Hideout

T H I R T E E N

~ ~ ~

The next morning, I caught Adelaide standing in our bathroom, her sweatshirt pulled up just below her bra as she examined the bruises on her stomach, her pants were discarded, and she stood just in her underwear.

Her face flushed and she yanked her top down to cover herself as she looked away when she realized I was there. "They're starting to heal, at least," I told her, moving to stand beside her.

Adelaide grimaced, not answering me. I knew what was wrong, I just wanted to hear her say it. I pushed her hair behind her ear, kissing the side of her face. "What is it?"

"As if I'm not revolting enough," she snorted.

I grabbed her chin, roughly turning her to look at me. "Don't talk like that. You're beautiful. All these bruises will heal in a couple days and you'll be back to your gorgeous self."

She glared at me, smacking my hand down. "Shut up."

"You think I'm lying to you?"

"I think that you'll say anything to get me to do what you want. So yes, you're lying." Adelaide pulled her pants on, storming into her room. I followed behind her, noticing the slight limp in her walk.

My brows furrowed. "Do they still hurt?" I asked. "Normally you would have healed-"

"I'm a runt, Leo, it takes longer for me," she murmured. "I'm not like everyone else, remember?"

"Let me see them," I demanded, gripping her hips tightly, pushing her towards her bed. She protested, but I cut her off by gently shoving her down onto the mattress. With tired eyes, she gave in to me. "Good girl, thank you." With gentle hands, I moved her shirt up above the green and yellow bruises. Some part of them were still a light blue. Adelaide's soft skin felt mouthwatering between my hands. Tempting, even. I lowered my head, kissing the skin near her navel, goosebumps rising on her flesh.

"Leo," she sighed in exhaustion. "You know how I feel-"

"I'm just kissing them better, gorgeous. That's all." Her eyelids fluttered closed as her body relaxed. "Good girl." My lips traced and favored each bruise, my fingers gently touching her sore ribs in search of which ones were still hurt. By the catch in her breathing, I found the ones on her left side were sore.

She made a soft noise of discomfort and shifted. "That hurts," she whined.

I brought myself up onto my elbows above her face, carefully pulling her shirt back down. "I'm sorry, kitten. I promise I'm trying to make you feel better."

"It isn't helping. Can't you just leave me alone for once?" she mumbled, rolling so her back was to me.

I pouted. I was supposed to be seducing her, Brett said. Why was she giving me the cold shoulder? To get her undivided attention, I quickly pulled up her shirt to reveal her hip and quickly put my mouth over the skin and blew out hard, giving her a raspberry. Adelaide groaned in annoyance, putting her hands over her face. When she didn't push me away or ask what I was doing, I knew something was wrong.

"Okay, gorgeous, what is it? What's wrong? Usually you'd have tried to slap me by now. This is more than just being in pain."

She didn't say anything, just shut her eyes slowly and sighed hard. "Please go away, Leo."

I growled in annoyance, yanking her to lay on her back beneath me and gazing down at her. "Adelaide." My fingers brushed the hair from her face, catching her distant eyes. "Are you homesick, baby?"