Cursive - By Phoebe Lane Page 0,51

a hot shower while trying hard to keep her hand dry. When she came out of the bathroom, she found Jace already showered and in bed, reading a book. He walked over to her to check the bandages.

"Are you in pain? Do you want to take one of the pain pills?"

Aislynn hesitated, not wanting to take anything that would affect her like the sleeping medicine had done before. "Maybe just half of one?"

"Don't be stubborn. Take the whole thing. Here," he said, handing her the pill and a glass of water. "This will make you sleep. You need to rest."

They both got in bed, and Jace wrapped his arm around her, while Aislynn snuggled to his side. She loved the way he ran his fingers gently through her damp hair in a soothing motion. He didn't make her talk; he didn't ask questions. He just held her tight.

"I'll be here, babydoc. Just sleep."

"Jace?" she whispered, as she felt the medication take effect. Her eyelids felt suddenly heavy, and her breathing slowed.

"Hmmm?"

"I missed you."

"I missed you too, babydoc. I'm so glad you're safe."

And with that, Aislynn gave in to sleep.

Aislynn stood in front of the ocean for a long time, taking in the calm around her, watching the water inch farther and farther away from her toes as the tide receded. It was early morning, the sun had just started to rise, and her other source of peace was still in bed.

Aislynn wasn't concerned about running into Christopher on the beach, knowing he wouldn't approach her with Jace around. She was worried, though, about the conversation she knew she needed to have with Jace, and wished he hadn't seen her break down the night before. It made things even more complicated and uncomfortable for her.

"Coffee?" She startled as Jace whispered in her ear.

"You're a saint. Thanks," she said, grabbing the coffee mug and snuggling in his arms.

"You couldn't sleep?" he asked and kissed her softly on the neck.

"I needed to think, and this view really helps me organize my thoughts. Watching you sleep, on the other hand, was incredibly distracting," she said with a coy smile.

Jace chuckled and took a sip of his coffee. He didn't say anything else, but Aislynn could sense his expectation. He was clearly giving her time, and she definitely needed it to reel in the emotions that started overtaking her.

All right, here we go.

"Yesterday was the anniversary of the day my ex-boyfriend…broke things off with me. I somehow blocked it out completely, and when I finally realized what day it was, it hit me hard. It's stupid, really. I totally overreacted—"

"No," Jace said with a stern voice, and turned to face her directly. "Ellie warned me about this. You're trying to pretend things are okay, and that yesterday wasn't a big deal. I know all about not trusting people and carrying around your past, Aislynn. There's obviously more to this story. Please, just tell me."

Damn it! What the hell had Ellie told him? There's no way out now. You're gonna have to tell him.

Aislynn felt like she was free-falling into a hole of despair and agony—her stomach dropped, her breathing faltered, and her heart beat furiously. It was like there was nothing for her to hold on to, and there was no way to stop it from happening. This conversation was going to be one of the hardest things she had faced in a long time.

Going against every instinct in her body, Aislynn looked up at him. When their eyes met, something extraordinary happened—he suddenly became her anchor. She imagined herself as a boat, floating away in the same ocean that stood before her. She felt as the waves crashed on her and the currents tried to steer her away, but there was no fear. She had Jace now; her anchor wouldn't let her drift off into the abyss.

It'll be fine. Just tell him.

With a deep breath and newfound confidence in her voice, she began to tell her story. "Did I ever tell you I'm an only child?"

"Aislynn, please, we need to talk about this—"

"I'm trying. Just...I want to explain things the right way. I'm not trying to get off subject, I promise."

"Okay, I'm sorry. Go ahead," he said, grabbing her hand and kissing it softly.

"My mom had me when she was still really young. She didn't adjust well to being a stay-at-home mom, and she couldn't handle the day-to-day pressure of marriage and caring for a baby full-time without having any opportunities to pursue her