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"Ethan, Jackie, can you guys give us a minute, please?"

Fuck

As soon as the door shut behind the at me Her hand had left her face and I saas a deep red I had no doubt she was going to have aI sed back bile and took two steps toward her

"Do not touch e Carson"

Oh God What the hell have I done?

"Cassidy" My voice cah and quiet "I swear I didn’t know you were even in the room, darlin’ I would never hurt you"

"A part of e"

A part of her A part of her What the hell?!

"But I can’t--I don’t--youyou" Her mask slipped and her head fell into her hands; a sob instantly tore through her body

Fuck this I took the last two steps toward her and sank to the bed, pulling her into my arms and onto my lap Her body jerked like I’d shocked her, but I kept o

"Cassidy, I love you so ht and I kissed the top of her head "God, baby, I’m so sorry"

CASSIDY

THIS WAS THE first tiain, this one was completely different from all the rest This one was intended for someone else and was an act of self-defense; I knew that Really, I did But this one? This one was by far the worst hit I’d ever taken

Walking out of the bedrooht Hated it with every ounce ofthe crap out of each other had brought back flashbacks I’d worked so hard at erasing froe in the ht to hell That wasthe crap out of Grant I still didn’t knohat started the fighting, or who started it, but that didn’t ht so to take your life or the life of souys were close, I seriously doubted that was the case

I shouldn’t have rushed in there, I should have yelled at Gage to stop I’d been trying to yell, but I couldn’tin thereit was stupid, but I just wanted the fighting stopped Instead, I’d taken an elbow towhat I’ve endured, it wasn’t that bad at all I’d been so shocked by the way my head had snapped back so quickly, it tookbackward, until I landed smack on my butt at the same time Ethan’s hands shot out to catch e turned around with a ht arain And that was all I could see and feel anye’s face twisted with rage and his fist aihtened around ht e I couldn’t be here in his are I didn’t know if I’d ever be able to get that out of my mind It was evident my words hurt him, but I didn’t want to lie to hie would never hurt h I knew he didn’t do it on purpose and it wasave out on the last word and his forehead dropped into the crook of ain and I felt hi to push ht andhis shirt in ht a hand up tohis full lips, soft as a feather, to ht around my waist kept me in place

"I’m not them," he said after he silently held me for a few e’s voice hitched and he had to clear his throat "I saw the fear in your eyes, Cass I can’t iht now, but if it wereabout is themwhat they did to you, and what I--what I just did Dahtened momentarily and his head went back to my neck

With his forehead pressed into ainst ht and as there My body stilled and I focused coe My arms had subconsciously wound themselves around his broad shoulders at soht shudders in the muscles of his back Before I could forcehis back to soothe the rigid way he was holding hiain, twice I unlockedhis head away fro down at e’s tortured, wet eyes

Gage was crying

Oh My God

I’d seen hi with joy, I’d seen hi freely froe Carson cry

"Please, let me take you home and take care of you" His voice was even deeper and huskier than usual