drapes matched the spattered gold accents throughout the room. An old writing desk stood in the corner, piled high with worn papers. On top of the papers lay a pistol. I felt my stomach drop before Ryan handed me a change of clothes and stole my attention.
I accepted his offering and took another look around. “Where can I change?”
“Right here.”
My breath stopped. I didn’t want him to see what was under my dress. Not now. “Ryan…”
His initial expression of hurt was one that could haunt me forever. “Seriously, Grace? You know I’ve seen you naked,” he laughed warily.
I did know that, but he hadn’t seen what my naked body looked like since Sean had gotten a hold of me. Aside from the slash between my breasts, my ribs, arms and thighs were riddled with bruises, most of them matching Sean’s grip. I was afraid of Ryan’s reaction. “I just…”
“You just what? I’m not going to jump your bones right after I buried my father.”
“I know that.” It hadn’t even crossed my mind that he was thinking I was refusing him sex. I didn’t even know if I could or would refuse him sex. It was the last thing on my mind.
“Then why won’t you change in front of me?” His face turned soft. I had hurt him.
“I feel weird.” I did. Everything felt weird.
“With me? God, Grace, it’s not like you need to protect yourself from me.”
But would I have to protect him from his reaction?
“What the hell? Are you scared of me?”
“No,” I jumped in. I wasn’t scared of him. I wasn’t… I wasn’t… Oh God. Was I?
“Oh my God, you’re scared of me. What the fuck did I do?” He was getting angry. I didn’t know how to stop it.
“Nothing.” Yet.
“I must to have done something to scare you like this.”
“You didn’t.”
“Then take off your goddamn clothes.”
I needed to think. What was he truly capable of? “Ryan, give me a second, please.”
“I’m not going to hurt you.”
“I know.” But the gun was staring at me now. I imagined him grabbing it off the table and stealing away to Alexandria, shooting anyone in his path until he found Sean.
But why was I picturing that? Ryan had never done anything that extreme. Why was I making things up?
“Do you? Turn around.”
Why was I frozen?
“Please, Grace,” he begged, “I need you to trust me. Today, I need that.”
I did trust him. More than anyone, I trusted him. I needed to prove to him that behind the cuts and bruises, his Grace was still here.
I turned around and felt the heat from his hand as it hovered over my neck. My zipper began to move down my back, and I felt the cool air surround my near-naked body. He softly put his hands on my arms and spun me around to face him. He was about to witness what I had become. I couldn’t watch.
I felt the fabric of my dress fall to my ankles and heard a small gasp escape Ryan’s mouth. I opened my eyes to face his judgment and felt his arms wrap around mine. The shock of his touch sent my body into sensory overload. I felt my muscles seize.
“Grace. Grace. Shhh, please. You’re okay. I promise. I promise.”
As my body accepted his warmth, my emotions spiraled and the tears fell. With each cry, he pulled me tighter, until we were crying together. It was not at all the reaction I expected. He was exactly what I needed.
Ryan pulled away, his tear-filled eyes matching mine. I knew I had to tell him about Sean, but I couldn’t right away. It didn’t feel right just yet. Although the look of my broken body didn’t send him into the fierce frenzy I had assumed, knowledge that Sean had threatened me only hours ago could be the trigger. If he knew Sean was happily camping out in my hometown, Ryan would almost certainly explode and make a rash decision. I couldn’t let that happen. I couldn’t let that man take away another person that I loved. For