“Baby girl,” I said against her hair.
“I’m fine,” she lied.
“Eva,” Tristan said softly.
“Please don’t,” she begged through her tears.
Fuck.“Go grab a sports drink,” I told Cole. “Grab a soft blanket out of my closet,” I instructed Tristan. Guess they were going to learn how to manage sub drop tonight.
“I’m fine,” Eva hiccupped, and I wished she trusted me to take care of her.
“You were so perfect,” I crooned as I scooted up to sit against the headboard and gathered her in my arms, settling her between my legs, her back to my torso. Tristan handed me a blanket, and I carefully wrapped it around her, making a note to order a weighted one for her in the morning. “So good for us, letting us play with you tonight.”
She shuddered, the tears still flowing, and I held her close, nuzzling my cheek against hers.
Cole returned with a bottle of Gatorade, a travel mug of hot water and a tea bag, and a bag of gummy bears he’d dug out from god knew where. He met my amused gaze defiantly. “I didn’t know what she’d want.”
“Just let me cry,” she whispered.
“Malyshka,” I murmured against her hair, “you just went through an intense emotional and sexual experience, and you’re crashing as all the exhilaration leaves your system. Cry as much as you need to, all right?”
“Tea or sports drink?” Cole asked her.
She shook her head.
“Slut,” he snapped, and she shuddered but looked up at him. “What did I tell you about my toys?”
“You take care of them,” she said finally. “But I’m not yours anymore.”
“You keep telling yourself that, sparrow.” Cole’s lips tilted up, and he bent to kiss her knee. “Sports drink or tea?”
“Sports drink,” she said finally. He handed me the bottle.
“I can hold it,” she protested.
Tristan cupped her face, forcing her to look at him. “Kitten, we just spent hours making you fall apart. Let us hold you while you put yourself back together.” His expression softened. “Please let us do this.”
She took another deep breath and then nodded, allowing me to tilt the sugary blue liquid into her mouth.
Between sips, Tristan fed her gummy bears.
“You’re so fucking brave,” Cole murmured sleepily. He stretched out between my legs, nuzzling his cheek against Eva’s blanket covered feet. “I’d have told me to go fuck myself.”
“She has, several times,” Tristan reminded him, and he laughed quietly.
“He’s right, you know,” I whispered into her ear. “You’re the bravest person I’ve ever met.”
Eva didn’t answer. Her breathing had evened out, and she’d fallen asleep, sitting in my arms. I sat there for a long fucking time, feeling her warm weight against me, knowing she was torn apart inside and not knowing how to fix it.
We’d tried to show her this was real.
But she was too scared to believe us.
So we’d just have to keep proving it, every day, until she didn’t have a choice but to believe us.
Until she stopped fighting and fucking admitted she was ours.
Again.