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Clear out the noise and cool off my temper. I needed that cooler. Mayhem needed me cooler. When I decided to deal with Ezra fucking Graham, I would be doing it with a cool head and a set of calculated choices.
When the first shiver hit, I warmed up the water and turned into the spray again. Mayhem had sex with Ezra. More than once.
After she left Braxton Harbor. On an island.
I filed that last piece away for later. The where didn’t matter for then. Fuck, the where didn’t matter now. It mattered that…
Fuck. I slammed the water off and dragged a towel over to dry. It was sketchy, I just needed the water droplets gone, then another pass over my hair. After, I dragged on the sweatpants and stalked back to her room.
The door was open, just like I’d left it and she wasn’t in the shower. Back down the stairs I went and all the way to the library where Mayhem sat, still in her golf outfit that was hot as fuck, arms folded, and head down—lost in her own thoughts.
Traces of sadness lingered in her expression. Sadness and loneliness. She’d ripped open a part of herself to give me the truth and I’d only asked if he’d forced her or hurt her. I’d never asked…
I cleared my throat. “Mayhem?”
She glanced up, the surprise and relief were more than a little humbling. “You’re back…”
“Yeah, I said I would be.” It wasn’t a chastisement, but I liked to keep my word.
“I mean—you needed time, that wasn’t very much time.”
“Depends,” I said as I walked into the room. I moved around to where she was seated. Her drink was barely touched. She hadn’t moved since I’d left.
“On?” She tracked my path until I lifted her right out of the chair then turned and took her place as I set her in my lap. Fresh surprise filled her expression.
“How you are.”
“How—how I am?” She shook her head. “I don’t—”
“Mayhem,” I said firmly. “I didn’t ask you ifyouwere all right. I didn’t ask how you were. You did something pretty fucking brave and I could see how uncomfortable you were so I walked out.”
“You needed to think.” She shook her head. “How I am isn’t important.”
“First of all, bullshit. Second of all,youare important, period. Me needing to think doesn’t trump how you’re doing.”
“Milo—” Fuck, it sounded weird when she said my name. “I was scared I hurt you.”
Scared.
Pressing my lips to her temple, I considered my response. She’d been honest with me. I owed it to be honest with her.
“You didn’t hurt me,” I said quietly and when she pulled back to look at me, I pressed a finger to her lips. She kissed my finger gently then gripped it and I smiled. “You didn’t. Do I like that you fucked him?” I squinted at her. “You’re way too smart for me to even pretend that I do. Do I hate it? Yeah, a little bit.”
She threaded her fingers with mine and I glanced down to where her palm was pressed tightly to mine. My hands dwarfed hers. As strong and capable and in command as she was, and fuck me was she, she was still fragile. Still—
Ineededto keep her safe.
Iwantedto be with her.
“Did I know he wanted you before this? Yeah, I did. I could see it. I saw it in Braxton Harbor when he and Adam parked themselves outside my room to protect me. They didn’t do that for me, they did it for you.”
Her lashes dipped and I caught the glimmer of tears on them.
“I only need to know two things right now though.”
She swallowed. “What are they?”
“How are you? You said he didn’t hurt you, but I think you’re hurt. So I need to know—talk to me. Please?” Was I more comfortable throwing a fist these days? Yes. But Mayhem didn’t need me to beat anyone up. Not yet.
