Page 27 of Beyond Repair: Part One

Knowledge equals pain. And I really don't want to cause even a fraction of the pain I suffered.

"You-you should go."Push them away. Push. Push! PUSH!"I-I don't w-want you here."

"Bullshit. I call bullshit, Nina." Ridge sounds angry. He throws my e-reader down on the recliner and pins me with a look that forces a tear down my cheek. "What is Trevor looking at?"

Trembling, I wrap my arms around my waist and try to gather my strength. "S-stop touching me."I want my mom.

"Trev," Henry murmurs. "Move away. Now."

Trevor's fingers disappear and somehow my leg feels colder without his touch.

Still, I don't look behind me. I can't bear to see the looks on their faces. Kai's seen it, but after Henry had me sit on the stool, I managed to sneak away to the couch without them noticing. Ridge stealing my e-reader was the catalyst for this moment. In desperation to keep him from embarrassing me like when we were kids, I stood from the couch, dropping my blanket and leaving my scar on full display. All Trevor had to do was look down.

Of course he looked down.Why did he have to look down?

Ridge's jaw ticks before he stomps around the side of the couch. A whimper slips free when I hear him curse.

"Guys stop." Henry's standing and grabbing my bicep before I can run away from him. A startled gasp explodes from me when a rush of warm air chases away my chills. "There you go. Deep breaths."

Once I have my breathing under control, I just stare at Henry. He brought me outside.How did I not notice walkingoutside?My back patio is my most favorite part of my house with its twinkly lights, grill—not that I know how to use it—and the fire-pit. The outdoor furniture surrounding the brick circle looks perfectly comfy too.

Black curls in disarray, Henry looks calm considering what just happened. Each new piece of information coming to light brings them closer to running for the hills. I decide I have to tell them things when they ask. They deserve to know how messed up I am.

So I give Henry a broken piece of me. "His dog." I shudder and curl up on the outdoor sofa. "When I ran away."

Afraid to find that I was right, I don’t look at him. I'm disgusting and broken. I'm missing a chunk of my calf. So much of my blood is in the tangled web of woods in Colorado.

Whowantsto risk picking up shattered pieces of glass? Because that's what I am. There's no hope of repairing my broken pieces. And there's only so many times someone can ignore broken glass before it's swept and thrown away.

If Henry says anything, I don't hear it. The memories I've fought so hard to ignore can no longer be battled by their presence. Trevor shoved me below the surface with his questions. Ridge took away my floaties when he vocalized his displeasure of my leg. And Henry offered a life raft.

But do I want to be saved?

Chapter 22

Henry

Two steps forward, ten steps back. I knew our luck was going to run out at some point, but goddamn it Trevor. Sometimes he has no tact andsometimesthat works in his favor. Like his obvious Dom shit that he was pulling to get her to eat. It was helpful that she was distracted by her book which we can thank Kai for.

He didn't even have to say anything. Just plopped the e-reader in her lap and sat beside her. Our girl didn't hesitate to flip the cover open and escape the world for a few hours.

It was nice, just being in her presence. As much as we really fucking wanted to talk to her, it was amazing to be near her. Maybe this way is for the best. The more we're around, the faster it will be for her to get used to us.

I know we won't ever go back to how we used to be, and I would be lying if I said that didn't give me immense sadness, but this can be a beautiful new beginning.Ifand onlyifwe learn her triggers fast.

Trevor, while I love him and can appreciate his take charge action, should not have touched her scar. Hell, he shouldn't haveeven asked about it. It was obvious her emotions were already running high with Ridge messing around.

"Hi, honey."

"Christ!" I hiss and smudge nail polish all down the side on Nina's middle toe.

Meg giggles and crouches in front of Nina. "Sorry, Henry. Didn't mean to scare you." I tell her it's alright, but her attention is already fixed on her daughter. "She's so tired."

Shortly after Nina curled up on the couch outside, she dozed off. I’m not sure what that says about me, but the fact that she felt secure enough gives me hope.

"She feels safe with you," Meg murmurs, flicking her gaze up to me and down to Nina's feet in my lap. I give her a small smile and go back to painting Nina's toenails. "Did she tell you?"

I shake my head, focusing on making her pinky toe perfect. "No. She dozed off and Kai found some nail polish in the bathroom and brought it out." We're both silent for a moment, before I add, "Her nails never used to be bare."

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