Page 29 of Beyond Repair, Part One (Damaged Duet #1)

Henry

" I t's been a week. We need answers." Trevor looks so damn determined it makes me want to avoid challenging him. Especially while he's driving.

While I agree with his desire to know what happened the day we found Nina shaking on her living room floor, I don't think forcing her to tell us is appropriate. At least not a week later.

Since then, we've gone over there every day in between looking for a house to rent. It's been nice. Nina's slowly but surely coming out of her shell. I hate to say it, but I think her panic attack last week brought us closer.

It doesn't sound like much, but she's starting to touch the other guys a little. I've heard that beautiful giggle a few times, and we even got a snort yesterday when Ridge fucked up boiling noodles.

"What kind of answers, Trev?" Kai asks from beside me in the back of the SUV. "I don't think she's gonna want to talk about last week."

"Isn't it obvious what happened?" Ridge honestly seems confused. Glancing between the three of us from the passenger seat up front, he frowns. "Will and Meg had just left; officially leaving her for the first time ever. The TV wasn't on, which left her in silence. And she was on the ground."

Trevor narrows his gaze on the road as he thinks through the meaning behind his cousin's words. "But why was she on the ground? Why were the drapes closed?"

"She was back there..." I whisper, the realization truly dawning on me for the first damn time. "Oh god. She was alone, her parents getting further and further away. The house was silent, and the sun didn't fit the scenario she was stuck in."

Kai grabs and squeezes my hand. "Nina was back in the basement."

Ridge nods in the front seat. "She was triggered, Trevor."

"Well, then we need to know what her triggers are!" Trev snaps, white knuckling the steering wheel.

Scowling, Ridge throws his hands in the air. "There's a high probability that asking her could be a trigger. And she might not even know what they are! Let her open up in her own time."

"I agree," I add, trying my best to meet Trevor's intense gaze in the rearview mirror. Luckily we're almost at Nina's house so I can make a quick escape. "Let her open up in her own time."

Grumbling and scratching at his neat beard, Trevor gets us into Nina's driveway safely. Excited to see my girl, I'm out and closing the door immediately. Then the strangest fucking thing happens. The garage door opens, which it never does.

I knew Nina had her own car because Ridge went snooping one of the first days we came to see her, but we've only seen her in her living room, in the kitchen or out on the patio.

My heart thunders in my ears as Nina reverses her cute white Jeep Compass. Ever so slowly, she inches her way down the driveway, being exceptionally careful of the four of us now standing in her driveway.

When Nina comes to a stop beside us, she rolls down the driver’s side window. Her light brown waves are messy, like when we were kids, and the freckles on her nose and cheeks stand out beautifully in the natural light.

"Hi," she says, offering us a shaky smile. Unfortunately, that's common. I hate how unsure my pretty girl is.

We each say our hellos, but Trev asks, "Where are you off to, baby?" I can practically see the vein in his neck pumping. We've all gotten used to Nina being at home where we know she's safe and comfortable. This is new territory for us. Why is she leaving now?

Nina's face falls, and she glances around nervously. "Oh. I-I'm sorry. I just...I have an appointment."

"What kind of appointment?" Ridge cocks his head, his messy hair flopping over his eyebrow.

"Um..." Nina mumbles and nibbles on the inside of her cheek.

Idiots. "Neen, you don't need to answer that. We just want to make sure you're okay."

She nods immediately, but the tremble of her bottom lip has me and Trevor stepping forward. "Want company?" Shit, maybe I'm being too pushy now. Nina makes us protective and possessive.

"It's just my annual physical," Nina explains, looking embarrassed and wildly unsure. I bet Trevor wants to rip her out of the car to feed her pancakes and milk until she falls asleep. Christ , I'm bordering on that reaction.

"Good girl," Trevor rumbles, reaching into the car and rubbing his thumb along her cheekbone. She shivers and my cock stirs in my pants. "Now answer Henry's question."

"I'm sorry. What—" Her breath catches when Trev pets her plump bottom lip.

I can't stop my smirk. Making a mental note to get my fiancé to rail me later, I answer her unspoken question. "Want company?"

"She does," Trevor decides for her when she thinks for a moment too long.

I raise a brow and she whispers, "Yes please".

Trevor releases her from the sexual tension that I didn't even realize we could fucking create by stepping back and cooing sweet praises at her. I hear her huff out a big breath of air just as I open the passenger side door and settle myself in the seat beside her.

"Alright. No speeding, baby girl," Trevor demands.

Kai blows us a kiss and Ridge wishes her luck at the doctor. As soon as her window closes, the tension in the car steadily grows. Soft music plays through her speakers as she diligently drives us the ten minutes to her clinic without saying a word.

I hate how nervous she looks. The light tinge of pink on her cheeks makes me wonder if there was another reason for the tension in the car. The small space between us as we head into the building feels like a live wire.

I don't give myself a chance to second guess what I do next. I grab her hand in mine, guide her to the front desk, and say her name to the young man at the computer.

Almost like she's in a daze, Nina follows me and answers my questions as I fill out the forms, since this is her first time seeing a new doctor.

My heart races the entire time. I'm so on edge that I think I'm shaking.

This feels like a monumental moment in our relationship and for Nina to be branching out into the world.

So when she goes back with the nurse, albeit reluctant to let my hand go, I make a promise to myself and Nina that I won't let her hole up at home any longer. It's time she lives again.