I Like You a Latte {Completed}

40 | Mending the Bridges

"Shit," Deb muttered once more, as if for good measure.

"I asked you a goddamn question." Both women cowered back from Griffin's murderous glower, his brows furrowed in anger and his eyes shining with light that read, I will rearrange your face if you so much as look at me wrong, so don't.

In other words, he looked terrifying—or, at least, terrifying to anyone who didn't know how much of an awkward softie he normally was.

But Beverly knew all about Griffin's gentler side, and she sobbed even harder at the sight of him, though they were tears of joy this time. There, finally, was her intimidating mountain of a man, standing in the doorway and looking furious. "Griff-in," she sobbed, raising her arms up as though asking for a hug, uncaring that she was behaving like a whiny child. Griffin's hazel eyes melted instantly at the sight, until all she could see was care, worry, and relief for her swirling in his gaze.

He managed to shoot one last glare at the two other women in the room before he rushed to Beverly's side, sliding onto the bed next to her and pulling her into a gentle embrace, being careful of her stomach. Beverly tucked her head in the crook of his neck, hiccupping lightly as her tears began to slow, her fingers tangled in his messy hair.

"There you are now, Peach," he soothed, his chest rumbling with the words as he pressed a firm kiss against her hairline. "I'm right here. You're alright, Beverly; everything's alright, now."

"Missed you," she murmured into his neck, soaking in his presence. God, but she had been so sad without him, as cliché or lame as that thought sounded. Since the letter incident, she'd had Alicia and—more recently—Deb, but it hadn't been the same, and the interaction she and Griffin had shared before Dennis and Red kidnapped her hadn't been nearly enough.

Griffin sighed, his entire body relaxing as he stroked a gentle, loving hand over the back of her head; the tenderness of the action would have made her cry even harder, had she not been so thrilled to finally have him with her. "I missed you too, Beverly," he murmured, "So, so much." There was a beat of silence, and she felt his head swivel to the side before he bit out, "You two can get out now, if you're done making her cry."

"Hey, now!" Alicia protested, while Deb muttered a quick, "Yeah, yeah, whatever, asshole." The door closed in the next second, and Beverly knew that she and Griffin were alone. The knowledge that they were finally reunited after so much confusion, misunderstanding, terror, and drama, was another relief in of itself, and she clung to him tightly as the tears finally won out, the emotions she'd been holding in since he had sent her that goodbye text being released through her loud, gasping sobs.

Griffin rubbed a hand over her back in soothing circles, rocking her back and forth carefully. "Shhh," he cooed, his fingers tripping through her hair as he stroked the tangle blonde locks . "It's okay, Beverly, I promise. You're going to be just fine."

"I wa-was so scared," she choked, practically plastering herself against his skin.

"I know, I know, Peach," his voice was just as affected as hers, and his grip against her scalp tightened until it was almost painful. "I was too. But you're alright. You're here, I'm here, and everything's fine now."

You're here, I'm here . . . did anything else matter after that? Probably not. She felt her heartbeat begin to slow as he continued to mutter gentle, soothing words in her ear until she had calmed before he asked softly, "Good?"

She smiled into his skin, sniffling only slightly. "Good."

He blew out a heavy breath, his hand on her head releasing its hold only to starting brushing through her hair once more. Was his hand trembling, though? It was hard to tell, but she could have sworn that maybe . . .? "Thank God. You scared the living shit out of me, Beverly. You can't . . . Jesus, you can't do that to me. Not again. Not ever."