Page 111 of Broken Bonds

Taking a step back, I couldn’t hide the pain that flashed across my face. Sighing, I turned on my heel and left her room as she requested, dropping onto the bench right outside. I wouldn’t go any further than this.

Amber and Jamie, Amber’s little sister, I came to learn, left the room first with a wave and tired goodbyes. They went home to finally get some sleep. Mr. Wilson was the next one to leave, complaining of a sore back and a need for a decent cup of Joe.

He waited with me outside until Mrs. Wilson joined us, exhaustion pulling at her usually eccentric features. “She wants some things from home. Let’s go get them and get some food before coming back,” she said with a deep yawn.

“You haven’t slept since she was admitted. You need to get some rest to take care of her. She can wait a few hours. Ace can keep her company. The two need to talk anyhow.” Leaving her no room to object, Mr. Wilson stood and whisked her away with a gentle tug.

Standing, I stretched with a yawn and entered the dimly lit room, the television flashing in the corner of the room. Pain flared in her beautiful, half-lidded, still-swollen eyes. “Why did you come back, Ace?” she asked softly.

I stopped at the edge of her bed and studied her face, resisting every urge in my body not to clench my fist, to keep my simmering anger at bay. I wanted to fuckingkillJulian for doing this to her. “I told you I would always be here for you. I let you down. I’m sorry, princess, but I’m here to protect you. You aren’t alone.”

She shook her head, then moaned a little in pain. “It’s too late. The damage is done. You can’t take back what he did to me. You can’t take back the bruises all over my body, Ace.”

Her words made me wince, my eyes scanning her fully clothed body, lingering on the bruises.

“How many, Princess?” I asked softly, letting my eyes meet hers.

Her throat bobbed with a swallow. “Too many.”

I pressed my thumb to the tips of each of my fingers, trying to keep calm. “I asked how many, Celine.”

Tears welled in her eyes. “I lost count over the last four months, and you never answered my calls. You never answered when I called, begging you to help. Ryan enlisted, and I had no one. When he beats me to the point where I almost die, that’s when you come, with your tail between your legs, spouting all this crap about being here for me? Where were you when Ineededyou?!” Desperation seeped into her pained voice, and it echoed in the small room.

I stepped closer to her bed, anger simmering just beneath the surface of my skin, ready to explode from me like a volcano at any second. “I’ll make him pay for this,” I swore. “I’ll make him regret the day he ever laid a hand on you. I promise I’ll make this right, princess.” My fists were balled up at my sides. Barely controlled rage was ready to be unleashed on the trash that hurt my girl.

“You’re not my hero, Asshole. Youleft. You leftme, and you ignored me when I needed you the most!” Her bandaged fist hit the bed as tears rolled down her flushed, bruised cheeks.

Pain gripped me, making me stumble closer to her. I reached for her, the need to touch her outweighing the knowledge that I needed to give her space, and gently cupped her bruised cheeks, my thumbs brushing her damp skin. Her eyes fluttered closed with a sigh, her tears slowing at my touch.

“I’m sorry, princess,” I whispered, leaning forward to press my lips to her forehead. “I’ll forever regret not coming home to you sooner.”

chapter thirty-eight

CELINE

Ace came back.

He came back thinking he was going to be my hero and save me from the mess I’d gotten myself into, but he was wrong. I didn’t need him. I didn’t need Aidan. I didn’t need Julian. I didn’t need anyone. I couldn’t rely on anyone but myself.

What I did need to do was get far away from Julian. As far as I could get. The incident replayed in my head on a loop—the first hit, the first kick, his belittling words.

Nobody left me alone in the hospital room. Someone was always sitting next to me. At first, it was Amber, whose cold hand clutched mine tightly, her green eyes glassy, always on the verge of tears. Guilt lingered in her eyes every time she looked at me, and the pain that lay there hurt almost as much as my swollen eyes.

Ace took over at night. He never said a word—just sat there, eyes on the wall, hands in his lap, always looking lost in thought. I didn’t know what to say to him.

Where did we stand?

When was he going to leave again?

I tried to avoid sleep, pretending to close my eyes and doze, but Ace knew. He just grabbed my hand and squeezed. Like heknew I was scared to sleep. Like he knew and understood what awaited me if I gave in.

My body ached. It hurt to breathe, let alone talk, so the silence between us wasn’t uncomfortable—more like a blessing. It didn’t hurt to watch, to stare at him while he sat next to me. My vision was impaired from Julianhittingmy face, but it was almost as if I could still see Ace clear as day.

I hadn’t spoken to anyone about what happened in that room. I wasn’t ready to speak it aloud. The pain and sympathy in their eyes were enough. I didn’t need any more. From Ace’s lingering gaze, I wondered if he knew. Sometimes, it felt like he did. Sometimes, I wondered if he had experienced worse from his stepdad, but I didn’t ask.

I didn’t want to know. I didn’t want to think of anyone else suffering like I had.

The gorgeous man I had fallen for a year ago slept peacefully in the hard plastic chair next to my bed, head rolling from side to side every few minutes. I watched his chest rise and fall in the dimly-lit room, listened to his soft snores as I tried to calm my racing heart every time I heard someone walk outside the door of my hospital room. Fear had crept in and wasn’t leaving until I knew Julian was locked up for good.

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