Page 48 of Redemption

Abigail hasa deep cut on her forehead, but it won’t scar, thanks to my neat stitches. The damage seems to be a flesh wound rather than a cranial fracture. Seeing her covered in blood hadmade me irrational, but now that she’s stitched up and resting, I’m somewhat more composed.

She has bruised ribs and whiplash from the seatbelt cutting into her torso.

She’ll be in pain for a while, but she’ll live.

She will be okay.

And I will spend every day of the rest of my life making this up to her.

She stirs on my bed with a low groan, and I give her hand a gentle squeeze.

“You’re safe, Abigail.”

I’m right here,I want to add, but I swallow the reassurance.

When I’d washed the paint off her face, she’d said that she needed someone to protect her from me. My presence isn’t a comfort to her.

But still, I can’t let her go.

I know now that she’s utterly essential to me; I can scarcely breathe at just the thought of losing her.

I rake my free hand through my hair. I’ve never felt so lost, so helpless. I don’t know how to fix things between us. I can heal her body, but I fear I’ve done deeper, irreparable damage to her. To us.

“You’re in love with her.” James’ quiet observation hits me like a blow to the gut.

I round on him with a glower. He doesn’t understand the first thing about me. No one in my family has ever understood.

I’m not capable of love.

Obsession, yes. Possessiveness, definitely.

And above all, selfishness.

My absolute devotion to Abigail will have to be enough for her, because love is something I can never offer.

James holds up his hands in a show of surrender. “Fine. It’s none of my business. I’ll leave her in your capable hands now.And don’t worry. I’m not going to run to mum and dad to tell them you’re here. Let her recover fully before you go anywhere. I don’t owe you anything, brother, but she doesn’t deserve to be pulled into our family drama.”

I narrow my eyes at him, usure if I should believe this show of goodwill. “And you’re not curious about why she was driving away from me?”

He shrugs. “Like I said: none of my business. You’re an arsehole. I’m not surprised you did something to make her pissed enough to leave you. But Daniel.” He pierces me with a dark green stare. “You can’t keep her forever if she doesn’t want to stay.”

“You’re absolutely right,” I snarl. “My relationship with Abigail is none of your fucking business.”

He sighs. “Arsehole.”

I turn my attention back to my sleeping princess and barely register his retreating footsteps. For the foreseeable future, I’ll have Abigail all to myself. I’ll take care of her in her recovery. I’ll prove to her that she can trust me.

She will love me again.

She has to.

14

ABIGAIL

The enormous weight of my failure makes my chest ache.

Or maybe that’s the bruised ribs.