Athalia Quinn

23 - Trust

"So?" I don't need the fuckin' sun to find her mother.

"You don't like storms," she counters, yawning.

How the fuck did she know that?

"It's not that I don't like them, they're just annoying," I defend.

"River told me they scare you, something to do with your past," Alia says, her voice so soft I have to sit beside her to hear her, her hand still latched onto my arm. "Stay."

Of-fucking-course River can't keep his goddamn mouth shut.

Still, I don't lay down. I ask, "Do you feel safe?"

Her eyes, fluttering before, look into mine. "Are you asking me if I feel safe with you?"

"Yes. Do you trust me?"

"Of course I trust you, Levi," she states, and she makes it sound like I was stupid to even ask.

"You didn't tell me," I say, and I fucking hate myself for it.

Instantly, she understands what I'm getting it. She sits up, moving her grip on my arm to my hand. "I couldn't—"

"You could," I snap.

Her face falls at the harsh statement, but I go on.

"You could have told me. Want to know why? Because I got you, Athalia. From the moment I fucking met you, you were mine to protect." Fucking hell, my eyes sting. "I'm a goddamn spy, baby." She smiles a little at 'spy'. "I could have helped you, because I got you."

"I know that," she tells me. "I've always known that." I open my mouth to speak until she cuts me off. "But I didn't want help, I wanted my mom to get help."

"We can help her," I say, even though it fucking pains me. Nobody who harms Alia should be able to breathe, but it's her mother.

"You want to hurt her," she says. "You want to hurt her for hurting me, and that's why I couldn't tell you. I don't want her to go through pain like mine."

"You have a heart of fucking gold, sweetheart," I grab a strand of her hair and start messing with it, something I've found calms me down. "We won't hurt her, we will help her. I promise."

She holds up her pinky.

"Absolutely fuckin' not."

"Pinky swear."

"Absolutely fuckin—"

"Pinky promise me, Levi Kingston."

With an eye roll, I link my pinky with hers.

She searches my eyes for a moment, testing if I'm lying. Then she lets go of my finger. "Thank you."

I nod, pressing my lips to her forehead. She's able to pull me down onto the bed, and she tucks herself into me. I knew my anger wasn't going away anytime soon, but I put all my focus on her, on the girl who, despite the shitty night—life—she had, put her arms around me when the thunder began.

For her, I'd do anything. Any-fucking-thing she wanted, even if it meant sending her mother to rehab instead of hell.

I bring her impossibly closer to me, and kiss her cheek—where the once badass scar had healed.

"Levi?"

Fucking hell, I thought she was asleep. "Yeah?"

"I got you, too," she says softly.

Her eyes close, and the last thing I remember thinking about before sleep pulled me under were three other words.

And they weren't I got you.