Страница 48 из 111
Her heart is pounding so rapidly—it causes mine to race with nerves, but I take a breath and force myself to remain calm, because that's what she needs. She's scared and she needs to feel safe.
I position her against my chest so her heart is pressed against mine and she can take in and feel the steady rhythm of it as I hold her in my arms.
“You're safe, baby,” I whisper, over and over again as her trembles begin to subside.
I begin tracing gentle circles up and down her spine, just like I used to as she sinks against me and I stand up. “II—“
“Il mio piccolo superstite.” Her fragile voice cuts me off and she hugs my neck tighter.
“Il mio piccolo superstite,” she whispers to herself again, and I don't know if my heart breaks more or if she just managed to fix one of the cracks.
“That's right, Lou-Lou. Il mio piccolo superstite.”
“Ricky?” she breathes in my ear.
“It's me, baby. I'm right here.”
I can feel her entire body relax against me before she hugs me so tight I have to suck in a breath.
“Ricky,” she says again, as I continue walking us out of the kitchen.
I kiss her shoulder and notice some blood oozing from a few small scrapes. “You're okay, baby. Everything's okay, but I need to check out these cuts.”
I feel her heart skyrocket again. “But you're safe,” I repeat when her tear stained cheek hits my shoulder. “You're safe with me.”
She wraps her legs around my waist and grips me even tighter.
“Everyone was staring at us,” she says, burying her face against my neck. “They all saw—they all know—” I feel another tear hit my shoulder. “They all think I'm weak. They all know I'm crazy—”
“No they don't.” I trace more circles up and down her spine. “Because you're not crazy, Lou-Lou. And you're definitely not weak.”