Page 62 of Resist

“We need to announce?—”

“No,” I growl. “When and what he wants. Nothing before. This is his life and his story. You will not decide that for him, and neither will I.”

“If we are pressing charges, then it will be hard to keep it quiet,” Po cautions.

“Find a way if that’s what he wants. Take all my earnings, I don’t give a fuck. You give him that. Understood?”

He nods, looking shocked, and I swallow my anger. “I’ll do anything to keep Fox safe. If it’s a choice between his mental well-being and our band, then I will always pick him first.”

“Is he okay?” he asks.

“I don’t know,” I reply, my voice finally cracking, but he needs me to be strong right now.

He nods, his phone ringing in his pocket. “I’ll handle everything while you focus on him, okay?” I have to trust him to keep his word, so I head back to Strike and Dash, and we wait for Fox to come out.

It’s another hour or so before the door opens, and a very friendly nurse pokes her head out. “Ryker, he’s asking for you.”

I grab the bag of clothes and step inside. He’s behind a curtain in a hospital gown, and staff are bustling about on the other side.

“Okay, Fox, remember what we discussed, okay?” the nurse asks softly. “Ryker’s here.”

He looks up, his eyes wide, and in that moment, he looks so small and vulnerable. “Hi, baby,” I murmur softly. “Are you doing okay?”

He nods, but his lips tremble, and I don’t even bother with any more words. I wrap him in my arms, and he sinks into my embrace. His head presses against my chest as I hear the nurse and doctor leave the room, giving us space. “You did so well, baby,” I murmur as I kiss his head. “So fucking good. We can go home now. Strike and Dash are here. We’ll go home, and it will just be us, okay?”

He nods, but his tears wet my shirt as his hand clutches my back.

“He didn’t . . .” His voice is soft, and I strain to hear him. “He didn’t fuck me. This is stupid. You got to me in time?—”

“He drugged you and touched you without your permission,” I snap before reining in my anger. “It doesn’t matter how far it went, Fox. What matters is that it happened, period.”

He nods, and I stroke his hair. “I won’t let him get away with it. I’ll keep you safe, and no one will ever touch you again,” I vow. I’d give up anything to keep him safe.

We sit like this, neither of us breaking apart, as his tears seem to fall more steadily, his back shaking.

I try to blink back my tears as I hold him in my arms. It’s his pain, but feeling him unravel breaks my own heart. The first tear falls silently down my cheek as he falls to pieces in my arms.

“That’s it, baby. Let it out,” I rasp. “Get it all out. I’m right here. You aren’t alone. We are all right here. It’s okay. It’s okay.”

I know whatever comes next won’t be easy, but I’ll be by his side the entire time.

TWENTY-SEVEN

We are allowed to leave after I dress. The police wanted to talk to us, but Ryker said Po is handling it and not to worry. We walk out of the back door and duck straight into a van, and just as the sun rises, we reach our house. There are reporters outside as we pull up to our door, so Dash and Strike unroll their coats and get out first, holding them up and nodding at us.

Ry takes my hand and helps me out, and my bandmates wrap us in their jackets as we head inside, out of view of their prying eyes. I’m grateful.

Everyone has been so nice. The doctor and nurse who did my tests earlier were so kind and respectful, which made me feel comfortable. They kept telling me it was okay and that I could take breaks, and they comforted me when I wanted to cry.

I hesitate in the dark hallway, unsure what to do now. It was just one night, but my whole world seems to have flipped upside down. Ryker’s hand is still in mine, but I can feel everyone watching me.

I’m unable to meet Strike’s and Dash’s eyes, uncertain what I’ll see there.

“Baby,” Ryker murmurs, drawing my gaze.

The soft way he touches me and talks to me makes me feel like breaking all over again.

“Do you want to shower or bathe or eat anything? Or sleep? What do you need, baby? Tell us,” he implores.

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