by Sadie Haller
Yeah, this would do for a few hours. She could happily spend a lazy morning loading up on caffeine while reading magazines. Anything to take her mind of her fucked up life for a while.
Hours later, Hildy had exhausted the magazine selection and moved on to the newspapers. As she idly flipped the page, she almost spilled her coffee. There, in the middle of the entertainment section, was a two-page spread on her uncle. Blinking back tears, she closed the paper, and abandoned her coffee. She thought she had her grief under control, but seeing the photographs brought it flooding back.
She managed to hold herself together long enough to drive home, but by the time she got there, she was too distraught to notice her parents until she was out of her car and it was too late.
Wil rang the doorbell and knocked again. “Hildy, love, I’m worried. Please open the door.” He tried to stay calm. He’d alternated between angry and worried sick all day. Between Sully’s call about her bat-shit crazy parents being on the rampage and Hildy not responding, he was firmly entrenched in worried sick. Fuck. He knew he should have listened to his gut and headed straight to Hildy’s the moment he discovered her gone instead of listening to Mac’s advice to give her some space.
The silence on the other side of the door was making him crazy. “Hildy, please, just let me know you’re okay.” More silence. He looked at his watch and said, “That’s it, if you don’t open this door and show me you’re okay within the next sixty seconds, I am going to call 911 and have the police come to do a welfare check.”
He heard the locks click and sighed with relief as the door creaked. Hildy’s eye appeared in the narrow opening. “I’m fine, now go away.”
Wilson stuck out his foot to keep her from closing the door. “Honey, what little I can see of you doesn’t look fine. Can I please come in and see for myself?”
“No, I’m fine. I just want to be alone.”
“Fair enough. When I see that you are fine, I’ll go away. I’m not the only one who’s worried about you, though. Sully is frantic, and there is no way I am going to face Mac without being able to tell her I saw you with my own two eyes.”
Hildy huffed, and when she opened the door, Wilson had to stomp on his rage. She’d made a valiant effort with the make-up, but there was no mistaking the black eye and split lip.
Fuck, when Sully had asked him to come over to check on her, he’d only said things might get ugly and she would likely be upset. Either Sully’s idea of upset was a far cry from his own, or Sully had seriously underestimated the situation. Both options sucked.
God, there were so many things running through his head at that moment, and most of them involved extreme violence, but his number one priority had to be Hildy, and she was hurt.
“There, now you can go report back to the others that I’m fine and want to be left alone.”
“Baby girl, what I see does not even come close to qualifying as fine.” Wilson stepped through the door, and fought his urge to take Hildy into his arms. She’d just been assaulted, and she needed to be able to trust him. “Honey, let’s get some ice on your poor face.”
“It shows?” Hildy asked, the disappointment clear in her tone.
Wilson nodded and headed to the kitchen to get something to help with the swelling. He needed some time to get himself together. He needed to be strong for her, and he didn’t trust his voice just yet.
It took a minute of rooting around the freezer before he found a small, unopened bag of frozen peas. Perfect. He turned to see Hildy in the doorway, looking so lost and fragile. He held out the package. “Go get comfy in the living room and put this on your face. I’ll be there soon.”
As soon as Hildy was out of sight, Wilson pulled out his phone and called Mac. “Hey, it’s Wil.”
“It’s about fucking time you called, you inconsiderate jerk.”
“Take it easy, she only just let me in, and that was after threatening to call the cops. Look, it got uglier than Sully led me to believe. I haven’t had a chance to fully check her over, but she tried to cover up facial injuries with make-up and I need some advice on how to clean her up as painlessly as possible.”
“If she has make-up, then she’s probably got wipes to remove it. Go have a look in her bathroom. How bad is it?”
“From what I can tell, time and TLC should take care of it. I’ll know better once I get that make-up off. I’ll let you know right away if I think she needs medical attention, otherwise, assume no news is good news.”
“Okay. I’ll let everyone else know you’re with her and not to worry. You take care of her and let her know we’re here if she needs us.”
“Will do. Thanks, Mac.” Wil disconnected. It didn’t take him long to locate the wipes and when he saw the bottle of Tylenol, he took that too. She had to be hurting. As he passed through Hildy’s bedroom, he grabbed her quilt.
He entered the living room and Hildy looked up, the left side of her face obliterated by the bag of peas. “Hey, baby girl, we can talk later, but right now, let’s get you fixed up.” Wil laid the quilt across the arm of the sofa, pulled a wipe out of the packet, and crouched in front of Hildy. “We need to get that make-up off your face, but it’s probably going to hurt. Have you taken anything for the pain?”
“I’m fine.”
“That’s not what I asked, love.”
“No, I don’t need anything.”
“In case you change your mind.” Wilson set the bottle on the table and held up the wipe. “I need to assess your injuries, so let’s start with your face. Can you move the bag of peas so we can get you cleaned up and I can have a good look?”
Hildy brought her knees to her chest. “It’s nothing that a little time can’t heal.”
“You’re probably right, but I want to make sure.”
Hildy lowered the bag from her face and Wilson carefully schooled his expression. Hildy was upset enough without his anger making it worse. “Close your eyes and hold still. I’ll be as quick as I can.” He reached up and started at her brow, surprised and relieved at how effectively the wipe worked. He worked his way around her eye, tamping his anger harder every time she winced. “Okay, love, almost done. I just need to do your eyelid.” He pulled a fresh wipe from the packet and carefully slid it across her bruised flesh.
“It’s pretty swollen, but I think you’re right, time will take care of it. Where else are you hurt?”
“Just my face.”
“Truth?”
“Really, Wil. It’s just my face. I’m fine, so you can go now.”
“Not a chance, love. You seem a little shocky to me. Let’s get you all bundled up, then I’ll make you some broth.”
“Just go. I don’t want you to bundle me up, and I’ll get my own food when I feel like it.” Hildy put the peas back to her face and turned her head away.
“Hildy, look at me.” Seconds ticked by. Finally, Hildy turned back to face him and he smiled. “There you are. Honey, I’m not going anywhere. I’m not walking away. We’ve had this discussion before about the difference between want and need.”
Wilson rose, picked up the blanket, and unfolded it. “Up you get.” Hildy stood and laid the packet of peas on the coffee table. He held the blanket open and gently wrapped it around her as she stepped into it. Once she was swaddled, he carefully lifted her into his arms, and laid her on the sofa. He tucked a cushion beneath her head and settled the peas back on her battered face. “There you go, love. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
As the broth heated in the microwave, failure and guilt tangled with helplessness and weighed heavy in Wilson’s gut. It was all his fault his sweet, sweet Hildy was hurt. He’d pushed too hard, and when she’d left, he didn’t go after her. He should have been here, protected her. God, his heart hurt. The microwave beeped. Time to go fight for his woman.
“Here you go, love.” Wilson set the cup on the coffee table. He reached down and removed the bag of peas, then helped Hildy sit up. “Comfy?”
“I can’t feed mysel
f like this.”
Wilson picked up the cup and held the straw to Hildy’s lips. “You don’t need to. You just need to be comfy. Open.” Hildy sighed, opened her mouth, sucked in a mouthful, and swallowed. “Good girl. I’m going to go pop those peas back in the freezer, then you can have the rest.”
When Wilson returned, Hildy’s head was resting against the back of the sofa, her eyes closed. He wanted to bundle her into his arms and never let her go. He eased down next to her and waited for her to open her eyes. “Ready for more?” She nodded, and he replaced the straw at her lips, holding it steady for her to sip at her leisure.
The straw gurgled as Hildy sucked the final drops of broth through it. She pulled her head back and gave him a half smile. “Thank you.”
Her first smile since he’d arrived. “You’re welcome, love.” A glimmer of hope squeezed past fear and now he had to risk its retreat. “We have to talk about what happened today, and sooner is better than later.” Hildy lowered her chin to her chest. “How about, for now, I talk, you listen?” Hildy nodded.
“I want to start with this morning. I need you to understand that I am not angry with you. I pushed you too hard, to the point where you felt the need to quietly disappear. I’m sorry. I’m even sorrier that I didn’t come after you. I wanted to, but Mac said you probably needed some space, and I should give it to you. I shouldn’t have listened to her.”
Hildy looked up. “No, she was right. I spent the morning and part of the afternoon in a coffee shop avoiding you. I’d probably still be there but...” She trailed off and dropped her chin again.
Wilson forced himself to back off. Pushing her was what had got him into this fucking mess in the first place. “Alright, love. It’s been a rough day, and you need some rest. We’ll leave the rest for now and I’ll take you to bed.”
“No, just get me out of this quilt and leave.”
Fuck, he was losing it. Losing her. “Hildy,” Wilson’s voice broke, “God, Hildy, I can’t. I know it’s selfish of me, but I can’t leave you by yourself. Going all day not knowing where you were or if you were safe was bad enough, but seeing you hurt ripped my fucking heart out. I need to know you’re safe. If you really need me to go, I’ll get Sully to —“
“No, I definitely can’t deal with Sully right now.”
Wil took a long shuddering breath and pulled himself together. “Sweetheart, it’s been a shitty day and we both need sleep. I’ll sleep out here on the sofa, but I want to get you settled in your bed first. I’ll unwrap you so you can get yourself ready, then I’ll bundle you back up before you go to sleep, okay?”
“I don’t have any choice, do I?”
“Not when it comes to being here by yourself, no.”
“Fine. Can you unwrap me please?”
Wilson helped Hildy to her feet and carefully removed the quilt. He was dying to kiss her, but didn’t dare. Even if she were open to it, he’d be too scared of hurting her. As soon as she was free, she took off towards her bedroom, not even glancing back. He sank onto the sofa and buried his face in his hands.
How did her life get so complicated? Hildy stared at her bruised face in the mirror as she tried to find the most painless way to brush her damn teeth. What a mess. Why the hell hadn’t this perfectly nice guy, who cooks and could fuck for bloody England, given up on her already? She was fucking neurotic, wouldn’t let him tie her up, even though they both fucking well wanted it. What was wrong with her? He should be out finding himself a bloody normal woman, not some stupid—
“What have I told you about that?”
Shit. She caught his reflection in the mirror. God, he looked awful. Had she done that? She’d been so self-absorbed, she didn’t notice him arrive. She spit out the toothpaste and carefully rinsed her mouth. “What?”
“You know exactly what, baby girl.”
Yeah, he was going to make her ass pay dearly for putting herself down. “You wouldn’t, would you?”
“While you’re injured? Of course not. Save them up for when you’re better? Without a doubt. Are you ready to go to bed now?”
Hildy turned, avoiding Wil’s sad eyes as she nodded. Bed and sleep, that’s what she needed. Fuck. It had been weeks since she’d slept by herself, weeks in which she’d woken feeling well-rested, where she’d felt safe and loved. What kind of idiot would give that up?
“Hildy, enough. Now, scoot.”
Eyes firmly fixed on the floor, Hildy trudged to the bed. She was angry with herself for the hasty choices she’d made. A fit of pique, and if she were totally honest with herself, fear, had led her down the path to misery. Was Wil really here because he cared about her, or was it because he felt responsible? Shit. She didn’t want to sleep alone, but she didn’t want him to sleep with her out of some misguided sense of obligation.
By the time she reached the bed, Wilson was sitting on it. He patted his lap and opened his arms wide. “Come sit down, love.”
She hesitated for a moment, but it had been a lifetime since he’d held her and the need to be in his arms overwhelmed her doubt and fear. She eased down and leaned into Wilson’s chest, sighing when he held her close. She let the silence settle for a few minutes before she gave in to her need to know. “Why are you here?”
Wilson tipped her chin up and gazed into her eyes before placing a gentle kiss on the corner of her mouth. “Because I love you.” He kissed her again.
Hildy furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. “How do you know?”
“Sweetheart, when I walked into that bedroom and saw you’d left with everything except the blanket I gave you, my whole world exploded. The thought of not having you in my life sucked the air out of my lungs. Now you’re back in my arms, I can finally breathe. When you walked away from me all those years ago, you took a small piece of my heart with you. When you walked away from me this morning, you took the rest.”
Guilt burned deep in her belly as she pondered his words. In her desperation to protect her own heart, it didn’t occur to her she could be damaging Wil’s. Hildy thought back through her day, finally understanding that constant ache in her chest was from leaving her heart behind with her blanket. Now the ache was gone, and she sure as fuck didn’t want it to come back. Was that love? Maybe. “I don’t want to sleep alone tonight.”
He hadn’t blown it, thank fuck. It was so hard to lay his heart on the line after she’d walked away. But he got it, she was scared, confused, and convinced he was going to leave her. After a lifetime of protecting herself, it was going to take time and a lot of testing before she was going to believe he was in it for the long haul. “I don’t either.”
“Can we sleep the way we did that first night, no blanket around me, just you?”
“If that’s what you want.”
“It’s what I need.”
“Okay, baby girl, you get yourself into bed. I’ll join you as soon as I check the locks and brush my teeth.” Wilson waited until Hildy was settled under the covers before he left the room.
With the house locked up tight and his teeth brushed, Wilson returned to the bedroom. Hildy had the covers pulled up to her ears and she was doing a laughable job of pretending to be asleep. She looked so adorable. He wanted to pounce on her and make her squirm. That would have to go on hold along with the ass-paddling she’d earned earlier. “Faker.” Hildy’s mouth twitched and Wilson chuckled. Damn, that felt good. He stripped to his boxers and slipped into bed beside Hildy. “Oh, you’re naked.”
Hildy giggled and placed her hand on Wil’s bare belly before sliding it south. “Yeah, I am. The question is, why aren’t you?”
He caught Hildy’s wrist and pulled it away before she got near his erection. “No sex.”
“But—“
“I need you to understand, really understand, I’m not here because I’m a selfish horny bastard and you’re a great lay. I am here because I love you. All of you, exactly how you are. And until you trust me, there is no sex.”
“I do trust you.”
�
�No, you don’t. But you will.”
“What makes you think you know better than me whether I trust you?”
“Rope bondage. You want it as much as I do, but without absolute trust, it isn’t going to happen.”
“Seriously, I don’t get sex until you get to tie me up?”
“Pretty much. Your trust is important to me. I can wait.”
“What if I can’t.”
“Honey, nobody ever died from not having sex.” Wilson slipped his arms around Hildy and shifted her until her back was pulled tight against his chest. She wiggled her ass into his groin and he almost reconsidered his no sex edict. “I love that you’re feeling playful, baby, but you need to stop or I’m going to add to the punishment you’ve already earned tonight.”
“Spoil sport.”
Hildy finally stopped moving, and Wil concentrated on deflating his cock. He stroked her head and brushed his lips over her shoulder. “Hildy, what happened with your parents today?”
What the hell, she may as well tell him. He was still here, and it wasn’t like it could get any worse. “They had discovered Uncle Erich left everything to me, and came to persuade me to rectify his error. When I said no, my mother resorted to more forceful methods.”
“Baby, I’m so sorry I didn’t protect you.”
“Wil, I made my own choices and didn’t give you any opportunity, so there’s nothing to be sorry about.”
“Okay, we’ll agree to disagree. Your mother was the one who assaulted you?”
“Yeah. She was just getting started when my neighbour pulled into his driveway. I had enough of my wits about me to not let them come inside, so the minute a potential witness appeared, they legged it. I am fine, Wil. Honestly.”
“I came over as soon as Sully called. He’d called to warn you, but it kept going straight to voice-mail. I assume you didn’t check your messages.”