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Lucy and I had both yelled at him to wake up, but it wasn’t until he’d heard Lucy’s voice that he’d spoken again

But just to tell her to run

To save herself

To leave him behind

I shookthe man had endured at the hands of another continued to tor hi out like swathes of night against his pale skin, the rehs…I’d been

It would have been easy to pull him back out of that shower and just let him use a washcloth to clean off where he’d vohtone I couldn’t explain why…not because what had happened to hi the proof of how badly he’d suffered that had kept me in that shoith him, even as ainstmy arm where I’d held on to him

I’d wanted to wash away that proof so that I wouldn’t ache inside for what had happened to his other than hunting down the er on hi away the bruises that littered his body like an artist’s canvas

And his sobs…

His soul-crushing, defeated sobs

The ones I’d felt everywhere

I’d never heard that level of agony I’d felt it iven in to its need to escape my body No, I’d used it as fuel instead But with Ethan, I’d wanted the torone, just like the blood and any other possible re bruises I’d wanted him to be free of all of it

Though I had no idea why…

It wasn’t like I’d never been around victims before Hell,my mother use creative means to hide the bruises that had mottled her skin just like Ethan’s did his

But from the second I’d wrapped my arm around Ethan’s too-thin body and told hi had happened