Page 34 of Simply You & Me

"DOLLY!"

Addie and I both jump at Zach's shout. Her eyes widen, and her body stalls all movement. With her attention focused on Zach, I release her wrists and clean her up.

"You will sit still like a good doll while Julian cleans your leg. You will take deep breaths with me, and you won't fucking move. Do you understand me?" I look up to see her nod, and am shocked to shit to see Zach's hand wrapped lightly around her throat. "That's my good doll. You sit so pretty for me."

Zach's praise settles some of the shakes in Adelyn's limbs, and I shit you not, she melts for him. Her reaction seems to relax him too, but I know my man is strung really damn tight. Zachary might be letting his questions go for now so we can get her patched up, but there's no way in fuck he's allowing this to be swept under the rug.

Addie’s thighs were the reason she bled on my bed. Son of a bitch! Fuck. It was in front of us all along, yet we ignored the signs. Like when Zach touched her thigh at Layla's birthday party. Oh my god. When she ran to her room the night of her nightmare and came back ashen and sick-looking.

Before I know it, I have her fresh cut coated in ointment and bandaged up. "There you go, sweetheart. Now it can heal in peace." I step back, swallowing the ball of emotion in my throat. Looking at her face again, I see some color has returned.

She gasps, eyeing the bandage and running her fingers over it gently. A small smile lights up her face. "Thank you, Jules." Her voice is small, but her tears have dried, and she truly looks happy with my work.

"Baby girl?" Wyatt pops his head into the bathroom and keeps his eyes trained on her face, not allowing his gaze to drop to her legs. "I have some sweatpants for you."

"Thanks," she whispers. Addie eyes him with a hesitancy that draws Wyatt in like he needs to wipe the look away.

I lean against the wall, impressed when Wyatt's hands grip her bare knees and spreads them enough to stand between her legs. "You are so beautiful, baby. This changes nothing, you hear me? Now stop looking at me like that. You have me."

"Okay," she whispers, pupils dilating as he leans in. They share a gentle kiss before he leaves the bathroom.

"Time to get dressed, Dolly. We need to talk." With a soft caress, Zach runs his hands down her calves and props one of her feet on his thigh. He's fucking intense as he works the grey sweatpants up her legs and over her hips once she stands in front of him. Addie gulps at the same time I do. Zach's tolerance for holding back has run out.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Adelyn

The world feels like it can't hold me. Like I'm the pebbles of sand falling through its fingertips. I can't get a grip on my surroundings. My vision wavers from blurry smudges of color to tunneled shadows.

"We are so disappointed in you, Lynnie."

"They are disgusted with you."

I'm so out of it that I swear the taunting voices sound like Mom and Daddy. I hold on to the deep cadence of my dad's voice, like it's the only thing that can tether me to this reality.

"What did we ever do to deserve a daughter so damaged?"

Color blinds me momentarily, making me wish for the darkness to swallow me whole, but... "Mommy?" The figures in front of me waver and blur before I find my parents looking at me like I’m nothing but shit on their shoes.

"What's wrong with you, Lynnie? Is this for attention?" Mom's hand shoots out, pointing to my legs.

Confused, I frown and look down, but what I see isn't shocking. My thighs are a mess, like they have been since my parents died. What is shocking is the way the two people I love the most in the world are looking at me.

"For attention?" I don't hide my cuts and scars; they've seen them now. "W-what are you talking about?"

Mom scoffs, her brown hair whipping around her as she turns on her heels and walks away from me. I turn to Daddy, not ready for what he has to say. "Those men. They won't love you after this."

"Love me?" I feel like my mind is moving ten syllables behind.

Dad scowls. "No, they don't love you, Adelyn." My heart slams against my rib cage painfully. His words don't hurt as bad as his use of my full name. "Nobody could love someone who does that.” He grunts, his lips twisting in a sneer as his hand waves at my legs.

"I—" I choke when he spins around and stomps away. "What do you mean, Daddy? I-I'm sorry. I just… it makes me feel better. It's the only thing in the world I can control. I hurt so much, Dad!" I shout, my panic rising at rapid speed the further he gets from me. "Losing you and Mom hurts so, so much. This way, I can control my pain... don't you see? This makes me better! You have to understand! I'm a better mom because of it!"

But he's gone. My daddy left me because I'm a disappointment. I'm disgusting… like Mom said. Who could love someone like me?

"Nobody."

Startled, I whip around, only to find four sets of backs moving away from me as well. "Guys?! Julian!"

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