If You Were Ours

Chapter Fifty Three - Tyson

Tyson ~

I expected to wake up to Kinsley's warm body on top of mine. To feel her soft kisses and hear her sweet voice before she popped up and got ready for the day, but I didn't.

Moving my arm before my eyes fully opened, I searched for Kinsley, but she wasn't there.

Maybe she went to snuggle up with Dane.

I opened my eyes and pushed myself up onto my elbows, letting my eyes adjust to the darkness only to find Dane sleeping soundly, alone.

Where the hell did she go?

My protective instincts flared and I was on my feet in seconds, scanning the room for any sign of her as I moved toward her bedroom.

I opened the door slowly, trying to stop it from creaking as I entered and let out a sigh of relief when I saw her tiny body on the bed wrapped up in her comforter, but that relief was short lived when I heard her speak.

"Go away Tyson." She mumbled against her pillow.

Her words hit me square in the chest and I took a slight step back as my body adjusted to her spiteful tone.

"I was just checking on you. You were sleeping so peacefully..."

"I needed some help falling asleep so I came and took what I needed. Now please go, I have to be up in three hours."

Her tone was flat and clipped and it was grating on my ears.

Kinsley never talks to me like this.

"Sorry...I just thought..."

She raised her head and glared at me through the darkness s she spoke with spiteful guarded body language that I'd never seen before.

"You thought what? That I'd cuddle you all night like you didn't purposely rip my heart out and leave me to pick up the pieces? That I'd forgive you instantly because you're big and scary?"

There was so much anger in her voice - anger that was meant just for me and I hated it. But I stood there and took it without speaking or defending myself because I deserved it. She was right, that's exactly what I expected and I should have known better.

"I took what I needed from you and then I left. You said I was in control, is that still true or was that a lie too?"

I dropped my head at her words, rubbing the back of my neck as she spit venom at me from across the room.

Words couldn't describe how sorry I was for what I'd done, but Kinsley didn't need my words. She needed me to show her and I was prepared to do that even if it meant letting her walk all over me.

"I hear you, Kins. You're right. You're in control. You set the pace." I admitted flatly.

Her chin quivered at my words and quick submission, but she remained steadfast.

"Thank you for helping me fall asleep earlier. But now I'd like for you to leave." She said with her voice cracking slightly in a softer tone as she tried to hold it together.

She doesn't want me to go and I don't want to go but this is what she needs. We're starting from square one, not...whatever square we were on before I fucked this all up.

Turning on my heel I left the room with my fists clenched and my expression hardened into a deep scowl. I wasn't used to being denied what I wanted and I fucking hated every second of it.

Dane saw me as soon as I left the room and was sitting up, eavesdropping.

"You okay?" Dane asked.

"This is gonna be fucking hard." I muttered, dropping myself down on the couch with a thud.

"What? You expected her to make it easy on us?" Dane scoffed.

"We don't deserve easy. Hell, the fact that she's allowed to enter this apartment is a damn miracle."

I sighed and ran my hand through my short hair a few times, trying to release some tension as Dane spoke.

"I just don't know what she needs. Whatever it is I'll do it, but she's just so hard to read right now."  I said, pushing out a hard breath as I cracked my neck side to side.

"In all fairness I don't think she knows what she needs either, so we just need to follow her lead and be whatever she asks us to be, even if that role changes throughout the day...you think you can do that?" Dane asked.

"I'll do anything." I admitted.

*********

Three hours later I heard Kinsley's alarm go off and watched as Dane stretched and groaned as he got up to make her coffee.

I wanted so badly for us to fall back into our morning routine, but I knew chances of that were slim.

Normally Dane made her coffee and she'd sit up on the counter while he made it, letting him kiss all over her every time he passed. Then once her coffee was made she'd come sit in my lap while I answered emails.

I rose from the couch and stretched before taking a seat on one of the barstools that lined the large marble kitchen island.

Kinsley emerged from her room a few minutes later in a short robe with wet hair and the sight had me coming undone. Dane and I were practically drooling as she entered the kitchen, but tried to hide it as best we could.

"Good morning." She said, short and clipped.

She took the cup of coffee that Dane had made and brought it to her lips, smelling it before she took her first sip and humming softly as she swallowed.

I love that fucking sound.

I turned my body so that my lap was open and available to her, deciding that while I knew it was unlikely she'd sit there, I wanted to give her the option so she felt like she was in control.

To my disappointment, she didn't take her usual seat in my lap, but she did sit beside me, which was progress.

"Thank you for the coffee." She said to Dane.

"That's what I'm here for, gorgeous," Dane said with a wink and a smile that she quickly reciprocated.

Lucky bastard.

"Can we give you a ride to the gallery?" Dane asked.

"No I think I'll walk today." She said, taking a quick sip of her coffee.

"Not safe," I muttered, taking a drink out of my own coffee cup.

Oops. Fuck.

Kinsley narrowed her eyes at me before she spoke.

"I don't need you to tell me what's safe and what's not safe here. I've been walking to the gallery every day since you left me here," she snapped.

Damn it Tyson, you big fucking idiot.

"I uh, misspoke. What I meant to say was, do you mind if we walk with you?" I asked, remembering to ask her instead of tell her.

She studied me for a second or two and seemed to acknowledge and appreciate my self correction.

"You can if you'd like." She finally said before hopping off the barstool to finish getting ready.

Once she was behind the closed door of her room, Dane shoved me from the side.

"Way to go you fucking moron, you almost blew it."

"I know. Shit. I know. I'm fucking trying man."

I braced my weight on the counter and let out a hard sigh.

This isn't going to be easy.

********

Goodnight loves! :)