Dance In The Rain

~21~ Grief

The last couple of days was the first time I have been able to write in a month, and it felt good!!! I have so much written in this book that I'm dropping yet another bonus update! However, please don't get used to these because I can only commit to every Friday. This is the last bonus update for a bit, because now I have to focus on my other book and get that one going again.

Also, for my followers that are anxious for this book to have spanking in it—I have officially written the first spanking chapter, which you won't read for a little while yet....Thanks for being patient as I laid the groundwork for this book. Trust needed to be built before spanking was included, otherwise it wouldn't have worked. So, that element is coming soon, and twist and turns are on the horizon❤️

~*~

The ringing in my ears has become so loud that I can't stand the piercing, so I cover them with my hands.

"NO! NO! NO!" I scream as I shake my head back and forth so quickly that I get lightheaded.

I see Tate and Holden both rush over to me, but before they can reach me I run in the opposite direction toward the winding staircase.

I need my safe place. I just need my safe place

I can hear their heavy footsteps pad after me so quickly, that it's obvious they're running at full speed, but I don't turn around to look.

I only speed up

I run while my entire world blurs around me. I must be going off of memory of this house, because I turn even though I'm not seeing where I'm going...But somehow, as if my brain understands where my safety is, I reach my door. I go by touch to find the doorknob, because my tears are too thick to see anything at all.

When I get inside I slam and lock the door, sobbing with such strength that my chest is starting to hurt. I slide down my wall and bring my knees to my chest, having trouble breathing through my hiccups.

I've literally lost Cook—Reggie. I thought he was here and I would see him again one day..I think it was the only thing I was truly holding onto to get me through this.

"Julianne, open the door!" Tate booms as he bangs on the wood so hard, a picture on the wall starts to sway.

Open the door? I can't even get up off of the floor at this point.

"JULIANNE!!!" He screams as he starts to kick at the solid oak.

"Screaming at her isn't helping, Tate," Holden says, his voice muffled. "Jules, please don't go through this alone. Open the door so we can sit with you," Holden says in such a calm, loving voice that it startles me.

I always go through everything alone

I reach up and unlock the door before I can talk myself out of it, and collapse back on my plush carpet and soak it with my torrential tears.

I hear someone open the door, and both of them sit on either side of me, sandwiching me between them. I feel someone picking me up and bringing me to his chest, and I take a fistful of his shirt and sob into his neck.

"H-he never left me alone...Not e-ever.... And I left him alone when he d-died," I choke.

A hand runs along my spine as another runs up and down my arm.

"I'm so sorry, Annie," Holden whispers in my ear, and it's then that I realize that he's the one holding me and not Tate.

He pulls me so my cheek is in the crook of his neck, and strokes my hair over and over until I finally feel my tears soften from the ugly sobs they once were.