Following Me(82)

Reaching out for the source of courage that had pushed her to this point, Devon knocked on the door. A short while later, the door swung inward, and Brennan stood before her, shirtless. She sucked in a deep breath. He looked gorgeous. He was a bit of a wreck with tangled hair and rumpled shorts, but it worked for him. Everything seemed to work for him.

“Devon,” he said softly, his mouth falling open at the sight of her. His eyes grew wider and wider as he took in her swollen eye and the blood that had fallen on her dress. “What happened to you?”

He looked shocked, and she didn’t blame him.

“Can I come in?” She looked over her shoulder. She was worried that Reid had somehow been able to find out where she was.

She waited for Brennan to say something, but he didn’t. He just stared at her. Then, when she opened her mouth to say something else, he moved forward and pulled her into him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and his arms encircled her waist, holding her tightly. He breathed her in as she tried to hold back the tears. Just being held had never felt this good.

He pulled back and found her lips. He kissed her with a desperation that bordered on delirium. She returned his eager kisses and backed him into the apartment. She wanted this. She wanted him. He was the only thing that had kept her going through the entire ordeal with Reid. Thinking about Brennan had given her a reason to push forward and get away from Reid. She didn’t have to be under Reid’s hold any longer. She was better than that, and Brennan had been the one to show her that.

Devon broke away long enough to shut and lock the door. She wasn’t going to take any chances.

Brennan had his hands back on her immediately, pulling her in and holding her close. “You came back,” he said. “You left, and you came back.”

He walked backward with her down the short hallway and turned into his bedroom. The whole place smelled so much like him that it made her dizzy. Or was she already dizzy? She didn’t know. All she knew was that Brennan felt right.

“I came back,” she repeated.

He bent down and brought their lips together again. She felt like everything that had happened since Reid had returned to her was just a fleeting moment in time. Each kiss from Brennan was healing the wounds, pushing all the hate out of her life. Being there with him was like starting fresh all over again.

“You can’t leave again,” he said when they finally broke apart.

“I’m not going to,” she told him.

“I’m serious, Belle,” he said, brushing his lips against hers again. “Watching you walk out the door was like hearing that my dad had died all over again. I don’t want to let you go.”

“I never wanted to let you go,” she said, swallowing back the tears. “But…I had to for your own safety.”

The tears flowed freely then, and the pounding in her head intensified.

God, it hurts so bad, she thought.

“Shhh,” he said, pulling her into him. “It’s okay. You don’t have to worry about my safety. I can take care of myself. I only worry about you.”

“I didn’t want him to hurt you,” she blubbered through her tears.

“That guy? Your ex?” He really looked at her and examined her swollen eye. “Did he do this to you?” He sounded equal parts shocked and angry.

Well, maybe he was a bit more pissed.

Devon nodded, but that was a bad idea. “I don’t…feel too well,” she said, resting her hand on his shoulder.

“Hey, look at me.” He softly cradled her head in his hands. “What did he do to you? Do you remember?”

“Yeah,” she said, trying to focus on the task at hand.

“Hey, hey, now. Just look at me. Look at me.” He stared into her eyes, looking at them under the light. “Just tell me one thing that happened.”

“He tried to rape me,” she whispered, saying it because it was the one thing that stood out.

Brennan hissed between his teeth as his eyes hardened. He looked murderous. She had never seen him so angry before.

“Anything else?” he said through gritted teeth. “Did he shake you really hard? Or did you hit your head when this happened?” He pointed at her eye.

Did she hit her head? She was having a hard time remembering what happened. She had a foggy thought about a side table. Wait…yes, she had hit a side table. Stars. She had seen a lot of stars.

“I hit the corner of a side table,” she said, her voice slurring.

“Okay.” He scooped her up in his arms before she could collapse. “I think you have a concussion. We should get you to a hospital.”

“I can’t go to a hospital!” she cried hysterically. “He’ll find me!”

“Devon, please let me take care of you.”

“No hospitals!” she repeated.

“You’re not exactly in a condition to argue with me.”

Carrying her over to his bed, with one hand, he pulled the comforter back on his bed and gently placed her down. He grabbed an extra pillow and stuffed it behind her head, so she would be more comfortable for the time being.

“Please,” she said, drawing her knees up to her chest, “I’ll let you take care of me. Just no hospitals.”

Brennan sighed in a way that showed he was going to give in. How could he deny her anything when she was in such a state?