AllFreeNovel
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Thirty minutes later, we’re sitting in front of Lexie’s apartment building.
The decision to come see her had been a last minute one, and I’m so fucking glad I did. Had I not shown up when I did... Squeezing my eyes shut, I try to erase the thoughts from my head. Thoughts of what might have been.
My hearts still pounding a million beats a minute in my chest, and my body is shaking from the adrenaline rush. All I want to do is pull her close and hold on to her for dear life. She’s on the opposite side of the car from me, her body pressed against the door, and I can see the trepidation in her eyes.
“What are you doing here?” Lexie asks.
I cock my head to the side and stare at her incredulously.
“What?”
“After what just happened, that’s what you want to ask me?”
“I’m grateful you showed up, I am, I just don’t get what made you come here?”
“Because I missed you, Lex. I hate this. I hate being away from you.”
Lexie gives me a single nod, then exits the rental car.
“Lexie, wait,” I call after her.
She doesn’t slow, just keeps the steady pace until she reaches the elevator.
“Talk to me, princess. Tell me what’s going on in your head. Tell me…”
The elevator doors open, and she steps inside, still silent. When I join her, I’m thankful she doesn’t push me away. She opens the door to the apartment directly across from the elevator, then steps inside, leaving the door wide open.
“How’s your arm?” she asks once we’re both inside.
“It’s fine,” I tell her. The last thing that matters is my stupid fucking arm. What matters is Lexie. What the fucker did to her. How she’s coping. “Lex...”
She walks over to me and reaches for my arm. “Let me look at it.”
Begrudgingly, I take a seat on the couch and allow her to remove my shirt. I know her well enough to know that she won’t relent until I do.
“Lexie, talk to me. Tell me what happened. Did he…” Christ, I can’t even say it.
“No. You showed up before…” She pauses for a moment to compose herself. “We need to get your arm checked out right away.”
“I don’t give a damn about my arm, baby. Areyouokay?”
“I’m fine.”
My hand reaches for her, touches her ever so gently. She jerks away, and I quickly drop my hand. She’s terrified, even if she doesn’t want me to see it.
“I’ll be fine.” Tears well in her eyes. “I’ll be fine. I will be. I’ll be…”
Tears stream down her cheeks, and her body begins to tremble. Afraid to touch her, afraid to push her too far but desperate to comfort her, I move with trepidation toward her until she rest against me. Her head on my chest, I wrap my arms around her.
She crumbles in my arms, sobs racking her body as the realization finally hits her. The reality of what would have happened had I not walked into the room.
The look on her face is etched in my mind. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to unsee it. The sheer terror in her eyes. The pain he was inflicting was written on her face. Christ, it took everything in me not to kill the guy.
I have no idea how long we stay like that, five minutes or five hours. I just know that holding her like this feels like heaven, even if I hate the reason for it.
“I miss this,” I admit breaking the silence.
“Me, too.”
