“What is it?”
He continues with my hair as I speak quietly, now taking caution to not touch it before he answers.
“Nothing.”
My brows wrinkle as I raise my eyes to his, and as they meet, he pauses, his eyes roaming across my wounded features, and I notice his Adams apple bob. After a time of just peering into each other's eyes, he decides to speak again.
“It needs to be looked at, Char. You need medical care.”
My eyes gently close before I face away and he continues.
“I can have a female doctor come here at any time and whenever you’re ready, okay?”
I do not say anything while keeping my head lowered, knowing I need treatment, but the prospect of having to go through all that causes my mind to spin and my gut to twist. When he does not get an answer, he reaches up and slaps his palm down on a button, causing the shower to stop flowing abruptly and a shudder to run up my spine because of the immediate coldness.
He begins to get himself up, and I keep my arms locked around my legs, allowing him to pass me. As I set my chin on my knee, I stare forward, fading out, until he captures my attention from the corner of my eye and throws a dry towel around me. He kneels outside the shower beside me, his palm resting on the back of my hair, and I side-eye him as he speaks.
“Stupid question, maybe, but do you want anything to eat?”
The thought of consuming food makes me want to hurl and I shake my head in response. He slowly rises, removing his hand from my head, and I face him as he spins around, lifting his arm, clutching the back of his soaked tank, and raising it up his body. My eyes wander across the huge skull tattoo that covers his back, which is nearly identical to Reigns', and when he peers at me over his shoulder, I look ahead once more.
“I’m going to get out of these wet clothes.”
I nod without looking at him and observe him stroll away out of the corner of my eye. Once I hear the door close, I clamp my eyes shut before deciding to move. I balance my wobbly limbs with a palm on the wet tiles until I am upright, then I lean againstthem, trying to hold myself together. I wrap the towel around my body more before coaxing myself to take a couple of steps forward and exit the bathroom.
As soon as I enter the bedroom, I pause at the threshold when I discover a small pile of my things: oversized sweatpants and a hoodie positioned on the foot of the bed. I take measured steps forward, and once they're within reach, I drop my towel and start getting dressed.
As I step into my pants, the door suddenly bursts open, and my head whips around to gaze directly into Reign's eyes. We both freeze, staring at one another, and my eyes become filled with tears again as I detect the emotion in his, until he suddenly enters fully, kicks the door closed behind him, and heads right for me. My entire body tenses, my pulse pounding against my chest, and I have no time to react before his huge figure enters my space and he is cupping my cheeks.
My small hands wrap securely around his wrists as he presses his forehead against mine and whispers with closed eyes.
“I am so fucking sorry, Char. I should have gotten to you much sooner.”
My damp eyes explore every inch of his face, yet I feel numbness pour into my veins at an alarming rate before responding.
“Yet you didn't.”
His eyes progressively open, and he stares directly into my expressionless daze.
“The damage has already been done, Reign. You should have just left me there to die.”
I can feel his brows creasing on mine, his eyes searching my orbs, clearly baffled by my cold words. When I press down on his wrists, he releases me and elevates his head. I turn around and stroll toward the high windows, gazing over at the skyline of New York.
The clouds have turned shades of grey, and rain is starting to fall, coating the windows with streaky water, much like it did the night Maddox first forced himself inside of me while tying me to the bed. I sense Reign watching me from a distance, lacking the ability to move as I cover the upper part of my arms with my palms.
“That wasn't an option, Charley. We never would have left you with him. You were always coming home.”
I scoff before letting out a soft chuckle while shaking my head as I lower it.
“Home?”
I raise my head once more, observing the gloomy environment.
“This will never be my home. Not anymore.”
I finally turn to face him when he remains silent, and I continue when we establish eye contact.
“Shouldn't you call me Swan now, no? I mean, it is who I am, right?”
