Page 52 of Dollhouse

* * *

“After I left that house,I went to a truck stop, colored and trimmed my hair. I kept my head down so no one would recognize me, and took a bus here. I’d never told Sebastian about my past… so he doesn’t know that this is where I’m from, therefore, he would never know to look for me here, if he even does know that I’m still alive.” I exhale heavily. A weight being lifted from my shoulders.

I’ve told them everything that happened that night to lead me here. I don’t know why I came here of all places, especially since this place was once hell for me, but coming back here for some reason felt right. I was pulled here by invisible strings.

Three sets of eyes stare at me with their jaws dropped and their eyes wide. Clearly, they weren’t expecting all that I had to say.

“Butterfly.” King was the first to break the silence.

“Hellion.” Eli was next.

“Tate Dawson.” Rowen repeated my new name over and over, his eyes softening as he looked at me. “You chose that name because of me.” Eli and King look at him in confusion, then look at me for either confirmation or an explanation, but I’m too focused on Rowen.

After a few pounding heartbeats and deep breaths, I nod.

“Can someone fill us in here?” Eli spoke up.

“When our foster father would force us to… and record us… afterward when we were alone, we hated calling each other by our names because of how he would pleasure himself while moaning our names. Tate and Dawson were our aliases that we chose for each other. Something we came up with from some silly TV show we had once seen. When she’d call me Dawson and I’d call her Tate, we’d pretend that we were in our own little world and Greg didn’t exist.” Tears stream down my cheeks and drop onto my lap, but even as my eyes become glossy and my vision blurry, I don’t look away from Rowen.

I keep holding his gaze, staring deep into the eyes that provides me comfort and safety nearly every day for three years.

The others are silent, allowing the two of us to have this moment.

Rowen drops to his knees and comes toward me. Immediately I crawl toward him and then lunge at him. He wraps my legs around his waist and holds me tightly in his arms, just as I bury my face in the crook of his neck and let the tears rake through my body.

Even on his knees he’s still tall, so he’s able to hold me wrapped around him perfectly. One hand wraps around my waist while the other hand is in my hair at the back of my head.

I am clinging so tightly to him that there isn’t an inch of space between our bodies. I hold on to his warmth and his comfort. There in his arms, I feel him mending all my broken pieces, making me whole again. Now I am beginning to wonder if subconsciously, he’s the reason I returned to our hometown.

If he was the one pulling me here.

In his arms is exactly where I needed to be.

My eyes open when I feel more arms around me. I can’t help but giggle seeing Eli and King who join us on the floor and have turned our moment into a group hug.

“I’ll allow this, if you keep your dick in your pants, King,” Rowen scolds, earning a groan from King. I unwrap myself from his body and kneel in front of him, King to my right and Eli to my left, and all their hands on me.

“Hate to ruin the moment, but we still need to figure out who wants Tate. She’s not safe until we know who’s behind this. All that’s certain is that they’re willing to kill to get her.” I sigh, sitting back on my heels.

Eli is right, there’s still a threat out there. An unknown threat.

“I’ll look into Sebastian and see if he has anything to do with this. I know you don’t think so, but after all you told us, better to be safe than sorry.” Eli takes my hands and kisses my knuckles before standing to his feet.

“I have to go into the office for a few hours, and then tonight I’ll meet you guys back at the cabin.”

“We’re going back to the cabin?” I ask, and he nods.

“It’s safer there. It’s off the grid and no one knows that it exists. Until I have answers, that’s where it’s safest for you. Vlad will be here soon to take you and Ro.” My eyebrows pull together in a scowl, and I glance over at King.

“You’re not coming with?” He shakes his head, grips the back of my neck and pulls me toward him, crushing his lips against mine in a bruising kiss that’s toe-curling.

“I’ve got some shit to do, I’ll meet you there later.” With a smirk and another quick kiss, he stands and disappears up the stairs with Eli.

Rowen stands too, offering his hand out to me and I take it with a smile. He closes the distance between us and brushes my hair behind my ears. “My little angel. I’m so sorry for everything that bastard put you through.” Instantly, I place my index finger against his lips and shake my head.

“Stop apologizing, it’s not your fault. You didn’t make me marry him and you didn’t make him hit me.” I can see the storm brewing in his emerald eyes and the guilt that he has over something he shouldn’t feel guilty about.

“I can’t help but think if I would’ve protected you better, then you never would’ve ended up with him. I promised to protect you the first day we met, all I ever did was fail.”

---