and return to the couch. The house is extraordinarily quiet, in fact. It’s over. It’s really over. I’m not in danger anymore.
Davis sits in the corner of the couch and pulls me onto his lap. For a long time, we just rest, him stroking my hair, me pressing my cheek against his shoulder.
After a while, Davis takes a breath. “I meant everything I said. I want you to stay. I want you to let your apartment go and move in with me. I know it’s fast, but it feels right.”
I lift my head and meet his gaze. “I have nothing, Davis. I mean, I’m sure I can still work for Cindy at the shelter, but that makes me about enough money to buy coffee. I don’t have an education or a job that pays the rent.”
“Are those things you want, sweetie? Do you want to go to college?”
I stare at him. “I have no idea. I’ve never considered it before.”
He rubs his hand up and down my back. “Well, this is your home now, and you don’t have to rush. You can start slow. Work for Cindy and be my little when you’re home. That’s enough change for now. After you’ve had some time to think, you can make more difficult decisions.”
Emotions overwhelm me and tears fall down my cheeks.
“Hey, now.” Davis wipes them away. “Why so somber?”
The truth is I’m worried about what will happen to us. How long can we maintain the relationship we have now? I swallow and face him. “I don’t know if I can be what you want in the long run. It feels so good right now. I love being your little girl, but I can’t guarantee the future yet, and I don’t want to disappoint you.”
He swipes his thumbs over my cheeks again where more tears have fallen. “Sweet girl, I’m not asking you to make a lifetime commitment to being my little. I’m only asking you to give it a try. We can renegotiate as we go along.”
I frown and glance down. “But you broke up with your last girlfriend because she didn’t want to be your little full-time. What if the same thing happens with me?”
He flinches and then lifts my chin. “Where did you get that idea? That’s not why Collette and I broke up.”
I lick my lips. “But you said that she was your little all the time and then things changed and you started fighting.”
He squeezes the back of my neck. “Oh, sweetie, that wasn’t what we fought about. If she had wanted to get a job and change our relationship into something part-time, I would have been fine with that. It was her choice to be my little full-time. Our issues had nothing to do with that. Collette…” He draws in a breath before continuing. “She was used to a life of luxury. Her family was rich. She was born with a silver spoon. And the truth is she spent more money than I made. It was out of control. She wouldn’t stop. I was in the military at the time. My income was very fixed. Whenever I give you something, you’re always so grateful, and I love that. She wasn’t grateful—whatever I gave her wasn’t good enough, and she always made sure I knew it. Then, she’d go behind my back and buy herself things I couldn’t afford.”
My gaze widened. “Oh.” He’s never told me any of this. “Well, I wasn’t born with a silver anything. Not even pink.”
He chuckles.
I finally manage to smile and wipe away the last of my tears.
“I’m in much better shape financially than I was six months ago. I promise I can take care of you.”
“I would never spend your money. It wouldn’t feel right. It makes me nervous that you’ve spent as much on me as you have. It stresses me out that I can’t contribute to the household expenses.”
He runs both hands up my back and pulls me closer. “Sweet girl, do not worry about money, okay? If you need something, it will be provided. If you want something, I’ll do my best to make sure you have it too. I love having you here. I’ve never been so happy in my life. What we have feels right on a level I’ve never experienced before. I’m not worried about the small details. We’ll work everything out as we go along.”
“So you won’t be mad if I decide to do things outside of the house and divide my time?”