Chapter 317: Day Two

Morning light woke me, burning my crusted eyes, making me groan. I rolled sideways, snuggling closer to the warm body next to me, feeling Quaid stretch and sigh as his face turned toward me in sleep, breath on my forehead.

I clutched at the front of his T-shirt, memories returning in a wash of sadness. I felt him wake as I cried again, wetting the fabric under my cheek, his hand gently, ever so gently, stroking my hair over and over again.

"You're still here." It wasn't fair of me to say, I knew that, but part of my fear was waking to find him gone again. He tensed beneath me as if I'd poked a wound he'd thought healed.

"I am." He hugged me then, lips pressed to my skin as his words whispered in my ear. "And from now on, and for as long as you need me, I always will be here."

I wanted to believe him. Chose to.

Another hot shower, this time shorter, but necessary. I joined the others for breakfast, choked down some oatmeal and toast only after Charlotte stood over me with a spatula