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“Theo isn’t going anywhere,” I reassure her. “Are you?”
He doesn’t answer, but he doesn’t move either.
Ignoring him for a second, I focus on the broken girl beside me. “Hey, Mills? Why don’t you climb on up into my bed and I’ll stick the TV on.”
“I can stay here?”
“Of course you can. Come on.” I help her get into my bed and dim the lights. “I’ll be right back, okay?”
She nods, staring at the TV.
Grabbing Theo’s hand, I yank him into my small bathroom and close the door.
“You need to calm the fuck down,” I snap.
“Me? Me? You saw what that bastard did to her face. She’s twelve, Raine. She’s fucking twelve and he—”
Taking his face in my hands I get all up in his space. “I know, okay. I know. But anything you do now is only going to make it worse. You’re angry, I—”
“Angry? I’m fucking livid. She shouldn’t have been there without me.”
“This has happened before?” I ask.
“With our mum.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah, oh. Anthony Ashworth is a piece of shit that I’ve spent my entire life trying to protect Millie from.”
“You could tell somebody.”
“No.”
“No?” I frown. “But—”
“Just leave it, yeah. I appreciate you looking out for her, I do. But this is family business. I can handle it.”
The coolness in his words hit me right in the chest. “Theo, come on that isn’t—”
“I said leave it, Raine.”
“I see.” I step back, shoving my hands into my hoodie pockets. “Do you want to stay with her?”
“Yeah, but I’m not sure—”
“I’ll take her room.”
He runs a hand down his face, grimacing. “That’s not what I meant.”
“It’s fine. You should stay with her.” My heart squeezes. “Like you said, it’s family business. I’ll just grab a few things and I’ll be out of your hair.”
I hurry to the door, desperate to get away from him before he sees the cracks in my façade.
Part of me half-expects him to call me back. To try and fix the sudden gaping hole between us.
But he doesn’t.
And I should be relieved. Because Theo just did us both a favour. He reminded us that I’m not one of them.
