The Sound of You **on hold**

Chapter 29

Dawson

My skin is hot to the touch as my blood boils. There's a pain in my chest I'm convinced is real. There's a stinging in my eyes I'm trying to suppress, but it's hard when I'm looking at my beautiful girl's face when she meets my eyes for the first time since she started speaking.

It all makes sense now. That first show she had that she didn't want to tell me about... The panic attack after the phone call she received... Leaving the bar the other night with a guy who wasn't me... I get that she wasn't ready to share any of that before, but it's disappointing that she couldn't find it in herself to explain things when she came to my house after the incident with her ex.

The fact that her ex – or anyone for that matter – would lay a hand on Adelaide, makes me sick.

I keep my eyes on her as she finishes sharing her story. She keeps her eyes down, looking at our intertwined hands. I take one hand and reach up to move the hair out of her face and tuck it behind her ear.

"Adelaide," I whisper. "I'm so sorry that happened to you."

She looks up and meets my eyes. They're red from the tears she cried. She brings her lips between her teeth and scrunches her brows together, nodding.

"I hope you know I would never-"

"No! No no no no no. Of course not." She cuts me off, shaking her head. "Trust me, if I got any shade of, like, even a yellow flag from you, I wouldn't be looking at you twice. I didn't even think I was ready for something like this again until I met you."

A smile creeps across my face. "Something like this?"

She mirrors my grin, then bites her bottom lip in the most Adelaide-innocent way that ripples through my body, making me want her in a way that's not appropriate right now.

"Something good?" She says, raising her eyebrows questioningly. "If you still want to?"

"Baby, this could be something great. I'm all yours."

Her grin breaks into a bright smile. A smile I silently vow to do everything I can to keep on her face. It's this moment I know I would do anything for this woman. I pull her into my lap and she rests her legs over the armrest of my chair, warming her feet close by the fire.

"I have a condition? Or a wish, I guess." I say, just as she leans in for a kiss.

"Okay..." She says, pulling back. She rests her arm on my shoulder and plays with the hair at the back of my head poking out from under my cap.

"I completely understand why you never shared any of that with me before. I get it, I do. I'm glad I know now, because it gives me a better understanding of who you are. I just want to ask that you be open with me from now on. Don't bottle things up. Don't hide things. Let me in. Okay?"

She nods. "I think I can do that from now on." She reaches her hand up and takes off my cap to make room for her in the space between us. Our lips meet, finally. After the events of the last few days, her soft lips feel perfect on mine. Like they're meant to be there. Our lips part together and my grip on her tightens, never wanting to let go.

She slowly pulls away, looking into my eyes, running her fingers through my hair and returning to playing with the hair at the back of my head. I like that. It's relaxing and comforting. She leans into me and rests her head on my shoulder as we watch the flames dance in front of us. I pull out my phone and open a playlist I know she'll like.

After a few peaceful minutes of some soft acoustic music, she lifts her head to look at me and says, "Did you ever listen to the collection of Ingrid Michaelson I sent you?"