Page 127 of Ensnared

“Iknow,”Beauwhispers. “Iknow,Eden.We’vegot you.”

Hischeek nestles against the top of my head, and another set of hands starts washing down my back with the rough sand, then moves to the nape of my neck and down my arms.Thescrapes of the coarse granules in direct contrast to the soft, rhythmic caresses.

“Ididn’t want to,”Ichoke out between sobs. “Ididn’t want to do it.Idon’t want to hurt anyone.”

Beaulets me shatter, andDomtends me, and after a while my tears start to slow untilI’mraw and hollowed out.Beaulets me down, my body as limp as a marionette.Heturns me untilIfaceDom, then starts unbraiding my hair.PressureIhadn’t realizedIwas feeling eases, and his fingers running through the strands make me shiver.

Domtilts my chin up. “Frontnow,” he murmurs.

Isniff and look up at him between my lashes, embarrassed by how blatantlyI’mbreaking down in front of him.Heseems to have no such worries; he scoops up more sand and picks up my arms, rubbing them down and rinsing them off at the same unhurried pace, apparently unfazed by my tears.BetweenBeau’shands in my hair, andDom’son my body, the last tension bleeds out of me, andIlet myself drift, safe and secure between them again.

Ican’t remember the last timeI’veever felt so... cared for.

Orhow littleIfelt likeIdeserved it.

Aftera whileIstart to notice the droplets clinging toDom’schest, the stubbled line of his jaw... the bloodied gash along his arm.Lipstightening,Ireach up to touch it gently, rubbing some of the blood beneath it away.

“That’sa present from that sniper, you know,”Domtells me, not taking his eyes from where he’s sluicing water over my neck.

Myfingers pause.

“Iwas caught between the trees.Afew more shots, and he might have had me.”

Istudy his face but see no sign he’s lying to make me feel better.

Hemeets my eyes. “Youvery well might have saved my life, doing what you did.”

Dom’swords burrow beneath the numbness.Shakingmy head,Ikeep wiping at the blood on his arm.Hisarm.Justa slight change of angle and it could have been his chest.

“Hedidn’t need to die,”Iwhisper, finally. “Icould have stopped him without... doing that.”

Heturns my chin soIcan’t look away from him. “Whydidn’t you?”

“What?”

“Ifyou could have just stopped him, why didn’t you?” he repeats.

“I—”Itry to pull my chin away, but he has a good grip.Beau’shands are soft in my hair. “Heattacked me, he... he tried to throw me off the tree.”

Domnods. “Soyou stabbed him.”

Iflinch. “Ijust tried to stop myself from falling.Ididn’t mean to.He—I—”

“Sohe threw you off the tree and you tried to catch yourself and you both ended up falling.Seemsto me like he made his own bed.”

“Stop.You’remaking it sound like—”

“Likeyou were defending yourself,” he interrupts. “Likeyou were defending us.Yousaved your own life, and mine, and the only reason he’s dead is because he tried to hurt us.”

Iswallow, hard.Anothermemory flickers.Notof brown eyes, but an ugly snarl.“Bitch,”he’d called me, right before he threw me to my death.

Beautugs my head back untilI’mlooking at him, almost upside down. “Domand me, we killed eight between us out there.Youhatin’ on us as much as you’re hatin’ on yourself right now?”

“Ofcourse not,”Isay impatiently.It’snot the same thing.

Asif he can see the thought on my face, his eyes flare. “Itsureisthe same thing.Youdon’t get to be down on yourself for doing what you had to unless you’re going to put the same blame on us.”

Iopen my mouth to argue, but the words don’t come.Mybrow tangles.WhatelsecouldIhave done?Icould have stayed where they left me, or stayed in my tree, but then what would have happened?Thatsniper had them pinned.WouldIratherDomorBeaube killed?Mygut lurches at the thought.

---