Following Me by Linde, K.A. (best books to read in your 20s .txt) 📗

I didn’t want to be a country music singer or Dixie oranything related to my parents’ life, which included him, and he just wasn’tokay with that.”

“I could see that if you had beentogether all your life,” Brennan said.

“We had this abandoned house thatwe used to meet up at.”  Devon’s cheeks flushed.  “I’m sure you can imaginewhat for.  Anyway, I told him I didn’t want to see him anymore.  He freaked outand slapped me.  I started crying and swore I was going to tell everyone, buthe apologized and then freaked out even more.  It never happened again, but Ithink it was part of the reason I chose to go to Wash U,” she whispered.  “WhenReid hit me the first time, I just thought that he was like Mason …that hewouldn’t do it again, but he did…”

“You made the right choice byleaving,” Brennan said, drawing her closer.

Devon shook her head.  “I’m notsure my choices were ever right.  If I’d made the right choices, then I wouldhave outted Mason.  I would have outted Reid.  Then, maybe all of this wouldhave turned out differently.”

“And maybe then, I never wouldhave found you,” he said, softly kissing her swollen cheek.

“I would have found you,” shewhispered.

“Good.  I wouldn’t have wantedanother life that didn’t include you.”

“Me either.”

He smiled.  “Tell me the rest ofthe story.”

And so she did.  She told himeverything she had told Garrett that night she had mistakenly decided to trusthim with her secret.  It hurt just as bad the second time.  She hoped that thepain would dampen over time.  She also hoped that she wouldn’t have to tell thestory that much.  She knew at least two other people who needed to know—her momand Hadley.  Maybe if she was completely honest with them, they would be ableto forge a better relationship again.  She knew it would take time.

When she finished, she found thather tears had dried up, and Brennan had his arm around her shoulders.  Shedidn’t feel like he was trying to control her.  She only felt that he wanted tocomfort her…be there for her in any way that he could.  She turned her face upto him, and then she felt his lips land softly on hers.

“Belle,” he whispered against herlips.

“Yeah?” she asked.

He said stared down at herintensely, and she found herself gripped in his gaze.

“I think I knew you were runningthe first time I saw you,” he said.  “Those big stormy eyes telling me you werelost with nowhere to go and nowhere to hide.  I just didn’t know what you wererunning from, but I think, all along, you were running toward me.”

SLEEPING THROUGH THE night and muchof the next morning had been a surprise to wake up to.  More ibuprofen waitedfor her on the nightstand.  She smiled and then immediately winced from thepain in her face.

After taking the medicine, shepadded into the bathroom to take a look at her face.  One of her eyes wasswollen shut, the other eye had a large black circle under it, and her facelooked like hell.  The spot on the back of her head where she had fallen andhit the side table had a huge knot.

Devon swallowed back tears as shestared at the damage to her face.  She felt even more defeated than shelooked.  How had she let Reid get to her again?  She had left St.Louis.  She had thought she was safe, and still, he had managed to break her. It was even worse this time because she had finally started feeling likeherself again.  Running away from him was the best thing she had ever done.  Itwas the only reason she had retained her sanity.

She couldn’t let this keephappening.  She had to do something.  She didn’t know what that was, but shehad to figure it out to move on with her life.

All she really knew was today wasgoing to be roughhh.

Devon walked out of the bathroomand sat down heavily on the bed. Brennan appeared in the doorway with a smile. His smile faltered when he got a good look at her face.

“Oh, Belle,” he said, walkingover and taking a seat next to her on the bed.  He kissed her temple next toher swollen eye, like he intended to kiss away the pain.  “It’s good to seeyou’re awake.  I’ve been checking on you off and on to make sure you are doingalright.”

“I can’t believe I slept for solong,” she said, leaning into him for support.

“Injuries like that require a lotof rest.  It’s good that you slept.”  He kissed the top of her head.  “Do youmind if I take a look at you?”

“Go ahead.”  She didn’t even wantto look at herself.

Turning her face toward him, heexamined her more closely than he had the night before.  “Are you sure we can’ttake you to a hospital to get this looked at?”

“I never went before, and Irecovered just fine,” she said, wanting nothing to do with hospitals.

Brennan winced.  “I hate thatyou’ve ever gone through this before, let alone all by yourself.  I’m not adoctor yet.  I want to take care of you, but I don’t know how serious this allis.”

“No hospitals, Dr. Walker,” shesaid, poking him gently.

He laughed at the nickname andnodded.  “Alright, I got it.”  Then, he stared down at the bruises on her face,and his smile slipped again.

“Give me your best assessment,”she said, straightening.

“I think you’ll live,” he saidwith a sigh.  “At least, it doesn’t seem like the brain damage has affectedyour sense of humor.”

Devon giggled and swatted at himplayfully.  He grabbed her hands before they even made contact with him andpulled her in for a kiss.  She wanted to give him more, but even the kiss washard to manage with her face so messed up.

“Hey, I wanted to talk to youabout something,” he said, shifting uncomfortably.  He reached out for herhands and laced them with his.  “And I’m not sure you’re going to like it.”

“What is it?” she asked,narrowing her eyes suspiciously.  What more could possibly go wrong in herlife?

“I think you should file arestraining order against Reid,” Brennan said.

“What?” she asked, snatching herhands back.