Guardian

Chapter 12

I felt along the cool wood of the dresser until I found the drawer to the far left on the top row. I slid it out and pulled the first shirt my fingers touched over my head. I reached out in the darkness, feeling for the smooth sheets at the foot of the bed. I found something hard with little numbs coming off the end of it. Holden's foot. I quickly moved my hand to the left so I could follow the edge of the bed and get in.

"You can turn on the light," Holden's voice, raspy with sleep, rang out. Over the last few weeks, he had been keeping closer tabs with the angels, mainly Azreal. He thought that if he kept a close eye on them, he would know if they planned on coming for me again. It has caused him to lose a lot of sleep and his grades to fall. I tried to help him with his homework but most of his classes were a level above mine.

"I didn't want to wake you up," I whispered as I rounded to my side of the bed and rolled on. Our compromise was that I would stay the night as often as possible. He claimed he slept better with me here. My theory was that he only slept better because most nights I was over ended in us being naked. After tonight's actions, I went to take a shower. When I opened the bathroom door, the light hit his face and he looked peaceful so I decided to feel around in the darkness to avoid waking him up.

"I wasn't asleep," he said, hooking me around the waist and pulling my back flat against his chest. "Is that my shirt?"

I hummed my response as I wiggled my hips against him, trying to get closer than I already was. His grip on my waist tightened to still my hips. I felt his length harden against my ass. He hadn't bothered to find clothes after.

"Doll, unless you want another round, that's not a good idea," he muttered into my hair. His grip on me loosened as my body relaxed into his. "Are you tired?"

"No," I replied. "Are you?"

"A little. Do you want me to help you sleep?" he offered. I rolled over in his arms and looked into his dark eyes. I hadn't let him help me sleep in weeks and it was weighing on me. He let it slip out that when he controls my emotions, he feels what I was feeling.

"No, you need to sleep. I'll be okay," I lied. He shook his head and ran the back of his finger under my eyes.

"Ronnie, you haven't slept in weeks. Let me do this for you," he begged, placing the flat of his hand against my cheek. I hesitated, wanting to turn him down so he wouldn't be plagued with my insomnia. "Once you're asleep I'll stop," he assured in a last ditch effort. I nodded as he pulled me pulled me tight against his hard chest.

"I don't want you to feel like you have to do this," I whispered so lowly that I barely heard myself. I was sure Holden had heard me. If he hadn't heard my voice, my thoughts were screaming loud enough instead. He didn't respond as my eyelids drew heavy.

"I do it because I love you," he whispered back, kissing the top of my head. I nodded against his firm chest.

When my eyes opened again, I was alone in the middle of the bed, tangled in the sheets. The shirt I had stolen was discarded onto the floor at some point in my sleep. I heard the faint sound of water running and looked over to see the bathroom door slightly ajar, steam billowing out of the crack. I quickly climbed out of the bed and made my way over.

Holden's bathroom was as dark as his bedroom, the same deep blue carrying in. All the cabinets were dark gray and the counters a bright white. The shower consisted of a wall that jutted out and the cut off into a half wall. I stepped over the small ledge that kept the water in and saw him.

His back was to me, head leaning up to let the water course over his face. His dark hair dripped and all the muscles in his back stood tight against his skin. The pattern of his wings seemed to be swirling against his skin. I reached out slowly, running my fingers down his back. The electricity ran through my hand and up my arm as I touched his wings, but I didn't pull away. I traced the outlines as they moved.