Page 83 of Beautifully Wounded

Cupping her face again, I nod. “I do. I’m sorry. And for the record, you’re an amazing kisser, and I can’t wait to do it again.”

Her cheeks flare to life, even as her lips pull up in a smile that nearly fucking floors me.

Fuck.

Seeing her happy, even if it’s for a moment in time, is truly a fucking sight to beholden.

I should back away and put space between us, and not just because I’m having some sort of possessive attachment issue to Abbey, but because she is here to be protected. She is here to be given a new start away from the toxic life she’s been stuck in. She’s here only for as long as I can find somewhere more suitable for her.

I hate the thought of her leaving, but this place is no place for someone like her. She deserves better than a compound filled with a bunch of rough men that drink too much, kill on command, and sink their dicks in whatever holes are being offered.

“You should smile like that more often.” I point out, and her eyes drop to my chest as the smile slowly falls away.

“I’d like to. I hope that one day, it’s all I can do.”

“Hey.” I urge her eyes back to mine, stroking my thumb over her cheek. “You will. It’s just gonna take time. But you have to tell someone what happened.”

Holding my gaze, her doe eyes turn glassy, and she nods. “Okay.”

“Come on.” I ease back and stand, offering her my hand. “Let’s move to the couch.”

She takes my hand and lets me pull her up and lead her to the tattered piece of furniture, and once she takes her seat, I move to the kitchenette to get us a cold drink each and some chocolate.

I hear girls like chocolate.

We each takea sip of our drinks, and I sit next to Abbey, angling myself towards her, feeling fucking nervous for what I’m about to hear. I know it isn’t going to be good, and I already want to kill her fiancé and parents, but fuck, when she mentioned more than one person, she didn’t mean just those three. There are more people involved in what’s happened to her, and I need to keep fucking calm so I can take mental fucking notes of all the people I’m going to kill.

We sit in silence for a few more minutes, and I realise she’s stalling. She wants to have this conversation as much as she’d like to eat a bar of soap. I have no fucking idea what to do, but I need to get this conversation started, and not just because not knowing is eating at me, but because keeping it in is destroying her.

“You asked before if you’ll ever be normal again? If you’ll always see those monsters. Do you mean your parents and your fiancé?”

Her lower lip trembles, her eyes darting to her fidgeting fingers in her lap as she shakes her head.

I fucking knew it.

“Can you tell me who you mean?”

Her tear-filled eyes dart up to mine as her lips part to speak, but a sob lodges in her throat, and she shakes her head as she pulls her knees to her chest and lifts my huge hoodie over them to hide nearly her whole body.

“Okay, let’s start with something easier. What’s your fiancé’s name?”

“Daniel,” she whispers, but then angry heat fills her eyes. “And as far as I’m concerned, he isn’t and never was my fiancé.”

Ahhh, there’s the fire I want to see.

“Howdid things with you and Daniel start?”

She sighs, her expression turning bored. “He showed an interest in me, and I fell for it, basically.” She shrugs. “He was nice in the beginning. Patient with my inexperience.” She sighs then, resting her head to the side to lean against the back of the couch. “I remember thinking it was perfect. I thought we had this really strong connection, and when we were around each other, we couldn’t keep our hands to ourselves.” Her expression falls. “It all started around the time Lexi began spiralling.” Her lip starts to tremble again as her gaze locks with mine. “I swear I had no idea what was happening to her at home. She never said anything to me. I really thought her hate for her brother was just sibling rivalry.”

Reaching out, I rest my hand on her knee, which is hidden away by the hoodie. “No one’s blaming you for what happened to her.”

She scoffs. “Well, they should. What sort of best friend am I if I never noticed?” She shakes her head, her self-loathing evident in her expression. “A bad best friend. That’s what I was. What I am.”

Lexi’s words come back to me.

“She’s a good person. She’s going to tell you she isn’t. Be hard on herself for some of the shit that went down eighteen months ago, but you have to remind her that she’s still a good person.”

“Hey. Stop,” I demand, and her hatred falls away as her eyes round at the tone of my command. “I won’t let you speak badly of yourself, Angel. You need to remember that Lexi deliberatelykept that secret, probably because she was ashamed. Does that remind you of anyone?” I point out and she shoots me a‘really’look with raised brows.

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