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"Your scalp is bleeding," he deadpanned, body tensing up as his face turned a darker shade of red. An explosive snarl of pure rage tore through him then, causing us both to physically vibrate. "Mother fucker!"

Fear of the anger rising back up in him and what he might do, and desperate for his touch, I dragged his face down to mine, kissing him hard.

I needed this.

Him.

I needed the feel of a man who loved me.

After what I'd just experienced, I knew Hunter's touch was the only touch that could erase the feel ofhim.

Maybe I wasn’t handling this in the appropriate way, in the way other women would, but I needed this. I needed Hunter to replace thedirtiness.

"Hope," Hunter croaked out, gently pulling away. "No, baby." Holding my face between his hands, his brows furrowed as he stared down at my face in pained confusion. "You just… and we don’t… fuck, I can't do..."

"Be with me," I begged interrupting his feeble protests, tears spilling down my cheeks, mixing with the blood caked on my flesh. "Please…justbewith me, Hunter."

"You don’t need to do this," he bit out, jaw clenched tightly. "Not for –"

Silencing him, I pulled his face back down to mine and pressed my mouth to his.

"You're bleeding," he groaned, not taking his mouth from mine.

"I don’t care," I cried out, tasting the salty, coppery remnants of blood. "I need this." With my fingers knotted roughly in his hair, I yanked down hard. "I needyou."

I watched him watch me for the longest moment, blue eyes scorching into mine, looking for the uncertainty I knew he wouldn’t find.

I heard a pained growl ripple from somewhere deep inside of him moments before his lips came crashing down on mine, followed by his hands on my body as he hoisted me into his arms – hislovingarms.

We slip-stumbled out of the kitchen, through the hallway and up my parents' staircase, all while never breaking the kiss, completely joined together in a fucked-up cocoon of passion, violence, grief and pain.

I was crying and bleeding and aching all over, but I needed him, dammit.

I neededthis.

What he was giving to me in this moment?

My choice.

I was choosing this.

Choosinghim.

I had always chosen him.

I just hadn't realized it.

Until tonight.

Knocking the bathroom door inwards with his shoulder, Hunter carried me inside, chest heaving, body trembling, lips on mine.

I knew whatever he was feeling in this moment, I was feeling too. This pain; this unbearable grief, and yet sudden and desperate feeling of gratitude for being alive and together.

I feltit all.

Setting me down outside the shower, he reached inside and switched on the water before turning his attention to his clothes.

Meanwhile, I sagged against the glass door of the shower and watched his every move as he toed off his blood splattered boots and socks, kicking them to the far end of the bathroom.

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