Free Beautifully Broken by Amanda Bennett Page A

to be awake, so did he.
     
    Gray tugged on the comforter
hard enough to roll me over near him. “Are you seriously pouting already?” He
smirked.
     
    “No! I just don’t like
having to hear your alarm a million times when you sleep right through it. Its
not fair.” I stuck my tongue out while crawling over him, making my way to the
bathroom.
     
    “Oh no you don’t, little
lady.” Both of his arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me onto his chest.
“Where do you think you’re going?” He briefly touched his lips to mine.
     
    I pulled back worried about
my morning breath. “I was going to go use the facilities and brush my teeth. Is
that okay with you, Dad?” I pushed myself up with my palms flat on his chest.
     
    He snatched my wrist as I
stood. “If I said no, would you stay in bed with me?” His eyes were pleading
with me not to leave. I was weak when it came to those hypnotizing blue eyes,
and I caved.
     
    “I’ll stay for a few more
minutes.” I crawled back over the top of him and snuggled my nose into the
crook of his neck. He smelled amazing, even first thing in the morning. How did
I get so lucky? Gray slowly ran his fingers up and down my spine, while I
breathed him in. I didn’t want to forget his smell. It would be too long before
I could smell him again.
     
    We lay unmoving for at least
another twenty minutes when my stomach started to growl, loudly. I shrugged it
off to not eating a whole lot the day before, but it quickly worked its way up
my throat. I clamped my hands over my mouth, bolting for the bathroom. I had
barely gotten the toilet seat up before my body started heaving. Gray was
instantly at my side, holding back my hair and rubbing my back.
     
    “Baby are you okay?” He
whispered.
     
    I grabbed some toilet paper
and wiped my mouth before answering him. “I’m fine. I didn’t eat very much
yesterday. I’m sure my body is just upset with me.” I gave him a halfhearted
smile. He swept the stray strands of hair back that started to stick to the
sheen of sweat that had built on my forehead. I stood to rinse my mouth with
water.
     
    “I feel bad leaving you when
you’re sick.” He brushed my hair to the side planting small kisses along my
neck.
     
    “Gray you have to go. You
don’t have a choice. I’ll be fine, I promise.” I turned and kissed the tip of
his nose before heading out to the kitchen. I started to brew a cup of coffee.
The aroma was the sweetest smell. My lips turned up in a smile. There wasn’t
much in the way of food at my house, so I told Gray we would have to stop by
Starbucks for a muffin on our way to the airport.
     
    I watched the illuminated
numbers on the dash of my car, as we grew closer to the airport. It was only
six in the morning but everybody seemed to be on the road, going who knows
where at this hour. My stomach was suddenly extremely nervous. It felt like a
thousand butterflies taking flight. I tried to swallow the lump that was
growing in my throat. I couldn’t tell if I was going to be sick or pass out,
but one of them was more than likely to happen in the next couple of seconds.
     
    “Gray pull over quick.” I
screamed. The car hit the gravel on the shoulder of the highway and I flew out
of the car before Gray could even put it in park.
     
    I heaved the non-existent
contents of my stomach on the side of the highway. Great, this is so not how I
wanted this day to go. I slid back into the passenger seat after I was finished
leaving my stomach on the side of the road, Gray ran his hand back through my
hair. His look was one of disapproval, but he continued driving the last ten
miles to the airport without saying a word.
     
    I held my breath as the car
inched closer to the departure drop off zone. “You don’t want me to go in with
you?” I was starting to panic. I didn’t know I was going to have to say my
good-byes in a fast fashion. “Gray are you serious right now?” My voice raised
an octave higher than