chapter487

“Not enough, nowhere near enough. You told me how much you admired my strength, how much you loved being in my arms...”

All those words, which she’d never utter when sober, were out in the open that day! Dorothy couldn’t bear to hear any more of his revelations about that night.

“Umm… Everett, I’m tired. Can someone take me to my room, please?”

Everett’s expression darkened slightly. “Weren’t you going to stay with me?”

“No, no, I’d better head off. I’ll come back tomorrow!” She needed time to process everything he had just told her.

“No way!” Now it was Everett’s turn to panic. “You can’t just leave like that after telling me all those things.”

“Is there something else?”

Of course, there was. He looked at her, his eyes burning with an intensity that made her heart skip a beat. The atmosphere in the room was thick with a tension that was impossible to ignore.

“Dorothy, you can’t be this cruel. You’ve stirred up all these feelings, and now you’re just going to walk away?”

Cruel? She felt like she was about ready to flee the country! “Goodnight, Everett!”

Dorothy turned to leave, but she heard Everett’s sharp intake of breath behind her—a pained gasp. “Ah… yikes!”

She rushed back to his side, looking him over anxiously. “What’s wrong? Did you pull your injury? Does it hurt a lot?”

Looking up, she met his eyes, which were twinkling with mischief rather than pain.

“You! You’re such a rogue!”

Everett’s strong hands firmly caught her wrist, his handsome face filling with a sudden sincerity. “Dorothy, I’m in pain, but not just from the injuries. It’s because I’ve missed you so much, and having you so close is a different kind of torture.”

Dorothy tried to break free, but she was worried about hurting him. She hesitated, caught in a dilemma. “Can you stop messing around? Even if I stay, I... I don't know what you expect me to do.”

“Stay with me, please?” he whispered. As she didn’t budge, Everett played his final card. “I’ve spent so much time alone, thinking of you. Now that you’re finally here, I don't want to spend another night just imagining your presence.”

Dorothy looked troubled. “But, but… I was drunk last time! Doing this sober is... it's overwhelming.”

“Then let’s just focus on the moment,” Everett said, his voice dropping to a low, soothing murmur. “Turn the lights off. It’ll be fine. We don't need to rush anything.”

Staring at his earnest face, Dorothy wished she could travel back in time and avoid this topic altogether. But she was stuck.

“I have injuries too, Everett. We have to be careful.”

“We’ll take it slow; we’ve got all night,” he promised. He was like a man who had been wandering in a desert and finally found an oasis; he had no intention of letting her go.

She knew she couldn't escape his gaze or his heart, so she eventually gave a small, resigned nod. “Then I’ll… go turn off the lights.”

“Great.”

“Everett, promise me… we’ll be careful about your recovery?”

“I promise. Just stay close to me.”