Page 38 of Wrecked
Chapter Seventeen
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Payton
Cracking open my eyes, well eye since the right one is swollen shut, I’m blinded by the bright lights. Immediately, it causes my aching head to start pounding. I try to take in where I am, but even with one eye I know. The smell of antiseptic, the whispered voices, the uncomfortable bed.
“Well, what did the scan show?”
Asher. His voice wraps around me, comforting me, like a hug. That’s when everything crashes down on me. I’m alive, he’s alive. We got out. Suddenly, the fear resurfaces and I grab onto the railing of the hospital bed.
“Oh shit,” Asher whispers, rushing to my side. “Payton?”
Glancing up, I take in his bloody face and gasp. “I’m so sorry.”
Pushing the railing down, he wraps his arms around me. He holds onto me, like I do to him, silently thanking God that he’s still here.
“You have nothing to be sorry for. Don’t ever apologize for what he did,” he whispers against me.
“Payton,” my dad whispers. The crack in his voice, makes me realize he knows.
I’m not the only one who’s been in pain all these years. I’ve caused enough of my own by staying with Jake.
“Where is he?” I ask, as Asher starts to pull away.
He pushes the hair off my face, pressing a soft kiss to my lips. “The cops got him, baby.”
Panic sets in and I stupidly shake my head. “That doesn’t matter. He’s a cop,” I explain.
“Miss Hudson,” the doctor interrupts. “I’m Dr. Bushmen. All your scans came back clear. We’ll need to stitch up that laceration above your eye. You’ve also got a concussion, which you’ll want to monitor. You’re a lucky woman, it could have been much worse.”
“So, I’ll be able to go home tonight?”
“Barring any complications, yes, you’ll be able to go home tonight,” he says, with a nod.
I’m relieved they get right to work, because I want to get the hell out of here. As much as my stomach is in knots, it’s time to finally tell Asher everything. I need this weight off my shoulders.
After the doctors are finished stitching me up, I look up at the two men that mean so much to me. I know it’s time. Time to tell both of them.
I clear my dry throat, getting their attention. “I, umm, it’s time I explain everything.” Asher grabs my hand and holds on tightly. His strong hand wrapped around mine, gives me a comfort I never even knew existed.
“You don’t need to, baby,” he says, kissing my cheek.
I force a smile, nodding. “Yeah, I do.” Closing my eyes for a second, I take a deep breath. “Jake wasn’t always like that, I need you to know that. It happened so gradually that I didn’t even notice myself.” My dad already has tears in his eyes and I’ve only just started. But Asher, no he is staying strong, just like I knew he would.
“We met on a hike. He came through and I was his guide. He was so carefree and funny. And that continued for a long while. He was always so attentive, making sure I was happy. It all started to change, after he asked me to marry him,” I say, staring into Asher’s green eyes.
“You were engaged to him?” my dad questions, with wide eyes.
“I was,” I say, sadly. I feel like I gave him something that never belonged to him.
Squeezing my hand to get my attention, I glance up at Asher. “We all make mistakes,” he says, giving me a quick wink.
This is just one of the countless reasons, I love him. “Yeah, we do.” Finding my courage, I continue. “It was little things at first, things I just thought he was pointing out. The bed wasn’t made right, dinner wasn’t good, my house cleaning needed work.” Looking over at Asher I smile, “I wanted to be a good soon-to-be wife.” He kisses me. It’s short, but it holds so much meaning behind it. A promise.
“Payton, how bad was it?” my dad asks.
Nodding, I continue. “It was pretty bad. He was controlling. Controlled everything I did, everywhere I went. I stopped going out, because he liked knowing I was home. He’d say being a cop he was always worried, and at first, I believed him. He made it easy to believe him. I lost my friends, my job, my identity. I lost who I was.” It’s so much harder than I thought to say it all out loud. I’ve thought of it, played it back in my head, but I’ve never spoken it out loud.
