Page 36 of Since Day One

Pausing, a confession not shared with another single living soul waiting at the tip of my tongue. Broken tones slipped through as I mumbled against his chest, “I could feel the blood between my legs after he left, and the excruciating pain felt like a hot metal rod had been rammed…” I shook my head, regaining my composure. “Even with how painful it was, I couldn’t move. I was trapped inside my head, screaming. It felt like being buried alive, and no one could hear me.”

“Did you tell anyone after?” he whispered.

I shook my head, swallowing the nausea that curdled in my throat. “I was too ashamed and so scared.” Another tear slid down my cheek, and it was as if I was once again that innocent girl who had something ripped away from her she’d never be able to get back. “That’s what was going through my head when Marissa took my cowboy hat, and…”

His chest rose, a deep breath filling his lungs. “That’s why you took off in the Razor like you did.”

I nodded but said nothing as his hold tightened around me.

“Willow,” Gunnar said.

“Hmmm?”

He gently lifted my chin to meet his eyes as my silent tears streamed down my face. Desperation filled me. A deep, aching need for someone to desperately help me. Pleading for anything to make all this agony stop.

“You did nothing wrong. You understand that?” His brows knitted together. “You have nothing to be ashamed of. Period. And don’t you go one more minute thinking otherwise.”

I stared at him as a flicker of hope swelled in my belly. My eyes swollen and heavy with disbelief coursing through me as my body shook with pent-up emotion.

“I’m damaged goods. I don’t understand why you’re being so nice,” I hiccuped, wiping my face on my shirt tail.

“Willow Summers,” he chided. “Look at me. You are far from damaged goods. You’ve never been damaged goods. That man, whoever he was, took something that was not his to take. He stole something you hadn’t given to him.” Gunnar paused and reached forward, gently wiping the warm, salty trail away from my cheeks.

“Something you still get to give whenever you’re ready,” he whispered.

“But I’m not—“

“Didn’t count.” He cut me off, chastising me as firmly as if I were a child who didn’t know any better. I couldn’t help but crack a smile through the pain as a weight that had been pressing against my chest for so long began to melt away. Even a giggle escaped through the cloudy grief as he let himself smile in return.

A muffled ringing abruptly shattered the moment. Much like an alert for a phone call. I blinked, shaking away the heaviness of our conversation as Gunnar furrowed his brows, mirroring my confusion.

“You hear that, too, right?” I asked, and he nodded. “It sounds like my phone, but we don’t have service up here.”

Gunnar and I slowly stood up from the couch, walking toward the sound. In the bedroom, the trilling became louder and louder the closer we got to my clothes. Bending down, I rifled through the neatly folded pile and pulled my vibrating phone from my coat pocket.

It rang again, and I pressed the answer button to the video call, bewildered. Abi’s face appeared on the screen, a little blurry but there.

“Abi?” I said in shock.

Chapter 13

There was no way that she could actually be on my phone, yet there was no denying that I was staring at that red-headed best friend of mine.

“How is this happening?” I asked in shock, and Abi wrinkled her brows, glaring at me.

“Uh, you mean, ‘Hey, best friend! Sorry I haven’t called or texted anyone in two days’?! We saw on the news that there’s a huge snowstorm out there. Then no one could get in touch with you; we were worried sick!” she exclaimed, upset.

“I’m so sorry, but it’s because of the snow! We’re literally stuck in some random cabin without electricity or water. Or cell service!” I answered, and Abi’s jaw fell open.

“Snowed in? Wait, we?“ She clamped a hand over her mouth as Gunnar popped his head over my shoulder.

“I need you to get a hold of my brother, Ruger, and tell him we are stuck in cabin four,” he butted in, and I swatted at his face. “Stop,” he grumbled in my ear as Abi’s eyes widened theatrically.

“Oh! Hello, hot cowboy,” she gushed, her lips pulling into a mischievous smile.

“Abi,” I warned, since she was very aware of my off-limits rule, and she returned her attention to the present request.

“Sorry, say that again, and give me his number.” She began looking around her, rustling through some things, before popping a pen cap off with her teeth. Gunnar gave his brother’s number to Abi and repeated the message so Ruger would know where to come looking for us when the storm passed.

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