Hendrix - Kelsey Clayton Page 0,42

without question, not that I expected anything different. That's just the kind of friendship we have. There for each other one hundred percent of the time. Once he drives away, I walk over to my car and climb in.

“Why did you do that?” Saige cries. “You shouldn't have done that!”

I don't answer, instead putting the car in reverse and pulling out of the driveway. The whole way back to my house, she's a sobbing mess. Like she actually lost something important and not some piece of shit who abused her for kicks. When we finally get back, she still hasn't stopped crying.

Reaching over, I put a hand on her knee. “It's going to be okay.”

“It's not!” she snaps. “You ruined everything!”

I recoil from the verbal onslaught. “I ruined everything? Saige, he was beating you!”

“It was my fault!” The argument is weak, but the look on her face is what scares me. It's as if she genuinely believes that. “I made him mad, and I shouldn't have! I should have been more thoughtful of his feelings! I deserved it!”

My heart twists as I watch her break down in front of me, not even half the girl I knew in college.

“Will you listen to yourself?” My voice is softer now, because the last thing she needs is for me to scare her. “He has manipulated you into thinking that he has the right to put his hands on you. What if he had hit Brenna? Would you say she deserved that, too?”

The mention of our daughter seems to get through to her. “Oh my God, Brenna.”

Her hands cover her face as she breaks even more, and I pull her into my arms. “It's going to be okay, Saige. We'll get you through this. I promise.”

I press a kiss to the top of her head, almost afraid to let myself wonder how he managed to break one of the strongest women I know.

13

SAIGE

Colby holds me tightly, rubbing his hand up and down my back in a soothing motion. The position we're in causes the center console to press on my bruise, but I don't care enough to move. I need this. The comfort. The support. Someone knowing.

I know what Topher did was wrong. I'm not dense enough to believe he was in the right. And yet, a part of me feels an obligation. He needs my help to beat his addictions. I can't just leave him. Not now. But I don't think Colby has any intentions of letting me go back there.

Watching him swoop in was like nothing I've ever seen. There was a point where I honestly thought he was going to kill him and Asher was there to help clean up the crime scene. I've never witnessed that side of Colby, but I can say one thing with certainty: Lord help any guy who ever hurts our daughter.

“Let's go inside,” he whispers. “I have some cream that will help those bruises heal faster.”

Not having any fight left in me, I nod and climb out of the car. I keep my head down as we walk into the house and through the living room. Colby fist bumps Asher on our way through, in what I can only assume is a silent thank you. When we get into the master bathroom, the lights are so bright they're almost blinding.

Colby rummages through a drawer and pulls out a tube. He comes over, standing in front of me and waiting patiently. No part of me wants to do this. I want to run away and go back to pretending nothing was wrong. But there’s no more hiding.

I look away as I grab the bottom of my T-shirt and pull it over my head. Colby hisses at the sight of me, and it causes more tears to spring to my eyes. I know. I'm disgusting, and stupid, and all the things Topher said I am.

“Saige,” he whispers, sounding broken.

“Just put the cream on, please.” It's not meant to sound so weak, but that's how it comes out.

He carefully starts applying it to the bruise on my side first, and I flinch at the coldness of it. He mumbles an apology and keeps going. I've made it a point to avoid looking at myself. I never want to see the damage that was caused by that night. It's been making me have nightmares as it is. But feeling everywhere that he has to put this cream, my whole torso must be black and blue.

“You're going to be