Page 102 of Saved By Two

He reaches for her hand and tugs gently for her to drop her hands. "Would you prefer it if we gave you some privacy?"

I hold my breath, my jaw clenching—the thought of leaving her to deal with this on her own eats at my soul.

She looks up, eyes connecting with him, and replies, "No, I don't want to be alone." And as selfish as it sounds, I'm glad because I need to be near her, to prove to myself she's here and that she's safe.

Noah helps her step out of her leggings, and then she removes her top and bra. Her hand moves to her wrist, where she spins the bangle.

"You'll need to keep your hand out of the water," I say, nodding towards her bandaged palm as I help her into the bath.

Scratches on her waist lead lower, and I have to bite back my anger. Her eyes follow mine, and she squirms, trying to turn away from me, but I grip her hip gently to still her.

"Hey, you never have to hide—not from me, not from us."

Her lip trembles as Noah guides her to sit down until she's submerged in the water. He keeps her hand over the edge of the bath.

I reach for a loofah and squeeze body wash into it before gently guiding it over her arm and shoulders. Noah sits on the edge of the other side and starts untangling her hair. Between us, we quickly take care of her until her hair is washed and her skin is free from dirt and grime.

* * *

I lay awake watching Jessica nestled between us and finding comfort in the rise and fall of her chest. It took her hours to drift off, but she's been restless, with small whimpers and bad memories that followed her into her dreams.

"She's going to be okay," Noah whispers, reaching out to my hand that’s resting on her stomach. “It's raw, everything that's happened. She just needs time to feel safe again."

I wrap his hand in mine. "How long have you been awake?"

"Not long."

A small smile tugs on my lips. "Were you watching me?" I ask with mock chagrin.

"No more than you watching our girl."

I glance back at her face. "Touché."

Our girl.

He squeezes my hand, and we both fall silent as we watch Jessica.

All I wanted to do today was tell her I love her. It consumed me. But that was before she was taken. And then, when we finally got her home, the words were there on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn't get them out and not because I didn't want to. I'm at war with my head and heart when I tell her I love her. I don't want it to be in the embers of a traumatic event.

I want her to see the truth in my words as I worship her and show how much she means to us.

ChapterFifty-Five

NOAH

Jessica has been going through the motions this past week—eat, sleep, repeat.

As each day passes, she withdraws more and more into herself.

“I fucking hate this.” Caleb tugs at his hair, his hands on his head as he paces in front of me in the kitchen.

“Me too, but we need to be patient.”

His eyes cut to mine, the blue surrounded by flecks of green and yellow so stark in colour, his lips forming a straight line. “You don’t think I know that?”

I refuse to answer him when he’s riding himself so hard. Instead, I walk over, gripping the back of his neck and squeeze.

“Shit, I’m sorry,” he says, his shoulders deflating as he squeezes his eyes closed.

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