Chapter 12
Justin couldn’t help but want to reach out for his darlin’ when she talked about the man who had been after them. He almost caved more when she talked about what he called her. That frown overdid it as it marred her brow as she obviously began to think about being called anything else.
When he made a step toward his darlin’, Cierra grabbed his hand
tightly and pulled him back. He stopped when she shook her head. He let out a
little sigh but
obeyed Cierra.
His darlin’ frowned a little more.
“Pumpkin, I,” she stopped and frowned more. She gripped the
cushion beside her knees, turning her knuckles white.
Cierra moved closer to her, but stayed on the light coffee table,
“What is it?” Cierra encouraged.
“Bree, I’ve been called Bree before, I remember a funeral, and a
man taking me away from there.”
“Were you willing?”
“I guess so, I’m younger, but I don’t know how old, but I went
with him willingly.”
“Okay, you remember being called Bree, did this man call you
that?”
“Yes, but I don’t know who he is.” She whispered.
“That’s okay, I don’t want to push anymore, I think we need to
call this to an end, we at least have a name, okay?”
“N-no, I want to know who he is, I have to know.”
“Not today,” Cierra interjected quickly.
“I’m close to finding out, no please, I need to find out.” His
darlin’ got louder.
Justin pulled away from Cierra, he sat down beside his darlin’ and
cupped her cheeks, “Babe, come on, it’s okay, we can take our time on this,
come back to us, baby.” He soothed.
Her eyes seemed to fly open, and her hands gripped his, “Justin,”
she sobbed out and collapsed against his chest.
He slid his fingers into her hair as he slid his other hand to her
back, “Hey, I’m right here, it’s okay, hun, I’m here.” Justin glanced at
Cierra.
She was nibbling her bottom lip, “Maybe we shouldn’t do this
again.”
Justin felt his darlin’s delicate hand tighten in his shirt, his
thumb grazed the back of her neck, “I think I agree.”
His darlin’ didn’t say anything as she moved closer.
Then her voice came, “But I was so close, he was important to me,
I began to remember a party, and someone was going to pick me up, I think he
was my dad.”
She whispered.
Cierra and Justin locked eyes, “Could you describe him, babe?”
Justin coaxed gently.
She turned her head a little, “I think so.”
“Cierra, do you think we could get Ben out here?”
“Well, he wanted to be here, to begin with, but if we’re all here,
we should probably find somewhere else for us to crash, we can’t crash at your
sister and
brother-in-law’s place.”
“Good thing I have an apartment here in town, I have it for
another few months, if this takes longer, I can renew the lease, just call Ben
for me, please?”
“Okay, I’ll talk to him.” Cierra slowly got up from the coffee
table. Her gaze lingered on him and his darlin’, but then she headed to the
other side of the
living room.
“Justin,” his darlin’ whispered.
“Yeah, babe?”
“Are you leaving me?” she mumbled.
He brushed his thumb against her neck, “No, babe, I’m not.”
“Promise?”
“I promise,” his gaze slid to Cierra, who stared at them with a
knowing look. How he’d just made a promise to his darlin’ like that, he didn’t
know, but he
intended to keep it. He scooped her up into his arms with ease.
“Come on, darlin’, let’s get you something to eat, then why don’t you rest for
a bit?”
She just nodded as he carried her down the white popcorn hallway
then into the kitchen. He sat her up on the brown with multiple white, black,
and gray
printed granite countertop. He rubbed her side a little, then
headed to the pantry. He began to pull different things out.
He placed them beside her, “Take your pick, babe.”
Her beautiful violet eyes filled with tears as she looked away
from all the items.
Justin stood in front of her between her skinny, sweat covered
legs, he placed his hands on either side of her thighs, “Hey, what’s wrong?”
“I don’t know what to pick, I don’t know what I like.” She
whispered.
Justin pursed his lips a tad, “Okay, hold on.” He put everything
back in the pantry, but pulled out a loaf of bread. Then he went to the black
fridge and pulled out butter along with sliced cheese. “How about we try
grilled cheese, it’s simple, and I haven’t met too many people who don’t like
it.” He watched her, waiting
for a reply. All she did was shrug her shoulders.
He began to make them a few sandwiches. Once they were finished
cooking, he put them on a plate then went back to his darlin’. He placed his
hands on her hips, “Come on, babe.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he pulled her close to
him, wrapping her legs around his thighs. He took her over to the kitchen table
and sat her down on the chair in front of the white plate he sat there.
She looked at the sandwich closely before she picked it up and
slowly bit into it. She whimpered a little, “That’s the last thing my mom made
me to eat.” She put the sandwich back on the plate and pushed it away. “She
died when I was little, that’s the funeral I remember.”
Justin sighed a little at the deep frown she had on her face,
“Babe, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay, you didn’t know, how could you when I didn’t even
know?” she whispered.
“You still need to eat, darlin’.” He reached out, placing his hand
over hers.
“I miss her, and I’ll never see her again, I don’t remember her at
all, I just know she’s gone.” She choked out.