Own me

I felt as if I were shedding the shell of the old Rosalind. The girl who was afraid to speak up when it was needed most. The girl who allowed those around her to pull the strings like a puppeteer.

The girl who lost her voice but found it in the most unlikely of places.

James has allowed me to find myself within him. His raw vulnerability when it could have cost him everything showed me that being yourself isn’t a bad thing, and the people who matter will stay because you are you.

He’s become my safe place. My home.

“I’m not so sure you can handle this side of me,” the blend of James’ voice with Onyx caused goosebumps to explode over my skin. The pain in my ribs was a distant memory once I felt his calloused hands graze the skin. “You are still healing,” his voice was softer this time. Fear laced his words as he dipped down, brushing his nose against mine.

“Your touch makes it better.”

He gripped the hem of my shirt, slowly lifting it from my head while never breaking eye contact.