Revealed by You(66)

My heart raced before I turned my head to look up into the bluest eyes I had ever seen. Sapphire depths that drew me in from the beginning, captivating me from the start.

A lump formed in my throat. I swallowed repeatedly and shook my head.

Brett’s eyebrows narrowed, his full mouth turning down at the corners. His bottom lip was split, a dark purple bruise marring his cheek. But he was awake. He was…God, what he must have gone through.

“Hey. Why the tears?” he asked softly, brushing his thumbs under my eyes. He kissed my forehead and that’s when I lost it.

Sobs wracked my body, tears flowing freely down my cheeks. I cried so hard, it gave me hiccups.

“My sweet Evvie,” he said, pulling me tight in his arms. “I don’t like seeing you cry for me.” His voice was soothing as he brushed his nose along my neck.

I gripped him hard, my fingers digging into the hospital gown. I wanted to crawl inside of him. Protect him. Be his armor that would stop the pain. I wanted to save him. From himself.

I didn’t know who had hurt him but I wasn’t stupid. It had to have been his mother and that monster husband of hers. Then there was Claire but I didn’t think she actually had the balls to set that kind of torture up.

“Evvie,” he breathed against the crook of my neck. “Please stop crying.” He ran a hand down my back and held me tight.

I swallowed several times.

Brett cupped my cheeks and placed soft kisses on my face. “I love you deeper than ever,” his voice cracked.

“I love you hard,” I whispered.

A small smile splayed on his lips. “Now tell me, why the tears?”

I let out a deep breath. “When I walked in and found you strapped to your bed…”

“Did you think that I cheated on you, Evvie?” he asked, his eyes searching my face.

“No, actually. I didn’t. I was more confused but then I saw…” Fresh tears welled in my eyes. “I saw the bruises. The cuts. What bothered me the most was you lying there, not having any control. Brett…what happened?”

His jaw clenched, his gaze darkening but he didn’t answer. He shook his head and looked away.

“Brett, tell me, please,” I pleaded, cupping his cheek. My thumb grazed over the dark bruise. “Talk to me,” I whispered.

“I felt like a little boy again,” he mumbled. “Unable to fight. Unable to do anything because I wasn’t strong enough. I was weak. I swore to myself that I would never be weak again,” he said, his eyes going cold. “They tried to break me. They tried to destroy me. But Evvie, you put me back together. I…” his breath hitched. “I know it’ll take time, but I know as long as I have you, I can get through anything.

With a shaky breath, I placed a soft kiss on his lips.

He leaned his forehead against mine. “I forgot something at home. Something told me…my gut was saying to stay away, to wait for you.” His eyes met mine before he pulled me back against him. “I should have waited,” he whispered in my ear. “but I thought it was all in my head. When I got home, my mom and her husband were there. I…”

My heart hurt. Anxiety swirled deep in the pit of my belly. I couldn’t deal. My chest constricted like someone was sitting on it. My breaths came out in small bursts. I shoved out of Brett’s arms and sat up, sitting on the edge of the hospital bed. Trying to take control of the overwhelming emotions that racked through my body, I took deep breaths.

“Evvie?”

I shook my head. “I can’t…I…” Tears of rage burned down my cheeks and I angrily wiped them away. “I want to hurt them for doing this to you. I…” A dark feeling came over me. An emotion so strong, it took my breath away. “I want to kill them,” I sobbed and covered my face. God, what was wrong with me? My mother would be so disappointed. My stomach clenched.

Heavy arms wrapped around my shoulders. “Stop. Please.”

I couldn’t. The control of my emotions was no longer there as the sobs shook through my small body.

“Evvie. I’m fine. They won’t get me—”

“They could have destroyed you,” I mumbled.

He pinched my chin, turning my head to meet his gaze. His blue eyes glistened. “But they didn’t.”

I shoved my head out of his grip and rose from the bed before spinning on him. “Brett, I want to rip off every piece that touched you. They saw you. I’m only meant to see you.” Brett reached out for me but I hugged myself instead. “I-I want to hurt them. Break them until they beg me to stop. I want…I want to avenge you.”

Brett got up off the bed slowly and closed the distance between us. His shoulders were tense but as he cupped my face and pulled me against him. His breathed hitched but his body relaxed. “I love that you are possessive of me. I love that you want to hurt them for me but Evvie, I will not have you doing anything that would put you in harm’s way.”