Bulletproof my Heart

28. The nightmares you get, they are-

Well, well, well, so many secrets are revealed.

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Chapter 28: The nightmares you get, they are-

Nimit

I am fucking dumb!

I should push her away, I should tell her to leave, I should keep a safe distance from her.

But instead, I wrap my arms tighter around her and breathe in her scent. She smells of rosewood and vanilla, I am addicted. My fingers curl around her waist and I love the way she fits perfectly – as if she is made for me.

She rubs my back, her touch is soft yet reassuring, a lifeline in the midst of chaos. Something inside me craves the warmth of her affection, the comfort of her closeness, the feel of her body against mine. I shudder as her nails scrape my spine and she holds me tighter, like she's trying to shield me from the pain that threatens to consume me whole.

She doesn't try to fix me or offer empty platitudes. Instead, she simply holds me close, letting me feel the rawness of my pain.

At that moment, I know how truly fucked up I am.

Because I am never letting her go.

After a few seconds, I lift my face and watch her tear-stained face. Something twists inside my chest, I hate seeing her sad and me being the reason is unacceptable! I wipe the wetness of her face with my thumbs. "Don't cry for me."

She sniffs with a smile but her eyes shine with apprehension. "No kid should have to go through what you went through."

"I know."

She shifts on my lap and I grunt at the movement, my cock quickly rising to attention despite the severity of the situation. Aisha freezes at the bulge and a faint blush covers her neck.

For the umpteenth time, I regret not taking the opportunity to fuck her senselessly, to lose myself in her, to claim her as no other man has and ever will.

She's mine, she just doesn't know it yet.

"You can't blame me." I bite out in annoyance at my own body's reaction. "You are too close to me."

She gives me a shy smile and kisses my cheek. "I am not complaining."

Fuck me!

I close my eyes and inhale sharply, trying to clear the hormonal fog in my brain. "You wanted to know why my life was in danger."

That quickly sober her up, her smile vanishes and she stiffens on my lap. She tries to move away but I tug her closer, adjusting her on my lap so her face is against my chest. I take the opportunity to press my lips against her forehead. "Stay."

"That's why I came."

After a second, I start telling the story I haven't told anyone except my therapist. "The debt my father took – it wasn't from the bank or a loan shark. It was the local mafia gang, the kind who shoots first and asks questions later."

I keep my eyes on the empty chair in front of me but I hear her shocked gasp. "They didn't care that my father was dead or that my mom was a penniless widow or that I was only 7. They wanted their money and they wanted it with interest. With the help of my uncle, my mom managed to escape the town with new identities and she settled us in a city miles away. I was too young to understand what happened then but when I turned 16, I heard my mother talking to her sister about a threatening mail she had gotten. The mafia had found her."

Aisha intertwines her fingers with mine and with mild amusement I note how small her hand really is, mine swallows her easily. But they fit like they are meant to be.