Page 28 of Saving Tracey (Finding Hope #1)

Gabriel pulled his phone out of his pocket. "I'm going to make some phone calls to see what I can find out, and I'll get back with you. In the meantime, you should probably get her home. I'm sure everyone is worried sick about her."

I nodded in agreement, looking down at Tracey. She looked worn out, weary, and exhausted. I knew what she had just gone through was rough, and I knew she would begin suffering from those flashbacks and nightmares all over again.

Fuck Miss Brinson. Fuck Kaleb. Fuck Krista. This girl wasn't leaving my side—not until I knew that she was okay again. Not until I knew she could sleep without those fucking nightmares again.

We had come so far, only for her to have to take a million steps back.

Seeing her dad had to have torn her up inside, and I knew it was going to take her a damn good minute to recover from the experience. He had wanted to hurt her, and she knew that as well as anyone else—probably better than any of us even realized.

"Baby, are you ready to go?"

She shook her head, shocking me. "I don't want to go home." I could see the fear in her eyes of the dreams she would have to endure, and it pulled at my heartstrings.

I had promised this girl that I would protect her, and that meant doing my best to protect her from the demons of her unconscious mind, too.

I grabbed her hand in mine, pulling her against me, circling my arms around her. "I'll stay with you until you can push past this, okay? I promise that I won't leave your side."

She nodded. I leaned down and kissed her softly.

TRACEY

I walked through the front door of Miss Brinson's house with caution. I thought I was going to be in trouble for not coming home like I was supposed to, but instead, as soon as I walked in the door, Miss Brinson was swinging her slender arms around me.

My throat closed up, nausea building in the back of my throat.

She had to fucking let me go.

Trevor quickly pulled me back from her as soon as I stiffened, wrapping his arm around me to give me that sense of security that I desperately needed.

"She's shaken up. She had a run-in with her dad.

" Miss Brinson's breath caught in her throat, and her worry-filled eyes met mine.

"I'm going to stay with her in case she has any nightmares.” The tone of his voice made it clear it wasn’t up for discussion.

She nodded, her hand fluttering out to me to comfort me, but I shied away from it. All of that progress I had just made had gone down the drain.

With that one simple interaction, he had knocked me back down to the scared little girl I had always been.

I walked up the stairs to my room, ignoring Kaleb, who stood at the top of the stairs, and Krista, who was watching me with sad eyes as I scampered into my room. I didn't want to be bothered. I just wanted to go to sleep and hope that flashbacks and nightmares didn't torment my subconscious mind.

"Trevor, man, we need to talk,” I heard Kaleb say, halting Trevor in his tracks.

I turned to look at them from the doorway of my room, watching as Trevor's features hardened, anger flaring in his eyes.

"I don't have a fucking thing to say to you,” Trevor snapped at him.

I winced. “You fucking hurt that girl right there,” Trevor snarled, jabbing his finger in my general direction, “all because you were fucking jealous.

News flash, you fucking asshole, Tracey is mine, and as far as I'm concerned, she'll always be mine.

So fucking let it go, Kaleb. I let you have Lacie because you wanted her so damn bad, but this is one girl that you will never have, and it's time for you to admit that yourself, and move the fuck on. "

Kaleb's jaw clenched. "I was the one that got her out of that situation. You didn't even know who the fuck she was until you came over that day to play Call of Duty ."

Trevor stepped up to him, towering over him with his tall frame. Kaleb tried to act strong, but I saw the flicker of intimidation in his eyes.

Trevor wasn't exactly someone you wanted to cross.

"For someone who's supposed to be my best friend, you sure as hell don't act like it.

" Trevor glared daggers at his best friend.

"That girl right there," he said, pointing to me, "is my whole goddamn world.

I would fucking kill for her if it meant keeping her happy and safe.

The moment I laid my eyes on her, I knew she was the one I wanted, the one I fucking needed.

She makes me feel sane when I'm falling into my depression.

You're not my goddamn best friend if you can't see how she makes me fucking feel, Kaleb. You're nothing to me."

My heart warmed at his words. He sounded possessive, and I knew that could be dangerous, but I knew that Trevor would never even think about hurting me.

I just hated that I was ripping him apart from Kaleb, someone that had been his best friend for years.

"Guys, stop," I whispered, making them turn their attention to me.

Trevor sent one last glare toward Kaleb before walking over to me. He closed the bedroom door and pulled me into his arms, kissing the top of my head. "Come on, baby. Let's go to sleep, okay?" He led me over to the bed.

I nodded in agreement, pulling away from him so that I could change into my pajamas. I heard his breath catch in his throat when I pulled my shirt off. I turned to look at him, making sure he was okay. "I'm going to step out,” he rasped.

I looked down at myself and then looked back up at him, my eyes filling with tears. Dammit, I knew after having sex with me, he would find me disgusting. I had been so used and damaged. Now that he saw how used and damaged I actually was, he couldn't stand to look at me anymore.

His eyes widened in alarm when a tear spilled down my cheek, and he rushed over to me, yanking me into his arms. "Stop crying, Tracey,” he begged. “Why are you crying?"

I tried pushing against him, but it was no use. He held on tight, refusing to let me go. I didn't want him holding me if he didn't see me as someone gorgeous or worthy of his attention anymore. I didn't want the fakeness.

"You don't like how I look anymore,” I finally choked out as I gave up fighting against him.

" What ?" he asked incredulously, drawing back to look down at me. "What in the hell gave you that idea?" He said it like it was the dumbest thing he had ever heard in his life.

"You . . . You were going to leave the room." I was so confused.

He sighed, grabbing my hand and placing it over the top of his jeans. My eyes widened in realization.

Oh .

"I wasn't leaving the room because I find you disgusting, baby,” Trevor told me gently.

“You’re the most beautiful person I've ever seen in my life.

I was going to leave the room because you've had a rough night, and I don't need to be tempted by you while you're naked.

" He leaned down, taking my face into his hands, kissing me.

"You're always a temptation for me, baby, and it's hard to resist you after having you once.

You need rest—not sex. I promise I'll make love to you when I think you're ready again, but until then, it’s extremely hard to be around you without getting hard myself. "

I sighed. I thought he had better control over himself than that.

"Don't you have better control?" I asked him quietly, my wide eyes looking up into his darkening ones. "You know, after all the girls you've been with?"

He chuckled and closed his eyes, shaking his head. "With you, baby, there is almost no control. I will always want you. When I see you in front of me, I get turned on regardless of if you’re naked or if you’re wearing your baggy hoodie.”

I leaned up and kissed him softly, not letting it go too far, knowing I couldn't handle it after everything that had happened to me tonight.

"Try?" I asked quietly, my voice almost a whisper. "I don't want to be alone right now."

He nodded, stepping back from me. Once I was dressed, I walked over to my bed, sliding beneath the covers. He took his shirt and jeans off, sliding into the bed beside me. He spooned me from behind, holding my hands in his.

"I love you, baby girl."

A small smile settled over my lips. "I love you, too.”

Though once I fell asleep, Trevor’s warmth and security wrapped around me weren’t enough to help me.

Those green eyes, the same color as mine, haunted me in my dreams.