Page 105 of Anything To Be With You

Gabe may be the nice, fun one, but he has a temper that could level the city. Especially if the one hurt is someone he cares about.

"It’s not up to us, Gabriel. I’m not doing anything that’s going to upset Dani even more than she already is." I say.

Gabe flops back down on the couch defeated. "Fine. But if I see him, I cannot be held responsible for my actions. I mean, if I’m driving and he walks out in front of me," Gabe shrugs, "if I hit him, that’s not my fault. He walked in front of my car."

"It doesn’t count if he’s walking on the sidewalk." I deadpan.

"It does if I get run off the road. You know how some people drive around here. Especially in the downtown core."

I bark out a laugh. "Idiot."

Dani lets out a moan and Gabe jumps off the couch and rushes into my room.

"Gabe!" I bark.

"Hey Dani girl," he says softly. "How you feeling babe."

My brother sits next to Dani on the bed, and she cowers away from him. Gabe reaches out to brush her hair off her face when her body starts shaking.

"Don’t touch me." She breathes.

"Gabe." I hiss.

He waves me away. "It’s only me," he says in a voice so gentle; it doesn’t sound like him at all. "You know I’d never hurt you, Dani girl." Gabe reaches out again, and Dani recoils.

"Don’t touch me."

Gabe looks at me with anger in his eyes. He stands from the bed and leaves the room. I walk in, taking the empty glass, and refilling it, placing it back on the table with her meds. Dani watches as I take her plate of veggies she never ate and step back from the bed.

"Thank you." She whispers.

I smile the best I can, but the sorrow in her voice makes it hard. "I’m going to get you something fresh to eat, okay?"

She nods and lays back down, wrapped in my shirt and the blanket. I close the door halfway and go into the kitchen.

"I’m going to fucking kill him." Gabe states leaning against the counter. "He did a fucking number on her beautiful face."

"The rest of her isn’t any better. Road rash all over her torso and back, she’s covered in bruises," I mutter as I pull stuff from the fridge to make her a sandwich. "Blood was matted in her hair. I think he bashed her head against something. The doctor didn’t tell me much."

Gabe’s face flushes with anger. "Fucking prick."

"She won’t let me touch her." I state.

"Seriously?"

I nod as I put her sandwich together. "I want to hold her, comfort her. But every time I try, she curls into herself." I sigh, planting my hands on the kitchen island and bowing my head.

The first time I tried, the minute I touched her skin, she let out a gut-wrenching scream. The second time, she fought me. The third time, she burst into tears. And every single time shattered my fucking heart. I feel helpless. With every hour that passes, a pit of worry grows larger in my stomach.

I plate the sandwich and walk back into the room, placing it next to the now empty glass. "Try to eat something, Sweetheart."

I make it as far as the door when Dani calls my name. I glance over my shoulder. Dani’s sitting up; the blankets are lying on her lap.

"Yes?"

She slowly climbs off the bed and inches her way over to me. I don’t move. Hell, I don’t even breathe in case it scares her away.

"Thank you. For everything." Her arms slither around my waist and she squeezes gently before letting go.

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