I sucked a breath in as he slowly took my hands in his, uncurling my fists and wincing slightly as he saw the blood on the palms of my hands from my fingernails.
“C’mon,” he said softly, my eyes peering at him with confusion.
“Where are we going?” I asked as I went to stand, but he carefully put his arms around me and lifted me against his chest like I weighed nothing.
He walked silently up to his bathroom and placed my ass on the sink so he could rummage in the cupboard, grabbing a clean cloth and some ointment.
He washed my hands as I watched him cautiously, putting ointment and band-aids on my palms once they were washed and dried.
He gave me a cheeky wink once he was satisfied that he’d sorted it.
“All better. Do I need to kick Lukas’s ass?”
Did I blush a little?
Fuck.
“No, it’s okay.”
“You sure?”
“Positive. Can we go and watch another movie now?” My voice sounded shaky, but I didn’t care.
I just needed to forget about my meltdown and hoped the others did too.
“Of course. I’ve got you,” he smiled, lifting me from the bench, and I instantly wrapped my arms around his neck so he could carry me down to the kitchen.
Jensen raised an eyebrow at us, and I instantly wriggled so Caden would put me down.
I kept forgetting that I didn’t trust these guys.
Tyler’s concerned steel grey eyes were on me as I put some distance between me and them.
“You all good?”
I nodded, giving him a tiny smile.
“Yeah. Sorry if me being here is ruining guys night or…”
“Don’t be dumb. Lukas is the one who couldn’t leave well enough alone,” he stated, surprising me that he was taking my side.
We headed back into the movie room, and Caden made sure I was curled up on his lap again by the end of the night.
I actually enjoyed myself, despite being tense.
I couldn’t let them get close, not until I knew that I could trust them.
“Rory, wake up.”
I jolted awake in a panic, my eyes frantically glancing around in the dim light until I noticed Caden beside me, giving me the space I needed to calm down.
When I realised who it was, I let out a deep breath and absently reached for him, trying to calm my breathing as he tucked me against his chest and ran his fingers through my hair in a soothing motion.
“I wasn’t sure whether to wake you or not. You were thrashing about and you screamed in your sleep,” he murmured, my eyes closing as shame washed through me.
How fucking embarrassing, freaking out like that in front of him?
He must have felt my body go rigid, because his calm voice reached my ears again as I tried to get my shit together.
“I know you don’t want to talk about it, but you need to, Rory. It’s eating away at you more than you realize.”
“I can’t,” I choked out, his hand still stroking my hair as he spoke carefully.
“Can’t or won’t? It doesn’t make you weak for admitting it’s too much. Think about it, okay?”
I nodded, finally feeling like I was able to breathe properly, and I eventually went back to sleep, snuggled up against his chest.
It didn’t seem like much later that I was woken by chatting close by, and I knew it was Jensen and Tyler gossiping.
“Seriously, I don’t get it. Maybe they dated?” Tyler mumbled, making Jensen snort.
“Maybe, but I doubt it. She’s not just cut up at him for breaking up with her. She was way too freaked out by the shit he was saying last night.”
“Maybe Caden’s right and we should keep him away from her? What if he did something to her?”
Caden’s voice rumbled in my ear as he spoke up without moving from his hold on me.
“You know we’re awake, right? Stop gossiping like a bunch of fucking old ladies.”
They were quiet for a moment before Jensen cleared his throat.
“Ah, sorry.”
I went to sit up but Caden pulled me back down so that I was lying half on top of him, making me tense slightly.
What the fuck?
I stared at him, a small smirk hitting his face as he spoke quietly.
“Kiss me.”
I heard Jensen snort with amusement, but I ignored him and stared into Caden’s green eyes with confused.
“Why?”
“I can hear Max stomping our way. Live a little,” he replied, making sure to move slowly as he ran his fingers through the back of my messy black hair, pulling my lips down to his.
My arm held me back from him at the unfamiliar closeness, but when he kept the kiss slow at my pace, I relaxed against him a little.
My hand rested on his chest as his hands went to my waist to hold me, and it actually felt nice.
I didn’t even realize I’d climbed on him properly, until he smiled against my lips just as the door opened and Max’s voice shouted from close by.
“Aurora Donovan!”
I went to sit up but Caden held me in place, his thumbs rubbing on my hips affectionately as he spoke to my father.
“No need to yell, Max. She can hear you.”
“Caden, you listen to me…,” he bit out, but Caden chuckled and cut him off.
“Nope.”
“Aurora, get your ass up to your room. Now.”
When I didn’t move, Max walked over and grabbed my arm tightly, yanking me off Caden more roughly than necessary. I gritted my teeth as pain shot through my arm, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of hurting me.
Caden got to his feet and gave Max a glare, but he didn’t seem to notice as he yanked me out of the room and up the hallway.
Once in my room, he slammed the door behind us and locked it, shoving me to the floor hard.
Uh oh, I’d poked the bear.
“Think you’re funny for fucking your stepbrother? I didn’t raise you to be such a dirty little whore. You can stay in here all fucking day and I don’t want to see you until breakfast tomorrow, you got that?”
I scowled, standing up and stumbling as he backhanded me.
I blocked out the sting as I kept angry eyes on him and growled, “Fuck you.”
Wrong words, apparently.
I fell on my ass as his fist connected with my eye, but this time I rubbed it and winced, a snort of annoyance leaving him.
“Enough of the attitude, Aurora. I mean it,” then he left the room, slamming the door behind him.
I stood back up on unsteady feet, wandering across the room and into my bathroom to stare at myself in the mirror.
My eye was already bruising, and his ring had left a cut on my cheek.
I quickly had a shower and had just climbed into bed to watch a movie, when there was a soft knock at the door.
Caden poked his head in, his gaze instantly zoning in on my face.
“Go away,” I mumbled, but he ignored me and walked in, closing the door quietly behind him and moving towards me to sit on the side of my bed.
He slowly reached out and cupped my chin, turning my face towards him so he could look at the damage.
A nasty scowl hit his face, and I could hear the rage burning in his voice.
“He fucking hit you?”
I tried to jerk from his hold with frustration.
“Back off.”
“No. Let me look,” he replied softly, holding my gaze as my body calmed.