Chapter 32
Jaxon
After getting Franklin awake, I drop him off at his house with his jeep. I shoot off a text to Brooke so that she can come keep an eye on him for the night.
Ever so carefully transferring Melody to my BMW, we make our way to my house.
After getting Melody up into my suite and settled onto my bed, I go in the bathroom and start the bathtub. Knowing that she has so many injuries, I want to get her cleaned up before the doctor comes over and treats her wounds. Making sure the water isn’t too hot, but also not too cold, I turn off the spout and make my way back to the room to grab Melody.
“Little sparrow, wake up… I need you to wake up for me, gorgeous.”
Melody flinches at my touch and my heart breaks all over again. I tell myself I can’t fix what happened, but I can damn well try to mend her.
“Lift your arms for me, baby,” I tell her as she finally sits up.
I take off her shirt and throw it aside, trying my best to ignore all the blood that has soaked through the shirt from her back. If I allow myself to sit in my anger too long, I’ll lose it.
Helping Melody stand up, I pull down the briefs and have her step out of them. Leading her to the bathroom, I help to gently lower her in the tub. She gasps as she lowers into the water, her injuries probably stinging and incredibly painful. Knowing that her injuries are very sensitive right now, I grab a soft washcloth for her to wash herself with. I hold up her hair as she washes the back of her neck, laying a tender kiss to the top of her head.
“Jaxon, I’m so sorry, there wasn’t anyth—”
I cut her off before she can say anything more. “What in the world are you apologizing for, little sparrow?”
“Everything he did to me… I couldn’t stop it.”
“Melody, stop. I am in no way upset with you. At all. I can only imagine the horrors you were put through… You are so incredibly strong for surviving. And I’m damn happy you did, you hear me? I wouldn’t have been able to live without you. You are such an integral part of me, I can’t function without you next to me.”
Melody looks up at me through her lashes. “Are you sure, Jax? I’m dirty…”
I grab her chin and make her look at me. “Melody Ann Harper, you WILL NOT say such things about yourself, am I understood? You are beautiful and the strongest woman I know. You will not give that fucker’s ghost the satisfaction of keeping you down. You will overcome this and I’ll be right by your side every step of the way. I don’t care how long it takes, you have me, all of me, through the entire journey and the rest of our lives. Do you understand?”
She peers into my eyes, looking for a lie. “OK, Jax, I understand… I believe you.”
“Good, now that that’s settled, let’s get you out of this tub before you catch a cold.”
“I’m sure that’s the reason…” she has the audacity to smirk at me. My little sparrow, cut and bloodied up all over her body, and who knows what other horrors she had to endure, is still the sassy vixen I’ve come to know and love.
Wrapping her in a towel, I kiss her nose. “I love you, Melody, with every part of my soul, I love you. Like the sky filled with stars, you light me up. You are my northern star and I, a wayward shepherd. I’ll follow you to the ends of the earth, because you are my true home.”