Page 68 of Stray

“You’re so fucking beautiful.” He runs a thumb over my tear-stained cheek. “Fuck, that’s… right there, baby. I’m coming, get off now, or it’s going down your throat.” I don’t get off. I put him in fully as I feel his release coat my throat. “Ozzy!” He grinds out my name on a breathy cry as his hips thrust a couple more times. I lick and suck him clean before he helps me stand.

“Ozzy,” his voice is soft and stunned. I smile and kiss his palm.

“You looked tense. Maybe now you will relax and cuddle me.” I go to the bathroom to clean up, and upon returning, I find Jackson back in my bed. This time, I curl up against him, and he wraps himself around me. I wait to feel claustrophobic, but it doesn’t come this time. This time, I close my sleepy eyes and fall into a deep sleep.

Jackson

“Fuck, I’m freezing.” I shiver as I walk into the warm house, only to have Mama whack me on my arm.

“Son, how many times am I gonna have to scold you for cursing in front of your nephew?” I give her a sheepish grin before kissing her cheek.

“Sorry, Mama,” I say, stomping the snow off my boots. “This cold front moved in quicker this year,” I mutter, removing my coat.

“Did everything get done?” She asks while sitting on the couch to continue coloring with Wyatt.

“Yeah, we are good for the winter. I’m gonna head upstairs, try to thaw out in the shower, and then grab Ozzy since it’s still snowing out.”

“You don’t think she can drive in the snow?” I hear Mama call as I head up the stairs and huff out a laugh.

She would try just to prove a point, but I would rather not deal with that headache tonight. The last three weeks have been a whirlwind, to say the least. We’ve been in crunch time, getting the ranch and animals ready for the winter, which has been made a little more complicated because Jensen has been in an angry depression for two weeks. It’s something I didn’t know was a thing until I witnessed it. Niamh has a boyfriend, a nice boyfriend who treats her well, and Jensen is beside himself and, therefore, utterly useless on the ranch. Ozzy got herself a job as a nurse at the women’s clinic in town. She seems to enjoy it, though it’s only been about a week. It took time to get paperwork and whatnot done, but she looks happy and seems to be getting out of her shell some. She goes to ladies’ night at The Spur, and I stay home because I want to give her her time. She helps Mama around with her chores, and she has her own little flock of chickens.

Things between Ozzy and I have been great. Her therapy sessions have been bumped up to twice a week, one that we do together so I can make sure I’m continuously helping her and not doing something that could hurt her. It’s a little uncomfortable. I’ve had to listen to things about her past, and I’ll admit, there have been times when I wept once I got alone after hearing her stories. She’s so brave and strong, but hearing what has been done to her and knowing I’ll never fully be able to remove that pain from her is a helpless feeling.

* * *

Tapping my fingers on the steering wheel, I look at my clock. She should’ve been off fifteen minutes ago. I don’t want to go in or call because she didn’t know I would be coming, and she could be talking to the doctor, or they might have a patient in there. But seeing as another storm is coming, I need to go in and let her know that we gotta get home.

I get out of my truck just in time for the back door of the doctor’s office to fly open, slamming against the building. I watch as James Kenton, the local asshole deadbeat, pushes his wife, Leah, out of the building. She stumbles down the steps but doesn’t fall into the snow. I storm over and am about to shout at him for putting his hands on Leah that way when my blood runs cold. James is still in the doorway, shouting at Ozzy, and when he grabs the neck of her scrubs, I’m on him.

I grab the heavyset man and heave him down the steps. He lands on his back in the snow, and I hop down the steps and grab him by the collar of his hoodie. “I knew you were dumb, Kenton, but this is a level I didn’t see coming. You shove your girl, then yell and put your hands on mine? Boy, you got a death wish because I will fucking grant it.” I cock my fist back and deliver a blow across his face.

“Enough!” Denise’s strong voice shouts. “Rowe, take Ozzy home. Ozzy, you’re off tomorrow. Leah, come inside with me and wait for the cops.” I look up to see Ozzy crouched down with her arms covering her head. Fuck.

Walking up the steps, I gently place my hand on her back.

“Don’t touch me!” She shouts through a cry, and it breaks me. In one second, Kenton took everything from me, and now all I want to do is murder him. I manage to guide my shaking girl down the steps, stepping on Kenton’s hand in the process.

I go to open the door for her, but watch as she starts to walk towards her car. “B-Baby,” I walk up to her to try and stop her from walking away. “Ozzy, baby, you can’t drive home. There’s snow covering the roads, and another storm is on the way.”

Ozzy looks at me, or through me, I don’t know. She looks so lost. “Ozzy?” She blinks and looks around the parking lot.

“Right, snow.” She mutters, and I watch her flinch as I open her door. I swear to god, Kenton is going to pay for this.

The ride home is quiet. Ozzy staring out the window, her hand gripping her throat.

“Baby,” I try softly. “How about I draw you up a hot bath and make you dinner while you relax?” I offer. She doesn’t respond verbally, but I see her hand tighten around her throat.

* * *

Once I pull up to her cottage, the snow is coming down in sheets. I’m about to get out when she turns to look at me.

“I don’t want you here.” She says distantly, and I feel a stab in my chest.

“W-what? Ozzy, I’m sorry–”

“I’m not mad at you,” she interrupts. Her entire body shakes, and the urge to wrap my arms around her is almost too great. “But I don’t know how to handle this with a man close to me. So please, I don’t want you in there.”

“What am I supposed to do?” I ask, the desperation and panic in my voice. “Baby, I-I can’t just leave you in there alone when you are like this. Please.” She doesn’t speak, only shaking her head and hopping out of the truck. I watch her trudge through the mid-calf-level snow to her door. She opens the door and steps in, shutting the door behind her and never looking back at me.

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