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“I’m not going to hurt you. I swear. Please try to believe me.”
I chewed the inside of my cheek, wondering what I should tell him. I massaged my forehead, buying myself an extra moment or two. Thanks to the pain pill, my face no longer ached like a motherfucker.
“My legal guardian.” There, I’d done it. I’d answered him, and we could move on now.
“What? River, he needs to be reported. You don’t have to live like that anymore.”
Anger surged through me. “And what? I’ve known you for all of five seconds and suddenly you’re my knight in shining armor? You want to save poor little River from getting beaten and raped?” My tone dripped with sarcasm and venom.
Holden’s shoulders visibly tightened, but he didn’t apologize for his comment. In fact, he looked even more determined to learn more. What was with this guy?
“No thanks. I already took care of him.” I sucked in a breath and wished like hell I could reel those words right back into my piehole.
“What do you mean?” Confusion washed over Holden’s expression.
I rolled my eyes, which almost made me laugh. I wasn’t the teen that tossed an eye roll whenever a person annoyed me. I valued my teeth in my head and not on the floor.
“What do you mean?” I asked, throwing his question back at him. Maybe he would remember I was on pain meds and wasn’t tracking the conversation well.
Confusion washed over his face. “What do you mean that you took care of Dan?”
“He’s dead.” The words flew out of my mouth without permission.
Surprise flickered across Holden’s features, then he recovered. He leaned toward me, his eyes leveling mine. “Good. I hope it was slow and painful.”
Tears blurred my vision. No one had ever been on my side before.
“I won’t turn you in, River. You did what you had to do.”
“I didn’t kill him. I hid in a tree while it happened. The drug dealer’s dog tore his throat out. It was pretty gross.” River, shut up already. “Some men are looking for me, though. Dan owed them a lot of money. I overheard them talking about what they planned to do to me if they couldn’t find him.” I gulped, my stomach rolling at the thought of them getting their disgusting hands on me.
His brows furrowed as he pieced it all together. “So, you couldn’t go home….”
I nodded. “They were watching our trailer, which was a total shithole. A week ago, I was accepted to a college in Oregon. I was on my way out, but ...” My long hair cloaked the tears that were now streaming down my cheeks. “I fought him as hard as I could.” I sniffled and wiped my nose with my fingers. “He was too strong.” A sob shook my shoulders, the images of that night replaying on a loop in my brain.
“River, it’s not supposed to be like that. No one has a right to hit or force themselves on you.”
I snapped my head up, the genuine tone of his words piercing my soul. “Maybe that’s how you live. Maybe your world is full of kind people, but mine isn’t.”
I used the dirty sleeve of my sweatshirt and wiped the moisture from my face. “Is it possible that I can take you up on a shower and some of your sister’s clothes?” I needed a break from this conversation. Over the last few days, my heart had gone through more than it could take. It was easier to protect it when you were in the middle of being abused. Hate had been my armor, but Holden was already putting chinks in it, and I couldn’t let that happen.
“Of course. Let me grab you something to wear and put the chair in the shower for you.”
“Thanks.” My throat was tight and scratchy from my tears.
The second he was out of the room, I sagged against the arm of the couch and closed my eyes. I was going to have to fight harder against the pain meds. I’d revealed way too much to Holden. By the time six weeks passed, he would know me better than anyone else on the planet. I had to figure out how to leave before it was too late, and I’d allowed him to get too close to me.
“I found the crutches, too. You’re all set up, but I’m going to carry you to the bathroom. After your shower and before your next pain pill, I’ll make sure you know how to use them.” Once again, he lifted me into his strong arms.
I chanced a peek at Holden. “I think you like carrying me around because it boosts your ego.”
A low chuckle rumbled through his chest as he walked down the hall. He set me on the toilet seat, then turned on the water for me. “Don’t laugh, but I don’t know what to use to cover your leg, so….” He reached over on the white-and-tan granite counter and shook out a plastic trash bag.
I covered my mouth with my arm, trying not to giggle while he knelt and slipped the plastic over my cast. He gently smoothed it and released the trapped air. He smirked as he used the drawstring to tighten it above my knee and seal my lower leg from the water. “Perfect. You’re good to go.” He dusted his hands off as if his job was done.
Although Holden had thought a lot of things through, I’m not sure he’d figured out how I was going to get naked and in the shower on my own.
“Well, those jeans you have on are toast.” He nodded at my cut pant leg. “You should be able to slip it over your cast pretty easily. Just don’t lose your balance and fall off the toilet.”
