Forever You're Mine (MINE #4)(43)

I bent down and reached for her hand, gently pulling her from the car. Assessing her body, I made sure she hadn’t been injured. “Someone hurt you?” I asked.

She shook her head and wiped her eyes. I studied her. She seemed to be sincerely upset, but I was still on high alert. I knew how manipulative Alexis Davis could be. I’d heard stories and even seen it firsthand. Probably should have never f*cked her, but sadly, my dick had a taste for crazy back then.

“Can I come in?”

I looked at my watch. “I’m actually on my way out.”

“Please.” Her lip quivered as another tear slipped down her cheek. “I don’t have anywhere else to go.”

Fuck.

What was I supposed to do? She was clearly upset about something. I couldn’t just tell her to leave like this.

I walked her inside. Turning my back on someone who needed help was not in my blood. I would at least listen. Sometimes that’s all someone needs.

It had saved me.

I handed her a bottle of water from the fridge as she took a seat on the couch. Then she blew out a haggard breath, looking down at her knotted fingers. I’d never seen her show this much emotion before. It was uncomfortable, but also a little comforting to know she wasn’t the cold hearted bitch I always thought she was.

She began to sob.

Shit.

On instinct, I sat next to her on the couch, wrapping my arms around her. Her arms banded around my waist and guilt tightened its hold in my chest.

“My father rapes me.” She hiccupped through each word.

What.

The.

Fuck.

You could have knocked me over with a goddamn feather when those words, spoken with enough venom to kill ten horses, seeped from her mouth.

“Wanna know the messed up part?”

No, not really, but I had a feeling she was gonna share anyway.

“There were times when I enjoyed it. My father, the man who was supposed to love and protect me. How f*cking sick is that?”

Nausea bubbled in my gut.

Pretty f*cking sick.

“He’s been raping me since I was 12. I can’t take it anymore. I don’t know what to do.”

My mouth hung open, my mind racing with her confession.

“I think you should talk to someone about this,” I suggested.

“I am. I’m talking to you.” Her eyes were so full of pain. Pain I couldn’t even begin to comprehend, much less fix.

“What I mean is, I think you should go to the police.”

“I told my mother. She doesn’t believe me. She doesn’t believe anything I say. Nobody does. My father is a beloved man. No one will ever believe he is such a monster.”

I remained silent, unsure of what to say next.

Her bloodshot eyes met mine. “Do you believe me?” She asked, trepidation easing into her voice.

“Of course I do,” I said without hesitation.

Who would lie about something like that?

“Thank God,” she said, throwing herself into my arms. Every bone in my body screamed to push her away, but she was hurting and had no one. I don’t think she knew how to process the pain, the emotions.

I’d been there, so I did what any decent human being would do.

I comforted her.

Stroking my hand up and down her back, I tried to console her the best way I could.

After a few agonizing moments, she finally pulled away. “Thank you for listening. It…it means a lot to me. Is it ok if I call you sometime? You know…to talk?”

I shook my head.

Her shoulders slumped as she nodded, tears welling up in her troubled eyes. “She’s a very lucky girl.”

She stood up and walked over to the door. “Please don’t tell anyone what I told you. I…it was hard for me to come here to begin with, but I had to tell to someone.”

Before she could walk out of the door, like an idiot, I stopped her. “If you ever need anything, Alexis, just call. I’ll be here.”

A small smile replaced her frown. She hugged me again. “Thank you, Cannon.”

I walked her out to her car and once she was gone, I sighed in relief just before a wave of guilt, and the shrill sound of my cell ringing stole it away.

*

Leaning over the console of the truck, I returned Cora’s hello kiss as she climbed on in. “Fifteen minutes my ass,” she said with a smile.

“Sorry, babe. Nikki called,” I explained, backing out of the driveway in an effort to avoid her eyes. That wasn’t a lie.

But it wasn’t the whole truth either.

“Everything ok?” She asked, tilting her head and my heart sank a little.

I needed to tell her about Alexis but I’d been hit with two blows in less than an hour.

One problem at a time.

“Yeah, she found his letter.”

Cora didn’t say a word. She knew what that meant.

We’d spent the afternoon with Nikki and Christopher the day we left to come back home. I hadn’t seen him since he was around four years old. He’d changed a lot. He was crazy smart, did extremely well in school, but he was painfully shy and didn’t have a lot of friends. He was excited to see me though and I was pleased to find out he even remembered me. When he was younger he couldn’t say my whole name so he called me “Uncle Can Con.” It was so good to hear him say it again. He looked so much like Landon, it was hard to look into his eyes. But it was also comforting too. Even though he was gone…a part of him still lived on.