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By the time Athelia realizes she needs to struggle, she’s too far gone. She tries to push me away from her, but when I step back, she stumbles forward. I grab her waist, not wanting to deal with picking her up from the ground, and she fists my hoodie in her hands.
“Why me?” she asks, and now her voice is angry.Distraught.“What did I do to you to deserve this?”
I caress her face before wrapping an arm around her waist, holding her up as her body sags into mine. I hate how fucking tortured I sound as I reply, “Nothing, really. Yet somehow, everything.”
“No,” she mumbles. She reaches up, clumsily pushing at my mask until it falls to the ground. “Kellan said there was a choice.”
“Everyone makes choices, Athelia. That may have been what started it all, but my feelings for you would’ve grown anyway.”
“Feel…” Her chin drops, and I think she’s out, but then her hands move to my chest again, her fingers curling around the fabric of my hoodie.
I’ve never told her that before. Hell, the only reason I am right now is because she won’t remember this. The drugs are almost in full effect. I doubt she even has a full minute of consciousness left.
“Wes,” Athelia whispers, slowly raising her head as if it’s taking all her effort. She’s trying so hard to stay conscious, but her strength is fading, and her eyelids are drooping. “I miss…”
“I know,” I murmur, stroking her hair.
Usually, I’m disgusted with her, despite the fact that I can’t get her out of my head. So I don’t understand why I lean down and kiss her gently, cradling her head. Nor do I understand her soft, half-conscious moan, or why she tries to kiss me back.
I don’t stop until her hands fall from my chest and her lips still against mine. When I pull away, I stare at her. Like this, the fear and hate are gone, replaced by a peaceful look I’ve seen the few times I snuck into her dorm to watch her sleep.
“You’re ours now,” I whisper to her, and then I gather her limp body in my arms and carry her home.
. . .
“Fuck, she’s a mess.” Kellan opens the side door to the house to let me in.
Cal is waiting in the mudroom, and he takes Athelia from me gently. It’s a long walk from the tree, so I don’t protest. I’m not sure how much longer I would’ve been able to hold her for anyway.
“Kellan, go start the bath in my room,” I say. “We need to clean her up.”
“You got it.”
I follow Cal as we head upstairs. Aside from us, the house is deserted. The party ended and we kicked any stragglers out before I left so we wouldn’t have to worry about people when I brought Athelia back.
In my room, I strip out of my clothes and shoes and head into the bathroom. We already have the soap, shampoo, conditioner, and lotion that Athelia uses laid out and ready to go.
It’s difficult to get her clothes off, but between the three of us, it only takes a couple minutes. My attention snags on a bruise on her side, and another near her hip. They’re so faded I almost miss them, but when Cal brushes his fingers over one, it confirms that I’m not imagining them.
The three of us exchange a silent glance, but neither of them acknowledge her injuries out loud. I’ll ask her about them when she’s awake. If someone laid a single hand on her, they’ll pay with their life. We’re the only ones allowed to hurt her—to doanythingto her.
Once the tub is full, I lower myself into it, and Cal gently places Athelia in the water with me. She slumps forward, but we both grab her and situate her so she’s leaning against me, her back to my front. Her head rests on my shoulder, lolling to one side. I have to keep an arm secured around her waist to make sure she doesn’t slide into the water and drown.
“Should we start with her body or her hair?” Cal asks. “Girls are particular about these things.”
Kellan makes a confused face. “Fuck if I know.”
“Her hair,” I say. “Get the pitcher.”
Cal grabs it from the counter and dunks it in the water. I push Athelia up a little and tilt her head back, and Cal cautiously pours the water over her hair until it’s soaked.
“Shampoo first,” I say.
“I knowthat,”Cal snaps, grabbing the bottle and squirting a bunch into his hand. He rubs it into Athelia’s dark hair, massaging her scalp before working his way down the rest of it.
“You gonna help?” Cal asks Kellan.
Kellan shrugs. “Don’t see why. You’ve got it covered.”
