After a while, she finally stopped crying, still remaining in Sully’s arms, feeling more calm and safe. She looked up at him. “Sull, I don’t know how to do my job without him.”
He gazed down into her grief stricken green eyes and stroked her cheek gently. “Yes you do. He wouldn’t have wanted you to be CEO if you didn’t.”
She searched his steel-blue eyes and felt relief noticing that he was sober. It was the first time she had seen this kind of clarity in his eyes in several months. She prayed it wasn’t fleeting.
She sighed. “Sully, he has been in my life since I’ve been in this industry professionally. How do I possibly navigate without him? He was my north star and my protector.”
Sully grinned and stroked her cheek again. “You did just fine without him. That was part of the appeal. He came looking for you, remember? You had put us on the map all on your own. You played hardball with him even though you wanted nothing more than to work for him. You still made him work for it. As far as being your protector, I can see why you’d say that, but realize now you’ve got your own posse. Spence, Lex, Wes… me. And you definitely have Jonathan and Pete in your corner.”
He nodded and took her face into his hands softly, gazing deeply into her eyes. “I get it though, babe. He’s family. He’s like a father to you. He’s been a constant in your life for about the last eight years, which we both know is like 24 years in the music industry.” He donned a knowing grin.
She giggled through her tears silently agreeing and being amused with his statement. “Oh so true.”
Sully nodded. “Let it all out. Yes, it is a major loss. Take the time to grieve, baby. But don’t stay there. Lew wouldn’t have wanted you to. Knowing Lew he would have wanted you to create and blow up the industry on your terms.” He smiled and winked.
She grinned. “That sounds just like him. I knew you’d get it. Thank you.” She took his hand in hers and squeezed it.
He nodded. “You’re welcome. Do you want me to leave so you can go back to sleep?”
She shook her head. “No. Can you lay with me? Even if it’s only for a few hours. I’m sure at some point I’ll go over to the house and see Sherri and Jonathan. Right now I can’t even think about that. I just need you to hold me.”
Sully nodded, kicked off his shoes and climbed into bed with her fully clothed, pulling her close to him and kissing her on forehead.
He held her tightly. “I’ll stay as long as you want me to.”
Kit’s eyes fluttered open several hours later. She could feel Sully wrapped around her and then remembered why. She stared straight ahead, not moving while he slept soundly.
She wasn’t easily embracing the new reality of Lew no longer being part of her world. She prayed again that it was all a bad dream, but seeing as Sully was still pressed up against her, spooning her, she knew it wasn’t.
In a moment of deep vulnerability and tremendous grief she reached out to the one man she was trying to get away from, yet having him there brought her more peace than she had imagined. He felt like home and it disturbed her.
She jogged her memory back a few hours prior, grateful nothing had transpired aside from Sully being a good enough partner to soothe her and make her feel safe in her time of need. She worried, though, that her immediate dependence on him may have given him the wrong idea.
As good as it felt to be in his arms, she knew it could be a recipe for disaster. She gently started extracting herself from his grasp, doing her best not to wake him. It didn’t work. She heard his sleepy voice seconds later.
He squinted groggily. “How are you doing, Kitty?”
She sat up and looked at him, feeling a deep love for him that scared her, yet unwilling to surrender to it. She felt conflicted, yet the vulnerability creeping in again was pulling her back in.
The longing for him to take care of her was playing out. It was something she had been wanting for months and now it was here. Still being attracted to him yet knowing he was no longer a fit for her was a dangerous place to be, especially in a bed with him. She replayed the day when he left to resume the tour and it was enough to jar her out of the situation and put her guard back up.
She broke free of his grasp entirely and avoided his gaze. “I’m ok, I guess. I better get going. I’m sure the Diamond family needs me in some capacity.” She moved to the edge of the bed and swung her legs over to the side, hastily throwing on a pair of black flats.
As she was about to stand, Sully took her hand in his and squeezed it, speaking softly. “Don’t go. Stay. C’mon, give yourself time to process this. Running off isn’t going to help. I’m sure they’ll understand if you need a little time.”
She knew he was right, but she opted to gently pull her hand away instead. He was speaking to her heart and she was desperate to break free of his influence.
She sighed, unable to face him. “Sully, I think it’s best that I go and that you go too. I was feeling really out of sorts last night and…”
He sat up calmly and nodded, his penetrating gaze unwavering. “You wanted me to comfort you. I know. I get
