Page 12 of The Penalty Shot (Totally Pucked 5)

The sightof Auden seconds away from a panic attack has me shaking with rage for the rest of the night. Even as the police took our statements and then hauled that piece of shit away in handcuffs, I still felt the anger coursing through me like a livewire. It didn't help that he was gone, I was still that angry that I couldn’t calm myself. I can’t help it. I feel protective of her, of them both.

I’m feeling fucking stabby and the moment seems to be replaying in my head, over and over. I can’t believe that piece of shit had the nerve to say that shit to her. To put his damn hands on her.

Seeing the red, angry marks around her neck is making me murderous. I’m only holding it together simply because he’s in fucking jail for assault, where he belongs, and because I need to be strong for Auden and Alex and not lose my shit.

While she was giving her statement, I fired off a text to Hudson and told him that as soon as he got home to head here with a few of his boxes, so we could get this asshole's stuff out of her apartment. Hudson didn’t plan on coming home though, because he’s sleeping over with his date. So, tonight, I'm going to be on the couch, just in case, but tomorrow, I’m contacting management and having them change the locks for her.

Maybe it’s not my place, but I don’t give a shit. She’s still so shaken she can hardly speak without her teeth chattering.

I don’t even want to think about what would have happened if I hadn’t come to the door. What he could have done to her. To Alex. To think about what that asshole was capable of, all while living here under her roof, has me beyond riled up.

After thanking the officer again, I shut the door behind him and latched the deadbolt. Auden put Alex back to bed, and is now sitting on the couch, staring blankly in front of her. She seems completely numb. There’s a plush gray blanket lying across the back of the couch that I grab and drape across her shoulders, and it swallows her tiny frame.

She looks weakly up at me and mumbles a thank you.

“Is Alex okay?” I ask.

“Y-yeah,” Her voice breaks, her hand flying to her mouth as fresh tears well in her already red and swollen eyes. “Yeah, he’s just s-shaken up and exhausted. It was scary. So,soscary, Asher, and I’m so sorry that you got dragged into it. I…Jarrett’s never done anything like this before. He just would drink sometimes. I didn’t even know he was capable of violence. I’m so embarrassed and I feel like a total idiot. I let him in myhome, Asher.” Her voice is barely a whisper, and the look on her face paints more of a picture of how tonight really affected her. She’s upset and scared, and I fucking hate it.

All I want is to see her smile again, the one that hits me square in the chest. I never want to see her cry another tear.

Auden shakes her head and then drops it into her hands.

I sit beside her on the worn sofa, and even though I should most definitely be keeping my hands to myself right now, I can’t help trying to comfort her, putting my arm around her and stroking her back. She’s still trembling beneath my touch and I wish that I could put my fist through that asshole’s face for touching her.

“Hey, don’t you dare blame yourself. The guy clearly has issues, and it wasn’t your fault that he hurt you. You’re the victim, Auden, don’t let him have that power.”

She exhales, and her entire body deflates. Fuck, I’m going tokillthis guy.

Turning toward me, she swipes away the fresh tears that are wetting her cheeks and pulls the blanket tighter around herself. “Tonight just…it scared me. Not just because he got physical with me, but because it brought up things from my past. Things that are triggering for me, and now I just feel like all of those old wounds are opened again, and…” She sobs and tries to cover her mouth with her hand again.

I reach out, picking her hand up in mine, and squeeze. “I’m here, okay, for as long as you need me. Lean on me. I’ve got you.”

Auden shakes her head. “T-thank you, I just can’t stop thinking about him touching me. I can still feel his hands on my body.” Her hair has fallen to cover her face. She shudders and rubs at her neck as she thinks about it. “And…God, I was so afraid that…my…“

She trails off, clamping her mouth shut.

“Afraid of what, Auden?”

“A-afraid that they would take Alex.”

What? Why would anyone take Alex? “Auden, why would you be afraid of that? You’re a great mother. The police knew this guy was a drunk, abusive asshole. There were marks on you from himhurtingyou. Why would you be worried?”

Auden shakes her head and pulls her hand free, wrapping her arms tightly around herself. “It’s because of my past. I have all of these insecurities about not being a fit mother because when I became one, I wasn’t ready, Asher. I was almost sixteen when I got pregnant. I was just a kid, really, and then suddenly…I was having a child.” She clears her throat and wipes away her tears. “My parents lost their minds. They demanded that I have an abortion or that I give him up for adoption. When I refused, they kicked me out.”

My fists tighten next to me on the couch. What the fuck? She waspregnantand her parents kicked her out? When she was still a kid herself?

“Fuck, Auden, I’m so sorry. Shit, I’m sorry.” I pull her closer against me and take her hand, holding it in my own, squeezing gently to try and reassure her. I know this has to be hard for her to talk about.

“Thank you. Uh…It’s just…they are extremely old school, and my father…he’s uh, he’s a senator in Michigan. He didn’t want his daughter to be another statistic. Teenage pregnancy and all that. The thing is…I wasn’t a bad kid. I got straight A’s, I was the captain of my cheerleading team, and an honor society member. It wasn’t like I was out partying or being…promiscuous.”

Her cheeks heat when she whispers the word.

“What happened to Alex’s father?”

She hesitates for a moment, glancing away, her shoulders hunching.

“Auden, if you don’t feel comfortable talking about this or it’s too much, you don’t have to answer that. You don’t owe me any explanation. I’ll still be here no matter what, okay?”

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