Page 46 of Find Me

“I have more scars,” I admitted, looking down.

“Hey.” Colt’s hands cupped my cheeks and made me look at him. “We don’t care. You might have heat exhaustion and all that matters right now is that we cool you down.”

I gave him a tiny nod and curled my fingers around the bottom of my shirt. I lifted it over my head. Keelan helped me stand on shaky legs. Colt slipped his fingers inside the waistband of my leggings and pulled them down my legs. I hissed as I went to step out of them. Colt worked quickly to unhook each pant leg from around my ankles.

After I was stripped down to my black sports bra and matching boy shorts, they both helped me get into the shower. With each step I took, the muscles in my legs spasmed and flared with sharp pain.

Pulling me against his chest, Colt hugged-slash-held me up under the spray. I wrapped my arms around his neck and rested my cheek over his heart. Listening to it beat, I closed my eyes and enjoyed the cool water cascading down my body.

16

It wasn’tlong after getting into the shower that I had to sit down. I couldn’t bear to put any weight on my legs anymore. The pain in them was so bad, the soreness in my hip was barely a blip on my metaphorical pain radar.

Colt sat with his back to the tile wall and I lay back against him, in between his legs. Cool water continued to pour on us, which had long since cooled my body down. Colt rubbed his hand up and down my arm soothingly while holding me against him with his other.

My eyes were closed. I was fighting sleep. Kind of. My thoughts wouldn’t let me drift off completely. Being held by Colt had helped calm me greatly and I had been able to pull myself from the toxic spiral I had fallen into. I knew I wasn’t being fair to myself. That girl’s death hadn’t been my fault. I was not responsible for a psychopath’s actions. But even though I tried to remind myself of that over and over again, a tiny part of still me didn’t listen.

Colt’s hand stopped rubbing my arm and his fingers brushed some stray wet hairs from my forehead before I felt his lips press against my temple.

“Is she asleep?” I heard Creed ask.

Colt sighed. “I think so. She wore herself out.”

“We should get her out and dried off,” Creed said. A gush of cold air hit my body, indicating the shower door had been opened. Next, the water was turned off. “Shi.”

I forced my eyes open. Creed was in the shower, squatting in front of us. His eyes dropped to my bare stomach. I knew what he was staring at. To the right of my belly button were two jagged, three-inch scars. Mr. X had stabbed me repeatedly. Both wounds had almost killed me and required hours of surgery to repair the internal damage.

“Think you can stand?” Creed asked, his eyes flicking up to meet mine.

I nodded tiredly.

Mustering what little energy I had left, I sat up from Colt’s chest. Creed helped me get to my feet by putting his arms under mine and practically lifting me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and smothered a pain-filled groan in the crook of Creed’s neck on the way up from the shower floor. I plastered my wet body against his, trying to hold myself up. “I’m sorry,” I said with a sniffle. More tears were already filling my eyes again. I didn’t deserve what they were doing for me.

Creed’s arms circled my back and he held me closer, if that was even possible.

“It’s okay, Shi.” Bending down slightly, his hands traveled to the backs of my thighs. He lifted me up and my legs weakly wrapped around his waist. He stepped out of the shower and he sat me down on the counter next to the sink. He pulled away and looked into my eyes. His brow furrowed. “We’re not mad, if that’s what you think.”

“I don’t want to burden—”

“You’re not a burden,” Colt interrupted. He pulled two towels from the wall rack and tossed one to Creed. Creed did his best to dry me off. Once he seemed satisfied I was dry enough, he wrapped the towel around me and pulled me forward, hugging me tightly. Fisting the back of his shirt in my hands, I laid my head on his shoulder, absorbing the comfort he was offering, and my eyes drifted closed.

Creed’s body began shaking with silent laughter. “She’s out.”

“Shi, let’s get you in some dry clothes and then you can sleep, okay?” Colt said.

I opened my drowsy eyes, finding Colt standing next to us. “Mhmm,” was all I could get out as lifted my head.

Colt picked up a men’s T-shirt and basketball shorts from the pile of clothes sitting on the back of the toilet. He looked at the clothes in his hands, then at me. “Can you stand long enough to change yourself?”

I supposed I was about to find out. Creed took a step back, allowing me room to slide off the counter onto my feet. I hissed when the pain ripped through my muscles. I only lasted a few seconds before I reached out for Creed, fearing my legs were going to give out on me. His arms shot out quickly and held me steady.

Colt sighed. “Babe, I know it’s not ideal, but if you let us help—”

“I can do it!” I exclaimed, feeling irritated.

“You’re going to fall on your ass,” Creed said. “We won’t look.”

“Everyone looks,” I grumbled. I took a moment to weigh my options. I didn’t have any. I was in pain and exhausted both emotionally and physically. I just wanted to get this over with so I could get off my legs and rest. I let out an annoyed sigh. “Just don’t look.”