the billionaires baker

Chapter 14

I watch as Stella's eyes open and close. I can tell she is trying to fight sleep because she is afraid of what will happen to her when she sleeps.

"Stella let your eyes close I will stay up okay?"

"I'm fine." She whispers.

"Stella you are not fine, please just let your body rest."

"I'm fine." She whspers again.

"Are you always this stubborn?" I question my eybrow raised.

"Yes, so get use to it."

"Does that mean your planning to stick around?" I ask.

"I do have a ball that still needs planning and to be executed."

"That is true but I mean long term, I want to keep you on as an employee."

"I'm trying to get my own buisness up an running I don't want to just abandon the plan I have had for so long."

"We can talk more about it later, it's not that important right now, your saftey is."

"Yeah, it has been for a while now."

"How did you survive something like that?" I ask.

"It becomes something where you don't have control over your life as a kid, no foster child does but when the little control you still have get's taken from you it messes with you and it changes you. I did whatever I needed to do to survive. I did as told with a yes Sir or a yes Ma'am. I did what I needed to." She repeats.

"Like what?" I ask.

"I dont really want to talk about that right now."

"Okay, I won't ask again."

"Now why don't you get some sleep." I suggest.

"I have a feeling I won't be able to sleep for a while." She sighs.

"Well at least close your eyes, and give your body the oppurtunity to get the rest it needs. I will be right here when you wake up."

She nods her head "Fine." She agrees letting her eyes slowly come to a close.

After about 30 minutes her breathing slows down and steadies indicating she is asleep. I watch as her small frame moves up and down slightly from her breathing. Sam walks back in from the kitchen with a sandwich in hand.

"Has she been out long?" He whispers.

"no just about 30 minutes. How long do you think that she will be able to sleep for?"

"It's hard to tell she has had times that she doesnt sleep for months, sleep has never been easy to come by for her."

"how do you know how much about her?" I ask.

"Well she has not had an easy, and she doesn't trust easily but I was the person to find her a couple of times in some of the worst possible situations and I made promises to be there for her. I gave her my personal phone number and if she ever needed anything she could call me and the last time she did it was the last time she was in a foster home. I took money out and helped her buy an apartment, She was barely able to get one and I had to cosign on the lease but I knew I needed to keep her safe and that was the only way."

"You really care for her, that is clear but in what way?" I ask a hint of frustration in my voice.

"You don't have to worry about me. I love her yes but more as a sibling or a parent both of which she has none of."

I nod my head. "I want to take all of her pain and just throw it away but I can't"

"No one can and she is going to deal with this kind of thing for the rest of her life, constantly looking over her shoulder. It has been the life she has been forced to live."