The Carrero Heart - Beginning (Friends to Lovers)

“Sophie … Sophie? Look at me, come back to me.” His soft voice brings me back to my senses and I realize my legs are closed, my tense body held rigidly and curled up in the fetal position. He’s not inside me anymore and somehow, I’m being cradled in his arms, my face turned away from him. Beside him and gasping for breath, his arms around my upper body as he holds me tight against him and strokes the hair back from my tear-stained face. “Just breathe, slow and steady. You’re safe, it’s me, it’s Arry. You’re safe with me.” I zone back in, realizing I am gripping his arm with deadly intent, my nails digging in, yet he doesn’t seem to care. My face is soaked, and I am so dizzy I can barely get my head together. I don’t know where I went, or for how long I went there, but the taste of blood in my mouth shocks me and I’m confused and scared. My whole body shivering with waves of cold rushing through me and I’m aware of the full vibrating shakes both inside and out which are consuming me.

“Where? What? I … I …” I don’t even know what I am trying to say, breathing hard and coming to. I’m in still in his bed, surrounded by him with a sheet over us. Not in a dirty room far away with a mattress on the floor. Not held down or hurt or restrained and gagged. His nose against my cheek as he soothes me, trailing fingers down my face, still trying to hold me so I calm down in his embrace.

“Shh now, it’s okay. I’m not going to do anything to you, baby. Just calm down and relax. Breathe, Sophie. I stopped, I’m not going to do anything to you, I promise.” Arrick’s voice calms me a little, his arms around me, holding me steady and bringing back so many warm and calm feelings from the familiarity of him. How many times he has gotten me through my attacks, my fears, and my nightmare memories. I turn on my side away from him further and curl up smaller in a bid to feel safer. The pose of my childhood after many a time my body had been used and discarded. Arrick cradles me close, his breath against the back of my head, his heat surrounding me, like a balm to everything.

or why I am even crying. Not knowing why I even have blood in my mouth. I suck in my lip and realize I have cut it, the little lumps along the inner edge feel like

you, Sophie.” Arrick softly soothes me again, his head leaning against the back of my skull and pulling me back to how many times I used his arms as my haven. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, calming myself as fatigue hits me hard, still trembling yet finding comfort quickly in his

me of where I was a moment ago. Arrick’s

I always assumed with the men you dated …” Arrick trails off, his voice ravaged with emotion and I can only shake my head as sleepiness overtakes my