Secrets at the Loch (Loch Lannick #5) - Hannah Ellis Page 0,26
TV and the soft rise and fall of Nick’s voice. After a few minutes, she heard them leave.
Finally, everything was silent. Except for the chatter in Lexie’s head, which she couldn’t seem to quieten. At least the crying had stopped. Staring at the wall, she lost all sense of time. Her phone buzzed a few times but she shoved it under the pillow and ignored it. She guessed it would be Nick, but she didn’t have the energy to answer.
A while later she heard knocking at the front door. Apparently her ignoring it wasn’t enough to deter him. The door was unlocked so he let himself in and called out to her. Why couldn’t he just leave her alone?
The light which seeped from the hallway when Nick pushed the bedroom door open highlighted how dim it had become. Lexie hadn’t noticed.
“Can I come in?” he asked.
Lexie didn’t reply. She didn’t care.
Nick switched the lamp on beside the bed, causing her to squint for a moment. “I’m worried about you.”
“I’m fine,” she managed. Her voice came out slightly robotic. She felt every bit as detached as she sounded.
“Do you want to talk?”
“No.” She shifted her head on the pillow. “You can go. I’m fine, honestly.”
The mattress sank as he sat down. “I don’t want to leave you like this.”
“Like what?”
“Upset.”
“I’m just tired and emotional. Time of the month or something. Kids’ TV always sets me off.”
He smiled sadly. “Should I call Leana or your mum or someone?”
“No. Please don’t.”
He shifted his weight as though he was about to stand, then paused. “Do you need a hug?”
She almost smiled. “No.”
“Okay.” He stood, then sighed and sat back down, beckoning to her with his hands. “Come here.”
“I said I don’t need a hug,” she insisted.
“I know, but you look like someone who needs a hug. Let me give you a hug, then I’ll feel better about leaving you.”
“Promise you’ll leave me alone if I give you a hug?”
“Promise.”
Slowly, she sat up and scooted beside him. With a sigh she put her arms around him and gave him the briefest squeeze. “Thank you for coming to check on me,” she said in a dull monotone. “Now please leave me alone.”
His eyebrows twitched to odd angles. “You said you’d hug me.”
“I just did!”
He shook his head. “That was not a hug.”
“What the hell was it then?”
“I’ve honestly no idea, but it wasn’t a hug. Have you ever hugged anyone before?”
“Of course I have.”
“It doesn’t seem like it. Hug me properly, then I’ll go.”
“Is this some elaborate scheme to get in my knickers?”
He slapped a hand to his forehead. “Yes. I saw you were upset and thought I’d take advantage of that fact. You know me so well!” He smirked. “I definitely do not want to have sex with you. Now come here.” He inched closer to her and encircled his arms around her.
She rolled her eyes as she put her arms around his waist and squeezed. “This better?”
“No! How can you not know how to hug?”
“I’m hugging you!”
“You’re squeezing me,” he said. “It’s not the same.”
“Fine!” She couldn’t help but smile. “Tell me where I’m going wrong.”
“You need to breathe.”
“That’s usually a given for any situation.”
He chuckled. “Take a deep breath.”
“You’re weird, you know?”
“Aye, you’ve told me on many occasions. Now take a deep breath and relax your muscles. Everything’s tense.”
She muttered her disdain but decided resistance was futile. Her best chance at getting rid of him quickly was going along with it. After inhaling deeply, she released a long breath and felt herself relax into him. Her arms loosened but she felt closer to Nick in spite of it. On the second deep breath she seemed to melt into him.
The more she relaxed, the more she seemed to fit perfectly against him. Her cheek rested in the space between his chin and his collarbone. The warmth of his skin outweighed the slight discomfort of the stubble at his neck. Her breathing settled to match the rise and fall of Nick’s chest.
“Okay,” he said as his arms released her. “That’s a hug.”
A rush of panic hit her and she clung to him. “Wait,” she whispered frantically. His arms crept back around her, holding her tightly. Tears pooled in her eyes then ran quickly down her cheeks. It felt as though the only thing keeping her together was Nick’s arms. “Sorry,” she said through a sob.
“It’s okay,” he murmured, rocking her gently as she cried.
With the floodgates open, it took Lexie a long time to calm