Autumn grumbled but didn’t bother denying it again. She knew she was grumpy in the mornings, and she wasn’t ashamed to admit it. Jacob wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. She shifted so that they were lying down, and she draped her arm over his waist.
She closed her eyes again and let herself drift off into sleep. Jacob watched her sleep, his heart pounding in his chest. He had missed her, and now that she was back in his arms, he was never going to let her go.
He would protect her with his life. He would make sure no one hurt her again.
He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. She shifted against him and let out a little sigh, but she didn’t wake. He smiled to himself. He was going to make her happy again. He was going to show her what it meant to truly be his mate.
He was going to love her until she couldn’t remember her own name. He was going to worship her body until she was begging him to let her cum. He was going to be everything she needed. He just had to make sure she didn’t leave him again.
Autumn woke to the smell of food. She opened her eyes and sat up, looking around for Jacob. He wasn’t in the room, but there was a tray on the bedside table with food on it.
She climbed out of bed slowly and made her way over to the tray. There was a plate with two sandwiches on it and a glass of water. She sat down on the edge of the table and picked up one of the sandwiches. She took a bite and then set it back down on the plate. It tasted good, but she wasn’t hungry. Her stomach rolled at the thought of eating.
She sipped at the water instead, taking small sips. She didn’t realize how thirsty she had been. She finished off the glass and then sat back. She glanced at the door and wondered where Jacob was.
He had been with her all day yesterday, and she missed him. She bit her lip and dropped her eyes back to the plate of food. She really needed to eat, but her stomach wasn’t having any of it.
She sighed and picked up a sandwich. She forced herself to eat half of it before she had to stop.
She pushed the plate away and dropped down onto the bed. Her stomach was rolling, and she was starting to feel nauseous. She swallowed hard, trying not to vomit. She couldn’t go back to the hospital. She wouldn’t survive it.
The door opened, and she looked up as Jacob stepped into the room. His eyes found hers, and he froze.
“You’re sick?” he demanded as he hurried over to her.
She shook her head. “I’m okay. Just not hungry,” she said.
Jacob frowned and then picked up the plate. He set it down on the bedside table and then pulled her into his arms.
“You need to eat,” he said, looking down at her. She nodded and then buried her face in his chest.
“I will. I just can’t right now,” she told him.
Jacob’s frown deepened. “Why not?” he asked. Autumn didn’t answer for a moment, and he tipped her head up to look at him. Her eyes were dark, and she licked her lips. “Autumn?” he pressed.
“I just… I can’t. My stomach hurts,” she admitted. Jacob’s frown turned to a look of concern, and he pulled her closer.
“I’ll get you something for it,” he told her.
Autumn shook her head. “It won’t help. Nothing will,” she murmured, dropping her gaze.
Jacob tipped her head back up. “What’s wrong, sweetheart? Why won’t it help?” he asked.
Autumn licked her lips. She really didn’t want to tell him. She didn’t want to see the disgust in his eyes, but at the same time, she didn’t want to lie to him. Not when he was looking after her.
“My stomach always hurts. Ever since…” she trailed off. Jacob nodded, understanding what she hadn’t said.
Since she had tried to kill herself. She felt like she couldn’t breathe. Jacob pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head.
“Is that all it is?” he asked her.
Autumn nodded. “My stomach always feels like there’s a huge weight inside, like there’s this constant pressure on it. It makes me feel sick,” she told him. Jacob nodded and tightened his arms around her. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. Jacob pulled away and tipped her head up.
“Why are you sorry?” he asked.
“For being like this,” she replied.
Jacob frowned. “I don’t understand,” he admitted.
“I’m broken. My head is broken. I’m not like other people. I’m not okay,” she told him, tears filling her eyes.
Jacob shook his head and wiped her tears away. “You’re not broken, Autumn. You are perfect just the way you are,” he assured her.
“No, I’m not. I’m not like everyone else. I’m different. I’m wrong,” she cried.
Jacob pulled her back into his arms, holding her tight. “You’re perfect the way you are, sweetheart. There is nothing wrong with you. I love you just the way you are. Every part of you, even the broken pieces. I love them all,” he murmured.
Autumn pulled back and looked up at him. There was nothing but sincerity in his gaze, and she felt her heart skip a beat.
“You love me?” she whispered.
Jacob nodded. “Yes, I do,” he confirmed.
“You do?” she asked again, needing to be sure.
“Yes,”
“But… you hate me,” she said, confused. She didn’t understand. He hated her, didn’t he?
Jacob shook his head. “No. I could never hate you. You’re my mate,” he said as if that explained everything.
Autumn stared up at him for a moment and then dropped her gaze. He had said that before, but she hadn’t believed him. He had treated her so badly, and she hadn’t thought he would ever want her as a mate.