Her CEO Stalker and Her Second Chance Mate Chapter 53

Briar

The inky blackness encompassed me, the sound of Carter’s voice drifting away, obscured by the stillness within me. The last time I found myself here, I woke up in hell. The panic increased, blinding pain coursed through me, but this time, the pain wasn’t bursting from my heart; this time, strong fingers weren’t wrapped around my slender neck. I wasn’t alone here, a voice called, it sounded distant, as if it were trying to speak through layers of walls. ‘Breathe.’ Why? ‘Breathe.’  I don’t want to. ‘Breath. You promised him.’ I had. I struggled to inhale. 

The strange voice was replaced with Carter’s frantic one. “Briar! Baby, come on, breathe, sweetheart, please. Rocks bit into my back as I labored for air. My lungs managed to rasp a full breath. Wetness hit my face. Was it raining? I felt my body being pulled up into comforting arms. The pain in my chest eased. I settled there as Carter burrowed his face into my neck.

“You scared me,” he murmured.

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t breathe,” I apologized, my voice weak.

I felt myself lifted up and moved as I rested against his chest. Exhaustion seeped into my bones. 

“I’ve got you,” Carter’s voice promised as my eyes closed.

I woke up in my room in Carter’s house. It was still dark. Tucker purred in his sleep on my pillow and Rosie curled between my feet. I shifted out of the bed, wearing a black shirt that fell to my thighs over my underthings. Carter must have gotten me out of my wet clothes. Was it my imagination or had it suddenly decided to rain in the midst of my turmoil? By the scent of the shirt, it belonged to Carter. Outside of the animal on the road, and Carter picking me up after the mayhem, I didn’t remember much. My body ached, and my ribs were still sore, that much I knew. I carefully took the stairs down to the main floor, the animals following me. When I got to the kitchen, Carter was cooking, and the scent of coffee, eggs, and sausage had me salivating.

Carter looked over at me, the shirtless view of him as scrumptious as the scent of the food he was cooking. I forced my eyes from the V of his lower abs, where his loose blue jeans rested, and up to his grey-blue eyes. They searched mine, assessing my wellbeing, before he chucked the frying pan off the burner and strode over to me. His hands cupped my face, tilting it up gently. He studied me.

“You gave me a scare last night, sweetheart,” he let me know.

“I’m fine,” I promised. He wasn’t convinced that was for sure.

“Sit,” he said, pulling me over to the stool nearest him. I obeyed only because I didn’t know what to do with myself. 

Carter walked away and came back, a cup of coffee magically appearing before me. I took it gratefully in both of my hands, afraid to drop it, and sipped happily.

“Since you're up, maybe we can partake in the Jake Sunday morning breakfast ritual?” he asked, eyeing me. I nodded in agreement. Carter nodded back and went back to the stove. I watched him as he finished the eggs and then erected two ginormous burritos and plated them. He lifted the plates, and I took that as a cue to get up and follow him out to the back deck. I sat in a chair, and he handed me a plate before taking the seat beside me, his knee resting against mine. I hummed softly. Carter’s presence had this way of soothing me. I had done the right thing in forgiving him, I hoped. If he became another bad decision, another man I wrongfully put my faith in, I didn’t know if I could carry on. My eyes raised to the horizon. The sky was just coming to life with the majestic hues of the sunrise, golds and pinks slowly began cascading over to mountain peaks.

I took a bite, the taste of potatoes, peppers, and onions burst into my mouth, and I groaned. He smiled and dug into his own. We sat in that communal silence of the breaking day, eating without a word. In homage to a man we both loved, weighing in our hearts.