Chloe couldn’t go on and buried her face in her hands. He didn’t expect her to say it, did he? Wasn’t it enough that Rhys was making her relive this? As she cried, he stood there silent and hidden within the shadows.
Wiping her eyes on her sleeve, Chloe looked up, squinting at him in the darkness. Why wasn’t he saying anything? His silence hurt her more than the confession, and she couldn’t stand it any longer. “Aren’t you going to say anything?” She said. “Tell me you despise me. Tell me I disgust you. Tell me anything. Just don’t stand there hiding.”
He came out of the shadows and knelt down in front of her. She took one look at his face and felt her heart shatter into a hundred pieces. His grey eyes were red. And his expression, Chloe could almost see the emotional battle that was raging within him.
Rhys grabbed her hand and tugged her down next to him. “How can you think that?” He said gruffly and pulled her onto his lap. “Chloe, I’m so sorry.”
He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly as if he thought she’d try to escape. A little unsure, Chloe sat stiffly against him.
“Why are you sorry? I should have known better. If anyone is at fault it’s me.” She rubbed her eyes and tried to fight off another round of tears. She’d been blinded by her devotion. Earon had seemed so perfect. And when she’d finally seen past his father-like benevolence, it had been too late.
“Like hell it was!” Rhys grabbed her chin between his fingers and forced her to look at him. “What that bastard did to you… it wasn’t your fault.”
His jaw clenched. The turmoil inside him continued to rage. Chloe expected him to explode at any second. It hurt her to see how deeply this was affecting him. She wished she could take it all back, to just tell him she was lying. She reached out and tentatively touched his cheek afraid that he would flinch at her touch.
He covered her hand with his as his eyes filled with unspent tears. “I should have been there for you. I should have protected you. You loved me and needed me. And I let you down.” With his other hand he reached down under her shirt to touch her scar. “When Josie told me, I didn’t believe her. I couldn’t. Not only was the girl I loved attacked and held prisoner, but the thought that I could have lost you. It drove me crazy. While I was sitting out there on your porch, I’d been trying to convince myself that it wasn’t true.”
“I never wanted you to know, Rhys.”
“Chloe, this isn’t something you should keep secret. I wish it hadn’t happened, but I deserved to know.”
“I know that, but I just wanted to forget. No matter how I try, it always finds a way to play over and over again in my mind.” Chloe snuffled and looked away. “I was so afraid you wouldn’t want me anymore. Even now, I keep expecting you to leave. I figured this would have you running for the door.”
Rhys put his arms around her once more and held her close. “I was stupid and ran away once and look what happened? I wish now more than ever that I’d stayed. That I’d just said to hell with Bill, to hell with all of them.” He swore. “If Earon wasn’t already dead, I’d kill him. I don’t care if I went to jail.”
Chloe tried to relax against him, but her old wounds had been torn open and she felt emotionally raw. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore. I’m so tired of remembering, of being afraid. I’m so tired of crying.” Chloe angrily rubbed her eyes. “I don’t want to cry anymore.”
“Chloe –”
She cut him off, her eyes searching his. “Please let’s not talk about it anymore.” Chloe touched his face again uncertain of herself but knowing this was what she wanted. What she needed. “If you still love me, then please help me to forget.”
When he didn’t move, Chloe figured he didn’t understand and she blushed feeling her self confidence plummets even further. Perhaps she was asking for too much, but it was the only thing she could think of. If Rhys would only make love to her then perhaps all memory of Earon’s touch would be erased.
“Is this really what you want?” Rhys asked as if worried that it was just her grief doing the talking.
Chloe nodded and had barely opened her mouth to confirm when Rhys leaned forward and captured her mouth in his. His touch was gentle at first but when Chloe flung her arms around his neck and opened her mouth to him, he crushed his lips against hers, devouring her mouth. A fire awoke inside her belly.
She ran her tongue over his teeth. Rhys moaned and grabbed her waist pulling her closer until she felt herself becoming lost in the taste of him. The feel of his body hot against hers was only driving her into madness. The fire inside her deepened. She could feel the heat of it moving lower making her tremble with need.
How long had she been waiting for this moment? To have Rhys’s touch wipe away the taint left behind by Earon’s vile deed.
Rhys broke the kiss and nuzzled her neck. He pulled her shirt down so he could trail kisses down to her shoulder sending sizzling heat straight down to her toes. She sighed, his shirt bunched up in her fists.
He moved his lips back up her neck, his breath hot against her ear.
“I want you.” His words were husky and full of honey making her tremble. “I’ve wanted you ever since you came into the café wearing that ugly sweater of mine.” He looked at her. “I really would do anything to take away your pain.”
Chloe looked at him and tried to will her heart to stop thumping in her ears. She couldn’t think, not with those grey eyes gazing so heatedly into her own. His name was a plea on her lips as she offered hers to him once more.
When his hands grabbed her hem and tried to pull it up, she stopped him. “Not here.”
Chloe stood up on shaky legs and led Rhys into her bedroom. As soon as she’d locked the door, he took her mouth greedily in his. With his arms around her waist, Rhys backed her up until the bed frame pushed into the back of her knees making her tumble backward onto the mattress. He followed her down covering her tiny body with his.
She clung to him while they lost themselves to passion. Both trying to rid themselves of the pain and despair that Earon had forced upon them. With every kiss and every caress Chloe knew that as long as Rhys stayed by her side, the nightmare would disappear into nothingness. As long as she had Rhys, Chloe could finally let go and be happy.
Chapter Sixteen
Later, as Chloe lay wrapped up in Rhys’s arms, the storm finally abated. It was night. The room was softly lit. The light from the bedside lamp threw yellow pools across the floor and bed.
Chloe twisted her head and looked at Rhys. He was lying on his stomach, his eyes closed, his cheek pressed against the pillow, and his arm thrown over her waist.
She smiled. Being here next to Rhys made the terrors of the day dissolve into dust. It was dust that was easily swept under the rug, to be dealt with on another day.
Her body aching, Chloe stretched and rolled over waking Rhys in the process.
She buried her head against his chest.
“What time is it?”
Keeping the blanket pulled tightly around her, Chloe sat up and looked at the alarm clock on the dresser. “It’s just a little after six.”
Rhys pushed up onto his elbow and pulled lightly at the sheet. She held it in a death grip. She didn’t know why she was feeling so shy, especially after what they had just spent the last few hours doing. When he tugged a little harder, she swatted his hand. “Stop that!”
He laughed. “So you’re going to be shy now huh? Come here.” He gave the blanket a hard tug pulling her down next to him. He covered her lips with his, kissing her like a man starved and her lips a juicy red apple. When he finally let her up for air he asked. “Are you hungry?”
“Starving actually.”
“Why don’t we order in?” He played with a strand of her hair.
“Okay.” She said and giggled when he tickled her ear. “I don’t really feel like cooking much anyway. Heather forgot to do the dishes again even though it’s her week to do them.”
Not the least bit shy, Rhys rolled
over her and stood up. Gathering up his discarded clothing, he deposited them on the bed before pulling on his jeans. He grabbed his phone from one of the pockets. “What shall it be? Chinese or Pizza?”
“How about Chinese?” Chloe said. “I’ve been eating way too much pizza lately.”
Rhys nodded and made the call. While he was on the phone Chloe scanned the room for her own clothing and spotted her shirt and jeans flung over the back of her rocking chair. Feeling way too modest, she would have to wait and ask Rhys to hand them over.
When she asked him, he only smirked. And before she could know what he was doing, he’d tugged the blanket off of her and pulled her to her feet. “I have a better idea.” He said and pushed her across the hall and into the bathroom.
They showered together. His sudsy hands running over her body until she was trembling and begging him to stop. She squirmed against him and his eyes darkened with desire. He took her once more there in the small shower as the hot water poured down around them.
It wasn’t until the water began to run cold, that they managed to quickly wash themselves and get out. As Rhys lounged around in her bedroom waiting for the delivery, Chloe stayed in the bathroom to dry her hair and put on her comfy pajamas. While finger brushing her hair, she let her hand fall to her lips.
They felt bruised to the touch and she considered whether to put on some lip balm in the off chance that should her lips actually bruise and turn purple, the dark shade would hide it. Her body still tingling from Rhys’s touch, Chloe thought this is what sex was supposed to feel like. Instead of fear and self loathing, she felt only love.
There in the back of her mind, Earon still lingered. The memory of him raping her was still alive and thriving.
Feeling cold, Chloe shivered. She wasn’t foolish enough to believe that one night of romance would make her forget the past; however, she did pray that the memory would lose its power. Just once, she’d like to make it through the day without that horrible image hanging over her head like a satanic puppeteer forcing her to relive that night again and again.
Unplugging the dryer, she put it away. She didn’t know what the future held, but she knew with certainty that Rhys would be the only one who could cut those strings severing all ties with her crippling nightmares. She wanted so much to be free of them. Maybe she was being naïve, but she believed love was the only cure.
Entering her room, Chloe caught Rhys looking at the old jewelry box her father had given her. “What are you doing?”
“Just snooping,” he replied and turned his attention back to the jewelry box. “Is this one of those that plays music while the ballerina dances around?”
“It used to, but I broke it when Josie and I ransacked my room trying to pack my stuff before Sophie came home.” Chloe took the music box from him and set it back on the bookcase, making sure the broken lid was straight. “My father gave it to me on my tenth birthday. I’d taken such great care of it up until that day. Even though the hinge is broken, the music doesn’t play, and the ballerina doesn’t even twirl anymore, I couldn’t bear to throw it out.”
“You must miss him.” Rhys said and touched her shoulder.
“Every day,” Chloe said and smiled sadly. “I know everyone says this, but he really was the best dad in the whole world. Sophie was hardly ever around. She was always off performing, so my father had to be both mom and dad. He tried so hard to make me happy.” She sighed. Why was everything in her life so depressing?
Rhys kissed the top of her head. “Come on, let’s go wait in the living room for the delivery guy.”
The food arrived soon after. They ate right out of the takeout boxes as neither wanted to mess with the pile of dirty dishes in the sink. They chatted while they ate, Rhys listening while Chloe talked about classes and her friends. She knew it was all trivial, but it felt so comfortable, so normal.
“Should you call Bill?” Chloe asked as she sat on the sofa snuggled up warmly against Rhys. “He’s probably worried about you.”
Chloe had turned up the heat because the storm had brought the outside temperature down considerably. With the heat blowing out of the vents, Rhys’s arm draped around her shoulder, and the wind softly singing against the apartment, Chloe felt lulled enough to fall asleep.
“I’ll text him later.” Rhys shifted against her and leaned forward to move their takeout farther down the coffee table so that he could prop his legs up. More comfortable, he pulled Chloe closer. “So is Heather not coming back tonight?”
“I’m not sure.” Chloe said and checked the time. “But if she’s with Simon, I doubt she’ll be coming back tonight.”
“Well then I guess I’m stuck here for the night.”
Chloe looked up at him, her brows raised in question. “And why is that?”
“Well for one thing it’s storming and what type of bodyguard would I be if I left my charge all alone?”
Chloe rolled her eyes. “It isn’t storming anymore.”
“Then I better think of some other more plausible excuse.”
“You don’t need an excuse to stay. If you want to stay then do so.” Chloe said.
“Chloe,” He said and his expression turned serious, “I’m sorry about –“
Pulling away from him, Chloe knew instantly what he was going to say. She shushed him before he could finish. “Please let’s not talk about it anymore okay?”
“All right,” Rhys said and reached for her. “Don’t pull away from me. I’ll drop it for now. But you know I can’t just let it go.”
Chloe pursed her lips. “Fine, but not tonight okay? For now, can’t we just go on as we were? Considering the day I had, I was kind of having a nice evening.”
Rhys sighed in defeat. “Come here,” he said and pulled Chloe toward him tucking his arm around her shoulder. “I know it’s hard on you, but all this isn’t exactly easy for me either.”
Chloe leaned against him and closed her eyes. “I know. Maybe you should just get rid of me.”
Rhys scoffed and held her tighter. “Don’t be a fool.”
****
With Chloe’s head resting on his lap, Rhys idly flipped through the channels on the TV and thought about the text he’d received a while ago from Steve Wilson. Jett was out of the hospital, so they were going ahead with the show. According to Wilson they’d spend all Sunday practicing in preparation for opening night.
Rhys flipped to the next channel, his eyes not even focused on what was on. Maybe he should pull Chloe out of the show. Being in the theatre performing again was probably only digging up the past. She shouldn’t have to relive it every day.
He cursed under his breath. No matter how he tried, he couldn’t stop thinking about Earon and how the man had held Chloe prisoner. How he’d hurt her.
Rhys stroked Chloe’s hair while his mind continued to play out everything Josie and Chloe had told him. The fact that Chloe had been desperate enough to stab herself with a broken shard of glass was driving him mad. She’d been through so much, and he hadn’t been there. That’s the part that really angered him. That he’d been too busy trying to save his brother’s reputation instead of being there for her. He should have taken her with him. There was a lot he should have done and didn’t.
Gently, Rhys slid himself out from under Chloe being careful not to wake her. He walked over to the window and looked out at the dark pavement of the parking lot. Under the street lights, it reminded him of dark water, always so calm before a storm. He felt that storm raging inside him now. His body felt alive with negative energy. He was mad as hell and didn’t know what to do about it.
As a man, it was his right to get revenge. But Earon was dead. The bastard had left the earth before he could be punished.
Burning to death in a fire should seem like punishment enough. It didn’t to Rhys. Instead he felt cheated. He had all this anger and no way to get rid of it. If that son of a bitch were still alive, he’d make sure Earon paid for what he did.
At first he’d mistak
enly taken it out on Chloe. Hell he’d been so furious that she’d kept it from him. Furious still that she’d tried to deny it. And when he’d seen that piece of ragged red flesh on her abdomen, he’d felt as he’d just been slashed through the heart.
He’d always regretted leaving Chloe. Nevertheless, he never knew there’d be such horrible consequences. That he’d be giving Earon free reign to abuse her.
Outside, a figure bundled up in a trench coat walked across the parking lot. For one brief moment, the man seemed to feel Rhys’s gaze and stopped to look before hurrying about on his way to his car.
Rhys turned away from the window and let his eyes settle on Chloe’s sleeping form. She wanted him to forget it. To just pretend everything was all right. But how could it be? How was he going to let himself get passed this?
Chloe wanted so much to get on with her life. And if he couldn’t find a way to come to terms with this, he may end up losing her all over again. He couldn’t have that. He would have to get a grip on this. Somehow he needed to work through the anger and this sense of failure that continued to tie itself around his heart constricting it until it exploded.
He stood there for a moment, not sure what to do, before finally giving up and returning to the sofa. As gentle as he could, Rhys lifted Chloe into his arms. She awoke and wrapped her arms around his neck. “What are you doing?”
“Carrying you to bed.”
She smiled sleepily and nestled her head against his chest. Rhys cradled her light frame in his arms for a moment before carrying down the hall and tenderly deposited her onto the bed.
When he turned to go, Chloe grabbed his sleeve. “You’re going to stay aren’t you?” Her eyes were wide and childlike. “I’m afraid to be alone. It’s silly and maybe I’m going crazy but lately I keep hearing noises.”
He pried her fingers off his sleeve and took her hand. “I’m going to make sure the door is locked then I’ll be back.”
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