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“They’re all here, Cat,” I say quietly, carefully watching her face. My heart feels sluggish in my chest, like it’s struggling to beat.
Fear lodges itself inside my chest. Fear of what this will do to Cat. I’ve kept this secret, because as strong as Cat is, in some ways she’s fragile. I have no choice but to come clean now. I won’t lose Cat because she believes I’ve been unfaithful.
Her eyes shoot back to mine. “What?”
“All of them.”
“What in the hell are you saying, Hunter?”
“They’re all here in this room.”
She shoves me back and pushes her way out of the chair. I catch myself before I fall on my ass, not expecting her sudden move, and get to my feet. I turn and face her. Now across the room from me, her hair looks wild, just as much as her eyes do. They dart around the room, like she’s trying to find a way out.
“You’re insane,” she gasps. Her arms lift and she grabs handfuls of hair as she shakes her head. I don’t know if she’s trying to force away visions of the night that forever changed our lives, or other unwanted memories. “I don’t see anyone else here.”
I approach her slowly, not wanting to frighten her.
She knows what I’m saying. She may not want to admit it, butshe knows.
When I’m only a couple of feet away, her head snaps up, her hands falling to her sides. I stop in my tracks, unsure where her mind is.
“What you’re saying can’t be true,” she says shakily.
“It is, and deep down, you know it.”
“No.” She shakes her head. “You’re lying. You’re just saying it to get out of being caught.”
“No, Cat.”
“But you have to be. What you’re saying is fucking crazy.” Her voice dips and cracks, and more tears appear in her eyes. “I’m not insane. I’m not crazy.”
“Baby.” I close the gap between us, not giving a single fuck about whether she wants me near her or not. I’ll be damned if I let her think she’s anything less than the sane, beautiful woman that I love. She’s a lot more sane than most people would be if they suffered even half as much as she has.
I don’t stop until I’m almost in her face. I grab her cheeks and force her to look at me. “You listen to me, Cat, and hear me well. Youaren’tcrazy. Never let that shit enter your mind. Understand?”
Her eyes glisten and her lips wobble. Her whole body fucking shakes, and feeling the trembles coming off of her has my jaw tensing and my own body vibrating in anger. Not at her, but at the bastards who made Cat the way she is today.
“Then why does it feel like it?” she asks, her words barely audible. Her eyes squeeze shut and a tear leaks out. I swipe it away with my thumb. “If what you’re saying is true, how can you believe otherwise?”
I drop my head and press my lips against hers. “Because I knowyou,” I say once I pull back. “Because nothing you’ve done indicates you are. Your mind does what it needs to do in order to protect itself. You are the bravest, strongest woman I’ve ever met. I’m in fucking awe of you, Cat, because you’ve handled a hell of a lot more than I would have been able to. That anyone would be able to handle.”
“What does that mean?” Her hands come up to grip my wrists, her eyes imploring. “I don’t understand. How can I be someone I don’t remember?”
I let her cheeks go and bend down to pick her up. Carrying her over to the bed, I set her down on the end and sit beside her, turning my body so I’m facing her.
“Yes, you do,” I state, grabbing her hand. “You know. You’re just not ready to accept it yet. You’ve kept the truth locked away, because you’re afraid to face it. And when that truth sneaks past the walls you’ve built in your mind, you hide and become someone else.” I lock our fingers together. “You let Scarlett take over when you think you should be punished.”
She bites her bottom lip and a line forms between her eyes. “Why would I feel that way?”
I don’t answer her question. She’s not ready for that information yet.
“Athena appears when the pain becomes too much and you need to escape it.” I pause a moment. “She’s a patient at The Grove.”
Cat’s breath catches and her hand jerks in mine. “What?”
“She checks herself in and stays for a few hours. The nurses call me when you show up, and I come to you there. To you, I’m just some guy who visits you.”
I stop and let it sink in what I’ve told her so far.
