Chapter 8 #3
She let go of my hands, reaching up to frame my face. Her thumb traced the line of scruff on my cheekbone. “Take a deep breath.”
I felt like an even bigger asshole because I couldn’t calm myself down. She was the one comforting me.
But I did as she instructed, inhaling a deep breath of city air. Not that it did anything to help the potent mixture of guilt and anger raging inside of me.
I blew out a slow, steadying breath. “Did he—Did he hurt you?”
Her hands dropped from my face like my skin was flaming underneath her grip.
She opened her mouth to speak, but I didn’t need her to.
The way she looked everywhere but me told me everything I needed to know.
“He put his hands on me one time. Once. I left the very next day. I was—I don’t even remember what I was doing, but he grabbed my arm so hard that it bruised, and he—he—it doesn’t matter.
I just knew. I needed to go before it was too late.
I was out before the sun came up. Cami and Dom came back with me later.
Helped me get everything from his place. ”
My face twisted with confusion, but before I could even get the words out to question it, those small, soft hands were on my cheeks again.
“I made him promise.” Her eyes bounced back and forth between mine, and I wondered what she saw.
“I made Dom promise not to tell you. I could—” Her eyes softened, and my stomach twisted at the pity inside of them.
“Rhys, I’ve known you my entire life. I could tell something was off.
I thought if you knew, it would make whatever you were going through worse. I begged them not to tell you.”
As hard as I tried to focus on the fact that this conversation was about her, the betrayal from Dom sliced through my chest.
“Rhys, please. You have to understand. I knew how you would react, and I was safe. I was leaving. Stu no longer had access to my apartment. I knew I was going to be okay. And I just—I didn’t want you to worry.”
Her eyes were wide and wet with tears. “I’m always gonna worry about you,” I whispered gently.
“I go to bed and wake up wondering if you’re okay.
If you’re safe. If you’re comfortable. If you’ve remembered to eat something.
” I wasn’t sure what else to say. And I knew whatever apology I had wouldn’t be nearly as in-depth or profound as it needed to be.
Her hands fell back into her lap, her eyes softening. I ached for the warmth and gentleness of her touch to fight against the mix of emotions festering inside of me.
As much as we both wanted this conversation to be over, something that Cami said back in her office played on repeat in my head.
“What’s currently happening with Stu?” I ground out, knowing I wouldn’t like the answer.
“He’s just… persistent.”
I raised a brow, looking up at her from my crouched position next to the car. “Meaning?”
I watched as she picked the skin around her thumbnail before responding. “He’s been waiting outside my apartment in the morning. Sometimes at night. I mean, it’s not every day. But… it’s a lot.”
A fresh wave of rage surged through my body. My jaw clenched, molars grinding together as my pulse thundered wildly in my ears. Never in my entire life had I been so angry, yet so close to throwing up.
My stomach churned as I stood, putting some distance between me and the car.
How the fuck has this been happening?
“Rhys, I know you’re mad. But I’m okay. Promise.”
“This has been going on the entire time?” I asked, trying and failing to level out the anger.
She nodded, a slight, almost imperceptible nod. But she nodded.
My fingers speared through my hair, frustration at myself and at Dom growing more and more distracting by the second.
I’d never been good at regulating my emotions.
They always came on hard and fast. Pacing the interstate didn’t feel like the safest option, but the last thing I wanted to do was scare her.
I wanted to lash out. I wanted to yell. I wanted to fucking kill the son of bitch who put his hands on my girl. I wanted her safe. I wanted her to be loved and cared for.
Happy.
And I fucking hated that she had spent so long being isolated and scared.
“Can you tell me what you’re thinking?” she asked. “If you’re not mad at me, I need to know what else you could possibly be thinking.”
There were a ton of thoughts swimming through my brain. A few of them being ‘I’m in love with you’, ‘I’m gonna kill that motherfucker, and ‘fuck Dominic Hart.’
I swallowed and stopped pacing, crouching down in front of her once again.
“I’m thinking that you are the strongest person I’ve ever known and that we should go home.
It’s been a long day, and I’m so fucking sorry that I wasn’t there for you.
I know that isn’t enough. But it’s a start, and I will never let you down again, Sloane. ”
She took a choppy breath, her lips quivering as she pressed them together. “None of this is your fault, Rhys. You have no need to be sorry.”
I offered a weak smile, unsure of how to tell her how incredibly wrong she was.