Page 62 of Yours to Break

“And did you?” Hudson asked, gently, but not without weight.

“No,” I admitted. “But I realized I don’t want to go back there either. I was lonely. Always second-guessing everything, wondering if I was too much or not enough for anyone to ever choose me. You—both of you—you didn’t just choose me. Youneedme.” I lifted my head, met their eyes even though I felt like I might shatter under their attention. “But I need to feel like I’m not just some item you’ve decided to collect. I need to know I matter for more than how I look when I kneel. And—And I want a safeword.”

“Okay,” Hayes said, and it wasn’t slick or teasing—it was firm. Real.

Hudson’s grin was slow, a little crooked. “In exchange, outside of sex, too, you need to tell us when something’s wrong or when you need something. We need you to help us help you. We can’t read the room when it comes to you and your feelings. We’ll try our best, but it took us like six hours today to figure out that you needed us to say we love you.” Hudson stepped closer, his hand gripping my jaw. It was not too hard, just enough to make me look at him. His eyes burned. “You don’t disappear on us, Oliver. Ever. You especially don’t put yourself in danger like you did today. We’ll need to look at your ankles closer once we get back. Your wrist is swollen, but I can tell it’s not broken. Once we wash you up, we’ll see about your ankles. I swear to God, Oliver, if you broke any bones doing this shit…”

“I didn’t know if I could breathe around you guys anymore,” I mumbled, my voice barely audible.

Hudson’s mouth brushed against my temple. “Then let usteachyou. Let us show you that you’re not going to suffocate. That you weremeantto breathe in our air.”

I shivered.

They didn’t drag me back. They didn’t lock me up. They didn’t have to.

Because for the first time since I’d stepped into their world, I wasn’t running.

I was walking willingly toward the fire.

* * *

The journey back to the house was quiet. Not uncomfortable, but charged. Once inside, Hudson shut and locked the door behind us. The sound echoed like a final click inside my ribs.

Hudson stepped in front of me slowly, like approaching a skittish animal. “You’re cold,” he said, his fingers brushing mine, warm and steady. “Let’s get you cleaned up, pet.”

Hayes carried me up the stairs and into the main bathroom we used, depositing me gently on the counter by the sink. “I want to get your feet and ankles washed off first before we get in the bath. Can you turn and put your feet in the sink?” I nodded, turning on the counter, lifting my legs, and nervously placing my feet in the basin. Luckily, I was able to manage to get them under the faucet without accidentally hitting my ankles on anything.

Hayes put his palm under the faucet as his other hand turned the warm water handle, testing the water temperature. Satisfied, he moved his palm out of the stream of water, letting it pour onto my sinfully dirty feet. “Hudson, can you grab the antibacterial soap for me? And a washcloth, please.”

Hayes gently lifted my foot, rubbing his fingers along the skin to get the leaves that were plastered on. Hudson placed the soap and washcloth he’d retrieved from the linen closet next to where I sat on the cool marble.

Watching the three of us in the mirror, I couldn’t help but snort. When that drew puzzled looks, I giggled, “Sorry, it’s just that even with me sitting up here, you two are still like a head taller than me.”

“You’re the perfect size for us,” Hudson replied, eyes crinkling.

“Tell that to my insides,” I said, trying to sound serious.

“Tell your insides that we appreciate them,” Hayes quipped, wearing a jovial grin.

“Oh, shut—” I hissed as Hayes began using the soap to clean around my ankles. I cringed as the dirt and grime were washed away, leaving two very swollen and bruised ankles.

Hayes grimaced. “Baby…”

“I didn’t break them, right?”

“Doesn’t look like it, but you have two bad sprains,” he answered.

Hudson leaned in between us to take a look. “Shit, we’ll need to get some ice on those and elevate them while you sleep tonight. At least the cuts are all pretty surface-level. They should be fine as long as we keep your feet clean.” He gave my hair a quick ruffle before walking to the other end of the bathroom to begin running the bath.

Hayes turned the sink faucet off to stop the stream of water from the tap. He had me turn to sit on the edge of the counter again before lifting and moving me to the edge of the tub. Very carefully, he peeled my tattered clothes off. I saw his jaw tighten as he took in the various bruises littering my body. I caught his eye, sending him a small smile.

“Does this mean no more rough sex for a while?” I joked, getting a laugh out of Hudson.

“As if you can go more than a day without needing to be ruined,” he bet.

Hayes sighed, rolling his eyes. “Nothing rough, at least until you’re not sore anymore.” He stopped, seeming to consider it further. “Choking would probably be alright. Definitely no impact play, though.”

Hudson helped me lower into the soothing, warm water without putting weight on my ankles. “There you go. Is the temperature okay, little one?”

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