Total pages in book: 151
Estimated words: 139803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 699(@200wpm)___ 559(@250wpm)___ 466(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 139803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 699(@200wpm)___ 559(@250wpm)___ 466(@300wpm)
With that, he kicked the door shut, sealing us in the room together. He settled me on the bed. “Talk to me,” he gently ordered as he squatted in front of me.
My bottom lip trembled as more tears slid down my raw cheeks. “No. Shh,” he soothed as he reached up and cupped my cheeks in his hands. “Tell me what’s wrong, baby girl. Tell me who hurt you.”
“He’s back.” I knew I wasn’t supposed to tell, but Vincent had promised he would never let anyone hurt me ever again, and I trusted that.
Julian brushed his thumbs ever so gently over my raw cheeks. “Who’s back, baby?”
“He r-raped m-me,” I sobbed, squeezing my eyes shut before I forced them back open. Every time I closed them, I just saw his face.
Rage flared in Julian’s eyes, but I wasn’t afraid. His touch was still gentle even though there was clearly a raging storm brewing inside of him. “When?” he demanded. I flinched back from the anger in his voice. “When the fuck did he rape you?”
“Four y-years ago,” I choked out.
Julian seemed to quickly piece everything together in his mind because understanding passed over his handsome features. “Where did he touch you, baby girl?” he asked me.
“Everywhere.” I wailed, the sound akin to a scream. “I can still feel him touching me,” I cried.
Julian sat on the bed next to me and moved me so I was straddling him. He gently brought my lips to his, kissing me so tenderly that it wreaked havoc on my soul. I clung to him, his touch soothing me. “Remember last night?” he asked me quietly. I nodded. “Remember what it was like when I was touching you, baby girl. It’s just me and you in your mind,” he soothed. “Picture it, baby. Last night, I erased his touch. Last night, I made sure the only man whose touch you would ever feel again was mine.”
He brushed his lips over mine for a second time. “Close your eyes,” he softly commanded. I did as he said, trusting him. “Picture that day four years ago.” I whined. He pressed a kiss to my eyelids. “Shh,” he cooed. “Picture it, baby.” I whined as I pictured the night in my mind, a sob ripping from my throat. He smoothed his hands down my towel-clad back. “Now, replace him with me. I’m there, baby. It’s me and you, and I’m touching you how you love to be touched. It’s me inside of you, me touching your beautiful as fuck body.”
I shuddered as I did as he commanded. I felt him brush his lips over my cheek. “There you go,” he soothed. “That scared girl isn’t scared anymore, baby, because I’m there with you. She’s being taken care of, like she should have been to begin with. Now open your eyes for me.”
I did as he instructed, opening my green, bloodshot eyes. They instantly connected with his tender, blue ones. “Do you still feel him touching you?”
I shook my head. He tenderly smiled at me as he gently brushed his hand over my dark hair. “How—" I swallowed past the lump in my throat, “how did you know what to do?” I asked quietly.
Julian pressed a tender kiss to my jaw. “Because when I was thirteen, a woman took me against my own will,” he told me softly. My heart ached for him. No one should know the kind of pain he and I knew. “I’ve been raped, too, and that’s what my counselor did when I went to therapy. I had to imagine someone—my girlfriend at the time—with me to make it somewhat better, to soothe the tormented boy inside of me.”
I wrapped my sore, tender arms around his shoulders. He wrapped his arms around me in turn, holding my body against his. “My car is downstairs. Do you want to stay here—” he started. I shook my head before he could finish.
“No,” I whimpered, fear making my heart pound hard against my chest. “Please don’t leave me here,” I begged.
He pressed his lips to my hair. “Then I won’t,” he promised. “Do you think you can wear clothes, or is your skin too raw and sensitive?”
I shakily stood up, and Julian kept his hands on my hips until I was steady on my feet. Once he was sure I wouldn’t topple over, he slowly released me. I moved over to the closet and grabbed a dress and slipped it on over my head, not bothering with undergarments. It would hurt too much to wear any. I’d scrubbed the fuck out of my skin.
The towel dropped to the floor as soon as I had the dress on. Julian grabbed the bag I had packed clothes in the night before. “Pack some clothes,” he instructed, handing me the bag.
While I was packing clothes, he let Vincent and Desiree inside. Desiree stayed silent, but Vincent gently wrapped me up in his arms and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “We’ll talk about this once we get to the frat house,” he said softly.