The Guardian

Chapter 11

I awake with Nevaeh wrapped around me. I turn to my side to watch her sleep. God she's beautiful. She's all I have. This is all I have. There isn't anything I won't do to protect her.

I can't go back. I won't go back home and be in the house my mother was murdered in.

She murmurs in her sleep and snuggles closer. I have this urge to kiss her but I don't want to disturb her so I push the stray lock of hair falling on her face behind her ear.

"No. It's too early. I'm not getting up," she grumpily complains, her voice smoky and she snuggles closer to me.

I chuckle lightly and at the sound her eyes shoot open. She must have forgotten where she was or thought she was dreaming.

"Oh shit, I forgot I was here." She sits up seeming to forget that she's still naked as well and manages to catch the sheet before it slips down to reveal her breasts.

"I'm losing," she mutters and throws herself back, the sheet now covering her face.

"What are you losing at?" I enquire.

"I wanted to be up early enough to brush my teeth, cook you breakfast then kiss the crap out of you. In that order." She states.

"You still could, we have time. It's only five am and I don't think anyone will be up for another few hours. I'm sorry if I woke you, I couldn't sleep," I say while jumping out of bed.

"Where are you going?"

"To brush my teeth so I can kiss you," I reply.

She scrambles off the bed to get to the bathroom first, but I still beat her, the sheet hampering her chances at getting there first.

She stands next to the basin watching me and I hand her my toothbrush when I'm done which she takes and sucks before applying any toothpaste looking at me devilishly.

She has no idea how seductive she looks standing at my basin covered in only a sheet, hair mussed up and my toothbrush in her mouth.

We're still laughing when we get back into bed lying on our sides to look at each other.

"How are you feeling?" she asks, her face turning somber.

"I thought you were going to kiss me?" I smile at her.

It doesn't work.

"I know you're not ok, I just need to know that you're good?" she asks cryptically but I know what she means.

I give her a nod, not wanting to speak because I would be lying if I said I was fine.

"What are you thinking?" she whispers.

"Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol." I say knowing she'll understand.

She caresses my face and kisses me softly. I lean into her and return the kiss. I think she knows I want to get lost and she sits astride me. Kissing me and taking control. We resurface hours later having once again fell asleep in each other's arms.

Having the day off of school I decide to focus on writing a speech to say for the memorial we'll be having for my mom later but I come up with nothing so I text Luca to find out whether he still wants me to come around. He replies yes and I go to meet up with him.

"There are four rules you need to know before you go into my house," says Luca as we stand in the park down the road from his house.

"Number one. Act normal. I don't want my dad to know about you and I don't want him to know that you know about me. Okay?"

I nod my response.

"Number two. What I'm going to show you, you can never tell anyone about. Not whom or where you got it from. My dad will kill me just for telling you this and I'm about to show you."