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And as I left the hall to find Reagan, I saw security escorting them out of my building.
Chapter twenty-two
Reagan
I hid in the pantry, and thankfully, nobody was there. My heart ached more than my face. I couldn’t believe that Daddy and Ryan showed up to ruin my night. I wasn’t surprised at how my father handled the situation, but I expected more from Ryan. My brother who had been my protector for so many years, but now he had become an antagonist.
I sniffled, wiping the tears away from my face, careful not to touch the tender spot on my cheek. Then I heard someone come in, and a hand appeared on the side of my face, offering a pack of ice for my cheek.
My shoulders shook and my lips wobbled as tears started streaming again.
“It’s okay, darling,” Matthew massaged my back as I wept, the coldness of the ice pack a saving grace against my skin. He sat down on the pantry bench beside me and I turned when I felt his warmth, burying my head against the crook of his neck.
He snaked his hands around my waist and carried my lower body towards his lap.
“Matthew,” I cried, my shoulders shaking from shock and pain. And for a moment he held me like that, and I silently bawled, feeling every pain in my body and my chest.
“Let me see,” he said, his hand guiding my chin up so I could meet his gaze. He was hot, I thought to myself as I stared into his eyes. I felt a lone tear roll down the side of my face and Matthew carefully wiped it away. His jaw clenched as we looked at my face. “Fuck. I want to kill him.”
“Are they gone?”
“They are.” He pulled me into a hug one last time, cradling my shoulders with his strong hands. And I felt so safe in his arm like this. Like nobody was going to hurt me if he was here. “I’m so sorry, Jellybean.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“No, but I shouldn’t have exploded like that.” Matthew shifted on the bench, grabbing something from his pocket. And I watched his every move as he produced his phone, texting somebody with one hand. He said, “We need a doctor to see you, okay?”
“I just need ice—”
“Don’t argue with me, Reagan. Please. Just not on this.”
“Okay.”
“Good girl,” he praised, kissing my forehead before I wiggled out of his lap. “Now let’s go home.”
***
The route Matthew took wasn’t the way to my apartment and I turned my head toward where we were supposed to take a right.
“You just missed the turn,” I pointed out. The drive was silent until now. Matthew let me have the chance to think, to let things sink in as he held my hand, bringing it to his mouth from time to time to ground me—to remind me that I was safe.
“You’re staying at my place,” he told me, his voice calm and quiet. I was so tired that I just wanted to close my eyes, sleep, and forget about what happened tonight. I was over the moon when the event started. And for three and a half hours, I was the happiest that I had been in a very long time, and I thought no one would be able to take that away from me.
And my family, of all people, were the ones to pop the bubble.
“I’ve never been to your place before,” I said.
“I know. There’s always a first time for everything. But I’m not going to risk it knowing they could barge into your apartment at any given time. There’s a security detail in my penthouse.” I simply nodded because I didn’t have the energy left to argue with Matthew, even though that had been something I had loved doing lately. Tonight, I was leaving things to him. I was going to trust that he would take care of me.
“I’m sorry security wasn’t quick enough to alleviate the situation. It shouldn’t have escalated like that,” he croaked when the silence went on a little too long.
“Maybe you should take Mont up with his offer,” I jested. But no one was laughing at how things unfolded tonight. I didn’t know how I was going to face my brother after this. I knew he didn’t mean it, but tonight the pain was too much.
“Maybe I should.”
Five minutes later, thanks to the absence of traffic, we arrived at Matthew’s building, nestled among the towering skyscrapers of the city. It oozed luxury and exclusivity, a world where Matthew Parker thrived. But he kept on driving until I saw the entrance to the basement parking lot.
Not a lot of cars were parked there, and the lights were dim like in a horror movie. Matthew parked under a number which I guessed was the number of his penthouse. Then his Tesla purred to a halt, the ignition dying.
