I rubbed my eyes, trying to adjust to the blue light emanating from Axel's laptop. He was sitting on the chair next to the couch, typing furiously on the keyboard and wearing oversized headphones.
I slowly sat up and stretched, my body aching from the bruises even more as time passed.
Axel took his headphones off and tossed them on the coffee table. "Hey, how are you feeling?"
"Okay. What time is it?"
"Almost nine. You slept for a while. I ordered dinner a bit ago. There are some leftovers in the fridge if you're hungry. I didn't want to wake you."
My stomach rumbled as if on command, but the thought of eating made me nauseous. "I should probably get going...except my car is at school."
"Why don't you just stay here tonight? The couch pulls out into a bed," Axel offered with a slight smile. We had never spent time together one on one, but I couldn't ignore how comforting his presence felt. I was safe with him.
"I don't have any clothes," I said, looking down at my sweatshirt. I sweated way too much today to wear the thing again.
"I have extra clothes in the closet. I'm sure there's something in there that'll work for you. You can help yourself," he said as he put the laptop on the coffee table. "You can use the shower too. Once you're all done, we can go over some info."
"You found something?"
"Go clean up and then we can talk about it."
Either I stunk or he wanted to get rid of me. Shrugging it off, I went into the massive bathroom. It was sparkling clean and pristine with whites and grays and splashes of light teal accents. It was a work of art.
I started the shower and went into the connecting closet to find something to wear. I pulled out a bikini to use as a bra and underwear, a pair of dark gray cotton shorts, and a white t-shirt that saidDon't be a Richard, which really spoke to me.
I went back to the bathroom and hopped in the shower. It had five different showerheads so no matter where I stood, I was hit by the spray. It was the most luxury I'd ever seen and I didn't hate it.
The hot water soothed my body, washing away some of the aches. I finally got the nerve to look down. I gasped at my body–purple and blue splotches lined and breasts, like blooming reminders of what happened. I swallowed and my gaze hardened. How dare anyone touch me like this. My teacher, an adult, someone I once looked up to as a mentor and maybe even friend. It was sickening.
Had Reynolds done this to anyone else? Most likely. I watched enough crime shows to know that rapists, kidnappers, and murderers usually had a history of criminal behavior that extended long before they were ever caught. I couldn't let him do this to anyone else. I couldn't let him do worse to me. I shuddered at the thought of going back to Aces, of having to put a smile on my face and pretend to be okay. Every awful memory would flash in my mind, and I'd be staring at the door waiting for Reynolds to show up and demand me in the back. Or I'd be on edge with Pete lurking around, ready to force me into a room with anyone who wanted me.
Fuck that. I wasn't going back.
I'd have to figure out another way to pay the bills. Maybe Mom could be amomfor once and handle our finances before the house got repossessed or the electricity got shut off. That was a fantasy, but I still thought about the possibility. Either way, I wouldn't be going to Aces anymore. I could get a job at the coffee shop or maybe The Diner. I could get shifts with my friend Marcy,ha.
Once I finished washing for the third time, I shut the water off and grabbed a white fluffy towel from the warming rack–yes, the towels werewarmed–and dried myself off. I got dressed and combed through my hair. I found a toothbrush in one of the vanity drawers, along with a travel-sized toothpaste, floss, moisturizer, and hand lotion. All brand new little containers. I put my hair up in a ponytail, drying off the ends as much as possible with a towel. I put fresh bandages on the cuts on my arm to try and hide their mangled appearance and turned the doorknob to go back to the living room. I halted in the doorway and was met with four sets of concerned eyes.
I locked onto the brilliant chocolate pair I'd spent way too long staring into over the last few weeks.
"Hi," I said to West, Cade, Axel, and Bronx.
Axel had moved to the couch–with his laptop in front of him on the coffee table. Bronx and West were on either side of him, and Cade occupied the oversized chair.
"Hi," West said as he stood up. He was wearing a charcoal gray Brass Knuckles hoodie and jeans. His dark hair was messy like he'd been running his hands through it.
I shut the door behind me and swallowed thickly. Each one of them looked at me like I was an innocent lamb heading out for slaughter.
"Why are you all here?" I asked, knowing the answer to the question. They knew. All of them knew. My eyes pooled with tears as I stood there completely still, trying to not have a freaking panic attack in front of them. West took four long strides and stopped in front of me. I stared up into his eyes and they confirmed what I already knew.
His hand met the back of my neck, pulling me into him, my face resting on his hard chest. His other arm wrapped around my shoulders and held me close.
I let out a sob, unable to stay strong any longer. He held me tighter, shushing me, telling me he was here for me and that he wasn't going to leave me again. His masculine scent surrounded me as I continued to cry against him, all my weight being held by his strong body. He rubbed my back and kissed the top of my head. I pulled back slightly to look at his face. His eyes were watery, filled with pity and remorse. He gripped my face with both hands and I winced at the contact on my bad side. He dropped his hands to my neck, his thumbs grazing my cheeks.
"Did he hurt you? Did Reynolds–" West paused and took a deep breath. "Did Reynolds hurt you?"
I nodded slightly and looked down at his chest.
"I'm so fucking sorry, Ashtyn. I can't say it enough. I should've been there for you. This is my fucking fault," West said as he kissed my forehead.