Page 193 of Gabriel
“Come on,” he says. “I’ll help you?—”
“I got it,” I tell him, accepting the clothes and towel. “I need a couple of minutes.”
Jaw tight, he nods. “I’ll be right here if you need anything.”
Turning away from Gabriel, I close the door behind me, needing a moment to collect myself. The harsh fluorescent light of the bathroom casts stark shadows across my bruised and battered body as I strip out of my swimsuit and stand before the mirror.
With trembling hands, I reach up to touch my cheek, wincing at the tenderness beneath my fingertips. The split in my skin is angry and red, a stark reminder of what I endured. My left eye is close to being swollen shut, the bruise already beginning to darken, painting my face in shades of purple and blue.
Turning slightly, I take in the raw scrapes on the side of my thigh and shoulder. The skin is tender to the touch, my body aching with every movement now that the adrenaline has worn off.
But it’s not just the physical wounds that haunt me. It’s that feeling of helplessness. Of being overpowered all over again.
Tears blur my vision as I struggle to make sense of it all, to reconcile the image in the mirror with the person I am. The one who was healing. Recovering. Dammit. I was finally starting to put my life back together and then this happens?—
Taking a deep breath, I force myself to focus, to push aside the tide of emotions threatening to consume me. I turn away from the mirror and step into the warm shower Gabriel started for me.
The water cascades over me, washing away some of the pain and blood, but it does little to ease the ache in my heart. I close my eyes, desperate for the warmth of the shower’s spray to seepinto my bones, but the next thing I know, I’m crying and I can’t seem to stop.
These loud shaky sounds explode from my chest, and I press the back of my hand to my mouth to smother my sobs.
I can’t do this. Not again. There will be questions. The police were there. There’s no way to keep this quiet, and I just know it’s going to blow up in my face.
I’m sure Austin will come up with some sort of story or excuse again, and then what?
Gabriel said there were cameras, but will that be enough? What am I going to do if he gets away with hurting me all over again?
I can’t … I suck in a labored breath.
Defeat wraps around my shoulders. I can’t handle another altercation with Austin or his family again. Every time I go up against him, I lose.
I brace myself against the tile wall, wishing I could make sense of today.
Something had to set Austin off, but what was it?
Closing my eyes, I replay what happened and try to recall Austin’s words.
He blamed me for losing his spot on the team, but why? I didn’t even know he’d been kicked off the soccer team until he screamed it at me.
I’m not trying to ruin Austin’s life here.
All I’ve ever wanted is to stay out of his way. Out of sight so he leaves me alone.
This doesn’t make any sense.
When I emerge from the shower, Gabriel is leaning against the bathroom counter waiting with the towel, his expression tight and etched with concern. He takes one look at me and holds the towel out in his arms. “Come here, baby,” he says, andI step into his arms, too tired to care about the ugly marks and bruises on my naked body.
Gabriel wraps me in the towel, his touch gentle yet possessive, as if he’s afraid I might slip away if he lets go.
His hands are clean of blood. He must have washed up while I was in the shower. He changed his clothes too, exchanging his torn and blood-stained practice shirt for a clean black T. Breathing him in, I sink into his embrace, the weight of the day finally catching up to me.
Gabriel holds me close, his heartbeat a steady rhythm against my ear. For a moment, I allow myself to believe that everything will be okay, but reality comes crashing back as Gabriel pulls away, his eyes filled with regret.
“I’m sorry,” he whispers, his voice heavy with guilt. “I never should have put you in danger. This is all my fault.”
His words cut through me like a knife, reopening wounds I thought had healed. “What happened?” I ask, my voice trembling. “Why did Austin attack me?”How was this your fault?
Gabriel’s gaze flickers away, a haunted look in his eyes. “I ... I found out about his relationship with my Coach’s daughter,” he confesses, his voice barely above a whisper. “I thought if I exposed him, he’d get kicked off the team and he was.” He hangs his head. “I thought I was doing the right thing. After what he did to you, I wanted him to—” He shakes his head. “I fucked up. I wanted Austin to get what he deserved, but I didn’t think that he’d go after you for it.”
