Page 4 of Word to the Wise

“You sure?”

I nod, and she presses her lips together as she exhales. It rushes blood to them, turning them ruby.

“I’m going to call Sage.” I slowly reach for my phone, like any movement might scare her.

“Okay.”

“Did you bring anything with you?” I glance at the door in case I missed a bag, but there’s nothing there.

She shakes her head.

“That’s okay.” Standing up, I tip my head to the hallway. “I’ll get you something to wear. I think Lyla still has a few things she hasn’t moved yet.”

Reed stands up, playing with her hands in front of her, and I spot dark circles around her wrists that look a little like finger marks from someone holding on too hard.

“Can I take a shower?” she asks, her eyes darting to the other end of the apartment.

“Of course.”

I lead her down the hallway, even if she’s stayed here before, so she knows where things are at. We stop at the room that backs up to mine, and I grab the clothing Lyla left behind. A T-shirt and sweatpants should work.

I’ve been giving Sage and Lyla crap for moving out so slowly, but right now, I’m thankful for it.

“I’ll grab some antiseptic and bandages.” I glance at her eyebrow, which is bleeding again, while the ring around her eye is slowly getting darker. “Wash up, and we’ll clean it when you’re done. And I’ll call your brother.”

Reed steps into the bedroom, and I reach for the handle to give her some privacy.

But she stops me with her hand over mine when it’s halfway shut.

“Hey, Mason.”

I look down at her, and she blinks up at me. Beautiful even when she’s bruised and bleeding. Eyes that don’tdeserve to look sad for even a minute because she should be treated better than whoever did this.

“Thanks.” She tries to force a smile, but it doesn’t reach her eyes.

I nod, wanting to sayyou’re welcome. Wanting to offer her whatever pleasantry might feel good to her at this moment. But as her eyes drop to the ground and she shrinks in on herself, I’m certain if I open my mouth, I’m going to scream. It’s taking everything in me to hold it together. So I don’t say shit.

The door shuts, and my skin itches with desperation. I want to hold her. To hug her. To make sense of what happened.

Not that there can be any peace in it.

Walking back down the hallway, my irritation from the day transforms into something else. Pure, unbottled rage with a singular focus.

I’m not seeing clearly on many things right now. But one thing is certain. I’m going to kill whoever did this to her, and I’m going to enjoy it.

2

Reed

Voices make their wayinto my subconscious, slowly snapping me out of my haze. I’m standing in the middle of the bathroom, and it’s still warm from my shower. Wiping my hand across the foggy mirror, I blink myself into focus. I was staring at myself when I started to blur. Tracing the cuts and bruises, like the longer I survived looking at them, the easier it will be to understand why they were there.

But I must have slipped into another dark corner in my mind because one minute there was me, and then it was all foggy.

After my shower, Mason knocked on the door to let me know my brother was here. He said Sage was making a phone call downstairs but that he’d be right up.

Mason stayed to clean my wounds with antiseptic and check to make sure I didn’t have a concussion before finding his way back to the kitchen. He’s so thoughtful and careful, when right now I’m not in the headspace to process that.

My face hurts bad. My head rings. My skin feels like its own being, throbbing and pulsing all over me.

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