Always Only You by Chloe Liese (z-lib.org).epub

feel vulnerable, and I work very hard not to feel that way.
“Frankie.” Ren presses his cheek to the top of my head and holds me close.
“Can you take a deep breath?”
I breathe in, then release a long shuddering exhale.
“Good,” he says softly. “And again?”
I take another slow, calming breath. And another. And another. Until my
breathing is even, and my tears are only silent, sliding down my cheeks. At some
point in my breakdown he started rubbing my back in a slow, soothing, circular
motion. I sigh and lean into him.
“I called your landlord,” Ren says. “He’s going to talk with the police, make
sure they get the place clear and safe again.” Ren’s hand slides up my back, then
cups the nape of my neck. “Do you have any pets they need to keep an eye out
for? Your dog, right?” he asks gently.
I burst an ugly sob against his chest. “Pazzaaaaa.”
Ren pulls back enough to cup my face in both hands and search my eyes.
“Frankie, I can’t understand you.”
“Pazza, my dog.” I manage a long slow breath without crying. “She’s with
Lo.”
“Your friend, Lorena?”
I frown. “Y-yes, Lorena. But how did you know?”
“You’ve mentioned her a bunch of times, Frankie.”
Pretty sure I might have mentioned her once but… Ren’s thumbs stroke my
cheeks, making this dazed feeling wash over me. My breathing calms again and
tears finally stop blurring my vision. “Pazza,” I whisper.
“Do you want to go to Lorena’s? You need somewhere to stay until they sort
this out and you feel safe to come home.”
Lo has a new girlfriend, Mia. A new girlfriend that she’s mildly obsessed
with, who recently took the cohabitation leap and moved into Lorena’s studio. I
can’t stay at Lo’s. There’s nowhere to sleep and no privacy.
Then there’s Annie. Annie and Tim are expecting their first baby, and their
second bedroom is now a nursery, not to mention, they’re at the hospital
possibly preparing to bring home a premature baby. Sure, they have a couch, but
I can’t sleep on couches because they’re hell for my joints.
Last time I slept on a couch was at a house party in college, and the next
morning, I couldn’t get out of it. I had to be helped upright by the guy I’d just
finally given into dating. As soon as he got me standing, he made up some
excuse about a Saturday study session he’d forgotten about. He’d never seen me
have a bad day, and on my first one, it scared him off. On my slow walk home, I
texted him we were over. Then I sat in the shower until the hot water ran out,