Page 48 of Shattered Reign

I turned away from Easton to look out the window as we drove through downtown Brentson. To me, there wasn’t anything like the shops and scenery here.

It was then I realized I felt safe. It was the first time in a long time that I could honestly say that I felt this way.

Even though I didn’t live too far from campus, Easton drove for what felt like forever until we finally reached my building. He parked the car and turned off the engine before facing me. “We should talk to your building security about how easy it was for someone to access your apartment.”

“Can we do that tomorrow? After everything today, I’m just ready to finally take the hot shower I wanted to take hours ago.”

“That sounds like a good plan,” Easton replied.

He opened his door and stepped out before walking around to open my door. I waited as Easton walked around to the back seat and pulled a duffel bag out of the vehicle. He held out his hand for me to grab and together, we walked into my apartment building. Flashes of my meeting with Diana Caldwell crossed my mind as we walked over to the elevator bank. Thankfully, the elevator was already there, and within a couple of minutes, we were walking into my apartment.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been as happy to be here as I am right now,” I said, tossing my keys onto the counter.

Easton didn’t answer but sent me a tired smile.

“Hey, let me take a look at where you got hurt.” My concern for him took over, and I motioned for him to sit on my couch by the window. As he lowered himself, I followed suit to get a closer look at his injuries. His face was a bit of a mess—swollen, bruised, and there was a cut on his forehead. His clothes were wrinkled too, and I wondered if he had any bruises on his chest.

I grabbed ice from the kitchen before I headed to the bathroom to gather supplies. Moments later, I returned with a bowl of warm water, some antiseptic, bandages, and a towel.

“Alright, let’s get you cleaned up.” I handed him the ice to put on his jaw. I dipped the cloth into the water and gently dabbed at the cut on his forehead. Easton winced but didn’t pull away. At least he wasn’t a shitty patient.

“Thanks, Bianca,” Easton murmured, his eyes meeting mine. “I appreciate this.”

“Of course.” I took a deep breath and said, “You’ve got my back, and I’ve got yours. That’s how love works, right?”

“Right.” He smiled.

I couldn’t help the warmth that spread through my chest, even as I continued to clean and take care of his wounds.

“Almost done,” I promised as I finished wiping the now-dried blood off his knuckles. “Relax. Doctor’s orders,” I said with a wink.

“Got it,” Easton said as he smiled again. He slowly leaned back on the couch, and I grabbed my throw blanket and laid it on top of him.

“Hey, do you need anything else?” I asked as I stood up and prepared to throw out the garbage that had accumulated as a result of my doctoring Easton. “I’m going to take a quick shower and wanted to give you whatever you needed before I left you for a few minutes.”

“I’ll take some water, aspirin, and the remote.”

“That’s easy.” I grabbed the remote and handed it to him. I threw out the trash and put the things I’d taken out away before grabbing a glass of water and aspirin for Easton.

“Thank you,” he said just as I bent down to give him a kiss on the lips before I walked away.

Closing the bathroom door behind me, I turned on the shower and waited for the water to heat up. I stripped my clothes from my body and sighed. I couldn’t help but stare at myself, my unmarked skin. Easton and Nash had put their bodies on the line to show their displeasure in Landon, and I’d made it out without a scratch on mine.

As steam began to fill up the room, I took my hair out of its ponytail and moved to step under the spray. The hot water spilled over me, and I watched it cascade down my body before circling the drain. It felt like a thousand tiny needles pricking my skin, but instead of feeling pain, I felt alive. More than I had in a long time.

I leaned my head against the tiled wall, enjoying the way the water helped soothe my soul and allowed me to escape from the chaos that had wanted to claim my life.

The scent of citrus and lavender filled my nostrils as I washed my hair and lathered my body up with soap. I scrubbed the day’s events from my skin and hair, but I couldn’t scrub them from my mind. Like a movie, the scene at Chevalier Manor played over and over again. Landon being there was a shock because I didn’t even know he was a Chevalier. Easton’s eyes blazing with fury as he attacked Landon. Nash showing up just in time to join in on the fight.

My hands paused on my skin, the soapy suds running down an aimless path toward my feet as I remembered my reaction to Parker. I recalled the indifference in his voice as he’d revealed the fact that he ordered Landon to stalk me. The words echoed in my mind, a shitty mantra that described what had been my reality for weeks.

Finishing up, I rinsed my body before I turned off the water. As I stepped out of the shower, I grabbed a fluffy towel and wrapped it around myself. It took me a moment to gather another one and toss my hair into it. The plush fabric clung to my damp skin and hair and helped soak up moisture as I moved to the bathroom counter.

I took my time drying my body and putting lotion on my skin as I waited for the steam on the mirror to fade. Once I was finished and had thrown on a fancy robe, the mirror was clear enough for me to see myself. I grabbed my hairbrush and began to work through the tangles in my wet hair, appreciating the feeling of the bristles against my scalp. It was a mini head massage, and I needed one desperately after today’s events.

I closed my eyes temporarily, enjoying the way I was treating myself to a few moments of self-care. When I opened my eyes, I almost jumped out of my skin. Easton was standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame. Our eyes met through the mirror I was standing in front of. He must have heard the water shut off and decided to come check on me.

We didn’t say a word, simply held each other’s gaze as we communicated our thoughts and feelings to one another without uttering a sound.

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