holding her again, stroking her back and her hair with gentle hands. He was murmuring soft, understanding things, and he knew how to say each word to touch her deep inside. His hold and the contours of his long, lean body were a perfect fit for every part of her. She couldn’t get close enough.
And yet, bizarrely, it made her hurt, feeling his boundaries evaporate along with hers. It made her miss something that didn’t exist outside the chaos in her mind. Except he seemed to be feeling the same things, too. His hold on her was tightening, even as his fingers brushed like a whisper at the moisture on her face.
“Don’t cry,” he said. “It’s going to be okay, Shaw. I won’t let him hurt you anymore.”
It was a simple promise. But his words were moving in her mind, through her memories, unsettling and refocusing things, sending her spiraling into the darkness that had eclipsed her past…
…She was eighteen again, waiting in the office and terrified. She was a teenager with no control, nowhere to run, and no way to avoid the menacing presence in her life. But she wasn’t going to let him see her fear. She wasn’t going to cry one more time.
She was a Cassidy. She could be as powerful and strong as she needed to be. And she’d never needed that legendary Cassidy grit more than this moment.
Her hands were clenched so tightly in her lap, her fingers ached. But she wasn’t moving an inch, not until they finished this latest battle.
A shadow fell across the doorway, causing her to jump.
“Cole!” she squeaked. “You’ve got to get out of here. You’ll make it worse. The only person he hates more than me is you. Besides, this is my fight.”
“I can’t believe you’re sitting here waiting for him to hurt you again.”
“I’m standing up to him this time.” She bunched her fingers in the pleats of her linen dress. The fabric itched and she hated it. She’d rather be wearing a comfortable T-shirt and jeans like Cole always did, but Father insisted this was what young ladies wore, even ones who were set to head off to college in the fall. Her brother got to wear what he liked. Why couldn’t she? “He can’t keep pushing me around or hurt the people I love and threaten me to get his own way.”
“You’re not responsible for stopping him. No one ever stops him from doing and saying whatever he wants to.”
Cole was right. She knew it. But she wasn’t backing down, even while she dreaded the coming confrontation. Cole always saw straight to the core of everything and everyone, even when his perception wasn’t welcome. And he spoke the truth. He didn’t care who didn’t want to hear it or accept it, even when that person turned out to be her.
It was part of why she loved him so much.
Even when they fought and disagreed, she always knew she could trust him.
“I won’t give up and let him win,” she said.
“He won’t stop until he crushes you. Until he runs you away from here or destroys you first. You can leave on your own, Shaw, with me. We can leave tomorrow. I’ll take care of you. I’ll take care of everything. He wants your pride so he can stomp on that, too. Don’t give it to him. He doesn’t deserve it., I don’t care how important family is to you.”
Cole was only a year older than she was, but he was easily a decade wiser. He’d practically raised himself after his mother died and his father hadn’t stopped drinking long enough to plan her funeral. It had happened over the summer last year, and Shaw was thankful she had been there to help Cole take care of the arrangements.
He’d been basically on his own ever since. And what’s more, he didn’t seem to mind. He certainly didn’t understand, after everything they’d shared, why she’d want to fight for what little family she had left.
“He’s my blood,” she said, feeling the loneliness that had deepened within her since her grandmother passed. “I can’t give up on him. I’m going to stand up for myself
And yet, bizarrely, it made her hurt, feeling his boundaries evaporate along with hers. It made her miss something that didn’t exist outside the chaos in her mind. Except he seemed to be feeling the same things, too. His hold on her was tightening, even as his fingers brushed like a whisper at the moisture on her face.
“Don’t cry,” he said. “It’s going to be okay, Shaw. I won’t let him hurt you anymore.”
It was a simple promise. But his words were moving in her mind, through her memories, unsettling and refocusing things, sending her spiraling into the darkness that had eclipsed her past…
…She was eighteen again, waiting in the office and terrified. She was a teenager with no control, nowhere to run, and no way to avoid the menacing presence in her life. But she wasn’t going to let him see her fear. She wasn’t going to cry one more time.
She was a Cassidy. She could be as powerful and strong as she needed to be. And she’d never needed that legendary Cassidy grit more than this moment.
Her hands were clenched so tightly in her lap, her fingers ached. But she wasn’t moving an inch, not until they finished this latest battle.
A shadow fell across the doorway, causing her to jump.
“Cole!” she squeaked. “You’ve got to get out of here. You’ll make it worse. The only person he hates more than me is you. Besides, this is my fight.”
“I can’t believe you’re sitting here waiting for him to hurt you again.”
“I’m standing up to him this time.” She bunched her fingers in the pleats of her linen dress. The fabric itched and she hated it. She’d rather be wearing a comfortable T-shirt and jeans like Cole always did, but Father insisted this was what young ladies wore, even ones who were set to head off to college in the fall. Her brother got to wear what he liked. Why couldn’t she? “He can’t keep pushing me around or hurt the people I love and threaten me to get his own way.”
“You’re not responsible for stopping him. No one ever stops him from doing and saying whatever he wants to.”
Cole was right. She knew it. But she wasn’t backing down, even while she dreaded the coming confrontation. Cole always saw straight to the core of everything and everyone, even when his perception wasn’t welcome. And he spoke the truth. He didn’t care who didn’t want to hear it or accept it, even when that person turned out to be her.
It was part of why she loved him so much.
Even when they fought and disagreed, she always knew she could trust him.
“I won’t give up and let him win,” she said.
“He won’t stop until he crushes you. Until he runs you away from here or destroys you first. You can leave on your own, Shaw, with me. We can leave tomorrow. I’ll take care of you. I’ll take care of everything. He wants your pride so he can stomp on that, too. Don’t give it to him. He doesn’t deserve it., I don’t care how important family is to you.”
Cole was only a year older than she was, but he was easily a decade wiser. He’d practically raised himself after his mother died and his father hadn’t stopped drinking long enough to plan her funeral. It had happened over the summer last year, and Shaw was thankful she had been there to help Cole take care of the arrangements.
He’d been basically on his own ever since. And what’s more, he didn’t seem to mind. He certainly didn’t understand, after everything they’d shared, why she’d want to fight for what little family she had left.
“He’s my blood,” she said, feeling the loneliness that had deepened within her since her grandmother passed. “I can’t give up on him. I’m going to stand up for myself
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