bed. Putting her hand back on his chest, she started talking to him again.
“You’re okay, Gavin. I’m here. Sleep, baby, sleep. I won’t let anyone hurt you ever again,” she promised, through tears in her eyes from his moans.
His chest started rising and falling so fast, she was afraid his heart wouldn’t be able to take the pressure he was exerting. It was painfully obvious why he wasn’t sleeping.
When his thrashing around knocked her hand away, Ginny didn’t know what to do. Then she remember what she and Leah used to do after they watched a scary movie.
Lying down next to him, she wrapped her arm around his waist, snuggling up against him. “Shh … Sleep, Gavin. I’m here. I’m never going to leave you.” Using her free hand, she reached for his other pillow and placed it under his head. Finding a spot on his shoulder, she rested hers.
Gavin stopped moving around, his body becoming heavier under hers, as if his tense muscles were relaxing.
Ginny closed her eyes, snuggling closer to Gavin. Dozing off, she woke up every so often when Gavin started to toss around again. At one point, Ginny threw one of her legs over his to hold him still, and placed her head on his chest, using her body weight to show him that she was still there.
“I’m here, Gavin. I’ll always be here for you. Sweet man, sleep … I love you.”
Each reassurance she gave him made his breathing easier and seemed to comfort him into staying asleep.
“I’m never going to leave you ever again. I love you. I’ve always loved you. I always will.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Ginny lifted heavy lids to see sunlight filtering through the bottom of the curtain. Lying still with the steady beating of Gavin’s heart beneath her ear, she was determined for him sleep as long as he could.
She lovingly memorized each of the tattoos visible to her to pass the time ticking away. At ten a.m., she propped her chin on his chest to relieve the pain in her neck, discovering a ridge on his nose, which must have been broken at one time. Laying her head back down, his hands caught her eyes. She liked his hands. They were strong, with callouses on his fingertips.
At eleven a.m., she distracted herself by talking to God, telling Him she was still angry with Him, but if he could take the pressure off her bladder for a little longer, she would work at forgiving Him, but she wasn’t making any promises.
By twelve, Ginny guessed it wasn’t good enough, because her bladder was at a four-alarm stage. The next thirty minutes were spent regretting the two sodas she drank yesterday. When they hit the drive-thrus today, soda was off her list.
At one, Ginny knew she couldn’t hold out any longer.
“I love you, baby, but I gotta go.” Whispering so she didn’t wake Gavin, she began slowly moving away from him one deliberate movement at a time. With each movement, she watched him carefully to make sure he wasn’t waking up before making another movement. It was time-consuming but worth it when she was standing over the bed and Gavin remained sleep. Ginny didn’t know what to thank more—that he was still asleep or that he hadn’t woken to find her in his bed.
Going to her open suitcase set on the chair, she picked out a pair of jeans and a scooped-neck purple top. Tiptoeing into the bathroom, she closed the door without letting it click closed, afraid the small sound would wake Gavin.
Seeing the toilet, she thought about giving a Hail Mary, relieving herself and trying not to tinkle too loudly. When she finished, she laid two towels over the tank before flushing, satisfied at the muted sounds coming from her savior.
Proud of herself for making minimum sounds when she dressed and brushed her teeth, Ginny stepped out of the bathroom and into hell.
Gavin was pacing around the hotel room, wild-eyed, trying to tear his hair out.
Terrified, Ginny froze, but it was too late. He had already spotted her.
“What did you do to me?” he roared at her so loudly that Ginny was afraid the cheap pictures hanging on the walls would fall off.
“What?”
“It’s one o’clock!”
“I know. Are you mad I let you sleep in?” Trying to figure out why he was so furious, she was frightened he knew she slept beside him.
“I don’t sleep for nine fucking hours! Did you drug me when I was sleeping?”