘We have to listen for Nan’

‘Noted’ He virtually breaks down the bathroo every noted he’s just noted I’m placed on my feet, the shower is flipped on, and with a lack of clothes on ht boxers, it’s a mere second before both of us are naked ‘In’ He cocks his head in signal, an eleency to his approach I’ with each painful second that he refrains fro me I step into the bath, under the hot spray, and wait

And wait

And wait

He’s just staring atnakedness But I don’t feel uncomfortable Instead, I use the ti silently, thinking that perhaps he becomes more perfect with each day that passes His obsessive habits are showing signs of abating, albeit sporadically, or laringly obvious before Orso Probably because we are so consu obstacles But I do know one thing for sure The only thing that’s indisputable