Page 23 of Finish Line

I slide my legs under me and try to stand, but I fall right back down to the floor.

Cin comes back in, putting the clothes on the sink and sees me still on the floor. “Do you need help up?”

I let my eyes finally meet hers, and as I expected, tears stream down her face. “He hurt me, Cin.”

She gets down on the floor with me and wraps the towel around my shaking body.

“I know he did, Shel, and I’m so sorry that happened to you. It might take a while, but you’re strong, and you’ll make it through this. Now, how about we get you off this floor and into some clean clothes? I’ll even brush your knotty hair out.”

I let her help me up, then I take a step away from her to finish drying myself off.

She helps me put on my clothes and ushers me out to my bedroom. She has me sit down on the couch and asks if she can brush my hair.

When I nod, she slowly settles behind me when I turn my back to her. The brush slides gently through my hair, while she tries to work out the tangles.

We sit quietly while she works. When she is done, she makes sure to move within my line of sight. “It’s going to take some time to heal. But you will heal, just like last time. Nick and I are here to help. Climb in bed and take a nap. Your phone is on the table beside you. Call if you need me.”

Nodding, I crawl into bed. I close my eyes and hope to dream of something good.

CHAPTER SEVEN

SHELBY

Iscream and bolt upright, waking from another nightmare.

Cin jumps up from my couch and tries to soothe me, but I’m not fully awake.

My head is back in that basement, and I scramble back against my headboard, yelling, “Don’t touch me!”

Cin stops short, putting up her hands. “Okay, I won’t.”

I pull my legs up to my chest and rock back and forth.

My mom throws open my door, scaring me more. “Baby, are you all right?” She rushes over and tries to comfort me.

Cin steps into her path, causing her to pull up short. “She had a bad dream, Aunt Patty.”

“Oh, no. Can I bring you anything?” Mom asks, and I shake my head. “I’ll leave you alone, for now. I’m here if you need to talk.”

She walks out the door, shutting it behind her, then coughs the whole way down the hall.

“She’s been doing that a lot lately.” Cin reaches into my refrigerator, pulls out a water bottle, and puts it on my bedside table. “Do you want to talk about it?”

I don’t say anything as I stare at the wall. Nightmare discussions are off-limits. I didn’t talk about them when I fled the group home in Ashland, and I sure as hell don’t now.

Every time I close my eyes, I’m back in the damp basement, reliving everything that happened to me.

“I’ll leave you alone.” Cin leaves my room.

I crawl under the sheets, grab one of my pillows, and curl up, wrapped around it.

For the next week, I barely leave my room.

Everyone is worried about me, and to tell the truth, I should be concerned about myself, too. But I’m numb.

Nick and Cin react to each other with gentle touches and fond smiles, and I’m empty. Nick tells me Cam wants to see me, but I can’t do it.

It’s my fault he got hurt.

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