058 ⇾ relentless brooding & five painful words

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PART 2 OF CHAPTER 55

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It was a little after midnight when Chris finally pulled into his designated parking lot. Rounding the car one last time for the night, he carefully tugged the passenger's seat door open before reaching over to unbuckle Naomi's seat belt.

He felt her stir in her sleep, soft murmurs escaping her lips as he ducked into his car and gently slid one hand behind her neck and the other beneath the back of her knees. He carried her out of the car ever so cautiously and kicked the door shut with his leg before setting off for the elevator.

The journey from the semi-empty parking lot all the way up to the front door of his condo unit proved to be quite a struggle for Chris because not only did he accidentally tap on the 5th floor by accident---he lived on the 6th---but he also, accidentally, bumped Naomi's left foot against his front door when he was trying to slot the key in. Eventually, he decided to use the crook of his elbow to support the back of her knees so that it made unlocking his front door much easier for him.

Once he got inside, he kicked the door shut with his foot and padded across the living room to lay Naomi down on the couch. Chris then moved to take her boots off, slowly and carefully, as he made sure not to wake her from her slumber. He took her boots, purse and both their coat and jacket over to the standing coat rack that was right beside the front door and hung them all up before setting her boots beside the rosewood-coloured rack.

He blew out sigh before padding into the kitchen to get himself a glass of water. His mind wouldn't stop racing at all the possible reasons that could have induced Naomi into getting herself drunk. She didn't seem like the type to get drunk because she was always watchful of what and how much she drank, even when they'd both attended the black-tie event together back in Massachusetts.

He sighed again, downing what was left in his glass before walking towards his bedroom. Along the way, he snuck a brief glance at the sleeping woman on his couch just to make sure she hadn't rolled off the couch---and also to see if she'd awoken.

Flipping the switch on, he grabbed one of his pillows off the bed and a blanket from one of the drawers before padding into the living room. He gently placed the pillow and blanket on one of the couch's armrests and peered over at Naomi who was still asleep, although this time she'd turned to her left and her face was now buried in the cushions.

Chris moved to pick her up gently off the couch and strided into his bedroom to lay her on the king-sized bed. He slipped the comforter over her and bunched up its sides right next to her body to make sure she was warm enough. His eyes darted from her closed eyelids to her lightly scrunched up eyebrows to the subtle frown on her lips.

Even when she was asleep, she was still exuding the same inexplicable sorrow he felt when he was driving her home. It was practically radiating off of her, seeping out of her bones and coursing through the veins that ran across her entire being.

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First Signs of Love ⇾ C. Evans ✓Where stories live. Discover now