Never Been Ready (Ready #2)(35)

No. Something is wrong.

And per Leah's usual methods, she was shutting everyone out.

Well, f**k that.

Twenty minutes later, I was unlocking her door with the new key we had made, only to find out the chain had been locked as well.

"Leah, it's me. Unlock the door."

I heard footsteps as she made her way toward the front door, but the chain stayed in place.

"Declan, I told you...I don't feel good. I just want to be alone. I'll talk to you later."

Her voice was rough and raw, like she'd been crying, and the words she said lacked conviction, like she was moving through the motions, but her brain had already checked out.

"Leah, this shit might work with others, but I'm not falling for it. You're not shutting me out. Unlock this door."

"I don't want to see you tonight. Just go away," she said softly.

Yeah...those words would have stung if I didn't know she was lying through her teeth.

"Open the f**king door, Leah, before I break it down. Don't think I won't."

The chain unlatched, and I plowed through the entrance. She turned and walked ahead of me. Dressed in her fuzzy robe and slippers, her hair was down and loose around her face. She always wore it up when she was home. She hated having it down when she slept.

"I'm going to bed. You can stay if you want. I'll see you in the morning if you're still around," she said, heading off to her bedroom.

She hadn't even looked in my direction since I walked in. Just as her bedroom door was about to click, I pushed it open and flicked on the light.

"What the hell is going on, Leah? You're acting strange. You won't tell me what's wrong, and —motherf*cker!"

Just as I was delivering my speech, she turned toward me, and I finally saw her face. Her eye was nearly swollen shut, her beautiful cheek was now a mixture of blue and green, and her lip was cut.

I came to her, my eyes wild and frantic, as I started checking every inch of her body, parting her robe until it fell to the floor. My hands shook as I fought back the flood of emotions threatening to take me over as I noticed the hand-shaped bruise near a sprinkling of cuts that were clearly from fingernails. Suddenly, I saw red.

"Who did this?" I asked roughly.

She just shook her head, tears falling down her cheeks, until she collapsed on the bed with her face in her hands as she sobbed.

I didn't know what to do. I felt blinding rage flowing through my veins, and I didn't know where to direct it. She wouldn't talk, and I had no idea if she was hurt anywhere else that wasn't showing.

How would I know if she was damaged internally? Would she let me take her to the hospital?

One look at her defeated form on the bed, and I knew I'd never get her to the hospital. But I needed to know. I needed to make sure every inch of her was okay.

Turning, I walked out of the room and headed for the kitchen. I pulled out my cell phone as I opened the freezer. By the time I found an ice pack, the call connected.

"Hello?"

"Logan, I need you. Now."

It was the longest twenty minutes of my life. When the soft knock on the front door finally came, I jumped from my seat by Leah's bed to answer the door.

Logan and Clare greeted me.

"Hey, thanks for coming. I didn't know what else to do. She won't talk to me, and I just...what if..."

"Hey, Declan, it's okay. I'll make sure she's okay," Logan assured me as we made our way to Leah's room.

When she saw all three of us enter, her eyes widened, and that was when all hell broke loose.

"You called them? What the f**k, Declan? I don't need a pity party!" she said, her voice rising louder than it had since I arrived.

Sitting next to her on the bed, I tried to be as gentle as possible. "Leah, you wouldn't talk, and I needed to make sure you weren't hurt anywhere else. It was either having Logan come here or taking you to the hospital."

"I'm not hurt anywhere else," she said, turning her head toward me.

I thought that was when Logan and Clare got the full view of the side of her face because Clare gasped, and I heard Logan curse under his breath.

"How do you know?" I asked Leah.

"He only hit my face. He only ever hits my face," she muttered.

"Who is he? And this has happened before?" My hands tightened, and I counted to ten, trying to keep a check on my raw hatred of whoever had done this.

"It was your father, wasn't it?" Clare asked softly from across the room. "This wasn't the first time, Leah? How long? Why didn't you ever tell me?"

Leah's eyes shot up to her best friend. "It wasn't all the time. I knew how to control it and avoid it for the most part. As long as I didn't antagonize him, I was safe."

"Jesus, Leah. You should have told me," Clare said, her eyes full of concern.

Leah must have read concern for pity because she retaliated. "Yeah, well...we all can't have perfect childhoods, Clare."

"I didn't mean it like that. I just...never-mind. I'm going to go wait out in the living room," she said, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.

Logan watched her walk out before taking a step toward Leah. "I want to examine your injuries, Leah. Will you let me?"

She just nodded, and I felt myself take a breath finally. I wouldn't feel right until I knew she was okay or at least not hurting anywhere else.