Page 111 of The Facilitator 1

He wrapped one arm under my neck as we snuggled down, and he pulled me to hischest.

“I swear though, Lauren, if he comes anywhere near you again, I will fucking killhim.”

“I imagine there will be some sort of restraining order so that he’s not allowed. Mackenzie, for all his faults, that was completely out of character. I doubt very much I’ll ever see himagain.”

We fell silent for a little while. I placed my head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat. It made me drowsy. I didn’t quite catch what he’d said as I fell intosleep.

I know I cried out in the night, I’d half woken myself as I turned in his arms and landed on my bruised hip. I also heard him soothe me, stroking my hair to lull me back tosleep.

When I finally woke, he was curled into my back with one arm under my neck and across my shoulder, the other on my waist. It felt so good to be spooning with him, to have his breath on the back of my neck. I didn’t want to move, but I needed topee.

I gently untangled myself and made my way to the bathroom. As I was sitting, he walkedin.

“I’m peeing,” Isaid.

“So lock the door if you don’t want me to seeyou.”

I laughed and threw the toilet roll athim.

“Now that was dumb,” he said, unrolling some and handing it to me. As I reached out, he withdrew hishand.

“Please, may I have some toiletroll?”

He gave me the screwed up piece from his hand. I took it and discretelywiped.

I stood beside him at the bathroom mirror. I had a nice purple bruise on my cheek, and when I looked, one on myhip.

“That will cover with a bit of makeup,” Isaid.

“You’re not going to worktoday.”

“Mackenzie, I’m fine. It doesn’t hurt. Thank you for staying with me, I neededthat.”

“I don’t want you in that office, what if hereturns?”

“He won’t, he’s a fucking coward, and if he does, I’ll return the favour,” I said, inspecting my face a littlecloser.

He stepped behind me, wrapped his arms around me and rested his chin on my shoulder. “My heart fucking stopped, Lauren, when I saw him. I didn’t even ask why he was on the floor being held down, I just saw red. I knew he’d done something toyou.”

I reached up and placed my hand on his cheek. He turned his head and kissed mypalm.

“You need to promise me one thing, don’t do that again. I’d hate it if you ended up in trouble because ofme.”

“I want you to come and stay with me, just for a day or so. I can work fromhome.”

“No, I have to go into work. Ihave…”

“You have nothing that youhaveto do, not until next week. I’m cancelling the weekend aswell.”

I turned in his arms. “Why?”

“Because you have bruises, you’rehurt.”

“Mackenzie, I have a bruise to my hip and one to my cheek, they don’thurt. They’ll be gone in a couple of days. I was looking forward to theweekend.”

“Then come home with me, let me look afteryou.”

“So it’s a trade-off then?” Ismiled.

---