Page 26 of Redeemed

“What happened?” he asks, keeping his voice calm.

Isaiah did that sometimes. He’d seem perfectly fine when he came home from work until all of a sudden, he’d be yelling and throwing things at me. It was always something I said or did that set him off—that flipped some kind of switch inside him.

And Colton… Colton is too unpredictable.

Too unknown.

“Haven.” Colton’s voice is firmer now, although still not angry.

But he is angry.

I saw it.I saw it.

He’s just hiding it.

He’s trying to trick me.

“Haven, I need you to tell me who did this to you.”

“I—” My breath catches in my throat, and my chest constricts.

Can’t breathe, can’t breathe, can’t breathe.

The only sound I’m able to make is a small, helpless whimper. Colton gently touches my knee, and I scramble back.

Run.

Run, run, run!

“Haven—”

“Hey! Back the fuck off.”

I jump at the deep, commanding voice, and a new wave of panic consumes me at the sight of two boys coming up behind Colton. Their expressions are hard, their paces swift.

“No,” I whisper.

There’s no running now. Not with three of them.

They’re going to kill me.

“What the hell are you doing to her?” the larger of the two boys asks, his voice loud and deep. It makes me cringe in terror, and I manage to drag myself a few inches away.

“I’m trying tohelpher,” Colton snaps before turning back to me. He takes my wrists in his hands and flips them over so he can inspect my scraped palms. “What happened?”

He sounds impatient now. That seems to be an integral part of who he is. Demanding, quick to anger, and never, ever patient.

“Haven, come on. Just take a deep breath, and tell me what happened. No one’s gonna hurt you, all right? I won’t let them.”

All I can do is shake my head. It feels like something is squeezing my lungs, forcing me to take quick, shallow breaths. My vision blurs, but I’m still able to make out those two boys coming closer.

“N-no.” Pulling my hands from Colton, I scooch myself back on the path. I need to get away. Need to hide. “Please. Please don’t.”

I was wrong. I was so, so wrong.

“Haven?” someone calls. No, not someone.Athelia.

“Oh, thank fuck,” Colton mutters under his breath.

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