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“Nowhere good,” she choked out.

Shite.

“Why didn’t you call me?” I croaked out, voice thick and gruff. “I would have come over.”

“I did try,” she whispered, “but your phone was off.”

“I left it charging overnight,” I admitted, feeling like the worst piece of shit on the planet. “Forgot to turn it on until this morning.”

“It’s okay.”

No, it isn’t.“It won’t happen again,” I told her. “Next time you call me, I’ll answer.”

“I’m so scared, Johnny,” she squeezed out.

“Don’t be scared,” I hurried to say to console her. “I won’t let anything happen to you.” My voice was shaking, matching my entire body, as emotions racked through me. “I swear I won’t let him hurt you ever again.”

She didn’t acknowledge what I’d said. Because she didn’t believe me. My heart cracked clean open in my chest.

“I don’t want to feel this way anymore,” she told me, wiping her cheek with the back of her hand. “I don’t want this version of life. I don’t want to be this version ofme.”

“I love this version of you,” I told her, unsure of what else there was to say. I couldn’t tell her not to feel the way she did. All I could do was reassure her. “I love all your versions.”

“I’m just so tired,” she whispered, ignoring my words, drowning us both in her pain. “I’m tired of being scared. I’m tired of not knowing. I’m tired of being fucked up in the head!”

“Jesus, Shan,” I groaned, dropping my chin to rest on her head. “You arenotfucked up in the head.” I tightened my arms around her. “Do you hear me? This is not you. This is them. They’re the fucked-up ones.”

“I hate it,” she choked out.

“Yeah.” I exhaled shakily. “Me too.”

The way she held me, clung to me like I was her lifeline, well, that evoked emotions inside of me I wasn’t sure I was old enough to feel. And I didn’t mean sex. It was deeper. A cord of connection channeling deep inside of me and linking to her. I hoped she never left me, because I was never going to get over this girl.

“Tell me what to do?” I begged, holding her tight and growing more frantic with every desperate shiver and sob that tore from her body. “Tell me what you need and I’ll give it to you.” I pressed a kiss to her hair, wanting nothing more than to take this away for her. “Justtellme what you need from me.”

“I just want to go,” she sniffled. “I want to leave and never come back.”

“You won’t do that, though.” Panicking, I tipped her chin up, forcing her to look at me. “You won’t leave me, right?”

“I’m not g-good for you,” she hiccupped. “You’re going to r-realize that.”

“Bullshit.” Cupping her face in my hands, I leaned closer, pressing my forehead to hers. “That’s bullshit, Shannon,” I repeated, tone gruff, keeping my eyes locked on hers. “I don’t want you to say that again, okay?”

Sniffling, she nodded and tightened her hold on my waist. “Okay.”

A fierce surge of protectiveness roared to life inside of me, and every instinct I had demanded I do just that: protect her. Do something.Do anything…

I cast a quick glance around us, debating my next move before throwing in the towel. “Come on,” I said, taking her hand in mine. “Let’s go.” Remembering I still had Gibsie’s keys in my pocket, I led her toward the silver Focus. Shannon walked wordlessly beside me, not asking questions.She was just following me.It was such a raw display of her blatant vulnerability and it terrified me. I could have been taking her anywhere, but when I unlocked the car, she just climbed into the passenger seat without a word or question.

Silently reeling, I closed her door and rounded the car before taking my perch in the driver’s seat. Buckling up, I adjusted the seat back as far as it would go and placed my feet on the pedals. Gingerly, I pushed down on the pedals, testing out the pressure in my legs.

Not bad.

Twisting the key in the ignition, I revved the engine, flicked on the wipers, and slowly backed out of the parking spot Gibsie had hastily rolled into this morning.

“Are we going to get arrested?” Shannon asked, breaking the silence, as we traveled down the long wooded laneway. “For taking his car?”

“No, Shan, we won’t get arrested.” I chuckled, pulling to a stop at the main entrance. Flicking on my indicator, I leaned over the wheel and checked the road. “I’ll shoot him a text later and let him know.”

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