13. Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

" T hen what happened?" Meg's smile leaks through the phone. I struggle to conceal my own.

"Nothing happened. He drove me back to the dorm block and I went to bed." Standing before my desk, I stroke a petal of my lilies. Kay took in the delivery yesterday, Nixon's scrawly writing on the greeting card. Each flower stands proudly, in full bloom in a range of pastel colors. Pinks, purples, oranges, and yellows. I pause to smell them while Meg lingers on the other end of the phone line.

"Sooooo…you didn't hint at a birthday kiss?" she pushes playfully. I wish she could see my eye roll.

"Meg, seriously, the further I stay away from these guys the better. They make my head spin." I've withheld the closet ordeal with Wyatt. If people think I'm feisty, Meg would drive directly to his frat house and hang him with a belt. Lowering my hand from the lilies, I skate my fingers across to a manilla envelope.

"I got a card from Mr. XO," I attempt a chuckle. Meg goes instantly quiet, the silence stretching on.

"Aves…Are you-Did you open it?" she asks. I toss the envelope back onto the desk.

"No. There's no point, I already know what it'll say." On the front, my name is written in beautiful cursive, and in the corner, the signature ‘XO'. I've received the same type of card every Christmas and birthday since I was adopted by the Hughes.

"Isn't that a bit scary? That he knew where you'd be?" Meg's demeanor has changed, concern lacing her tone. I know she means well but I didn't expect Mr. XO to just give up.

"Hardly. I have no doubt my relocation has been all over the internet. Don't worry, I'll forward it on as I always do."

Being wealthy and in the spotlight, fan mail is expected. My mom received so much, she had a PA whose main role was to sift through and pick out the ones she might like to answer. Typically, I only got this one. The contents don't seem to worry the cops, simple verses of staying strong and brighter days. Presumably a superfan of Cathy's who wanted to send some love my way too after the adoption and he has ever since. If it even is a ‘he'.

"Okay, make sure you do. So what are you-" A flamboyant knock sounds at the door. I almost groan, dreading who's on the other side of it. Kay is out all day with her new girlfriend and I just wanted some peace and quiet.

"Hey Meg, I have to go. Love you."

"Don't forget I'm coming down next weekend! You'd better make a plan, Biatch!" I laugh and end the call. Just before opening my door, I briefly look over my tiny shorts and t-shirt, the ends of my hair slightly dripping from its messy bun due to my morning shower. The knock comes again and I know I don't have time to change. Garrett is patiently waiting on the other side, holding a tray of coffees with the biggest and toothiest smile spread across his face.

"Why are you smiling like that?"

"Nice people smile."

"You don't look nice. You look crazed, and a little bit hungry."

"I'm always hungry," he snorts and pushes his way into my now crowded dorm room. In the spot he so recently stood, Axel is lingering a few feet behind. He meets my eyes very briefly, shakes his head and shrugs .

"Would you like to come in, Axel? Or shall I leave you moping out here in the hall?"

"I'm not moping," he mutters, taking my invitation. He seems tired today, dark circles ringing his eyes. I draw the door closed but not all the way, deciding that one inch of gap will prevent whatever is happening in here from escalating.

"What's this?" Garrett lifts the manilla envelope. I rush to snatch it out of his hand and shove it into a drawer.

"It's none of your business. What are you doing here, Garrett? I've got a very busy day," I lie. His eyelids lower as he tilts his head, calling me out on my bullshit. Regardless, I cross my arms and wait for an answer.

"I bought you gifts," Garrett instantly brightens again. Pushing a coffee cup into my hand, he then produces a small tub from his pocket. I recognize the brand from my morning of research into the best tattoo healing creams. I sigh, dropping next to Axel on my bed. His thigh brushes mine and he doesn't move it away. Sipping the coffee, I sigh. It's perfectly sweet, how I like it.

"Dax told you then?" Garrett's brow raises at this.

"No," he beams. Like a kid who's just discovered where the best candy store in town is, Garrett's whole face lights up. I bet he's going to hold this over Dax's head when he gets back. In reality, the truth is much worse. "Wyatt installed a tracker on your phone the other night, while you were otherwise…incapacitated." He means locked up and having a panic attack, but I don't let that distract me.

"He did what ?!" I jump up, my mouth gaping open. That bastard! I look to where my phone is sitting on the desk, Garrett standing in the way. I hand my cup to Axel, anticipating a fight.

"Never mind that for now." Garrett waves away my anger. "Let's see it then."

"No!" I shout a little too harshly. Putting them both in my eyeline, I retreat into a corner. "Thank you for the thought. I'll give it back to you once I'm all healed up." Holding out my good hand, Garrett sighs. He holds out the tub, letting me make the final decision to retrieve it. As soon as it graces my hand, he grabs and spins me. My front hits the wall, his knee pushing against my ass and his hands lifting my t-shirt.

"I hope for your sake you're wearing a bra," he chuckles. I thrash and cry out, hurting myself by tugging at the healing wound on my back. Luckily, I am wearing a bra as Garrett hitches my t-shirt up to my shoulders and lets out a low whistle. My heart twists painfully. Can he see the scar underneath? Is it raised and obvious through the ink.

"How the hell did you know where it was?!" I gasp, trying to shove his knee away with my good hand. Unfortunately, it's my left and I'm not half as confident fighting with that one.

"You backed yourself into a corner, not making any moves to conceal any other part of your body. Plus, there's an ink line pressing against your t-shirt."

"He's surprisingly perceptive," Axel adds. I'd half-forgotten he was still here. Garrett tells me to hold still as two cold fingers touch my nape. I freeze.

"G-Garrett please. I don't-I hate having my back touched." His fingers halt on my neck, an uncomfortable pause ensuing. Is he looking closer now? Can he see what I've been so desperate to hide from the world?

"You're not going to be able to reach back here and you don't want this beautiful tattoo to scab and flake, do you?" His breath skates over my skin. He's close. Too close. But he is right.

"Fine, just…can Axel do it? Please?" The request catches all three of us off guard. Braving a glance towards my bed, those haunted hazel eyes are watching me closely now. Something Dax said stuck with me all night. Abuse comes in many forms. I almost passed out at the tattooist touching my scar, but if anyone has to do it again, I'd rather it was from someone who might understand. He nods once and Garrett finally releases me.

Pulling my t-shirt all the way off, because it's not like they haven't seen it all before, I return to my spot on the bed. This time, I face away, staring out of the window. All of the pleasant weather we've been having has finally caught up with us. Gray clouds hang low, the early drips of rain starting to beat against the glass. I love watching the rain from inside. I love the sound beating on the brick, pattering the ground. It's a comforting reminder that I'm safe and warm, that I have a roof over my head. For the first ten years of my life, that wasn't a given.

When Axel's hands touch me, I flinch. He's gentle, slowly drawing the cream in circles. Starting from my nape, he works his way down. I sense his hesitation; I feel what he's feeling. The raised scar tissue beneath his fingertips, the secret I've concealed. No one has touched it, not my mom nor Meg. He works cautiously, all the way down to mid-back and when I finally think it's over, his fingers spread out. Both hands stretch towards my ribs, encasing my sides. His fingers settle on the circular burn marks which await there and I stiffen. It would seem Garrett isn't the only one who is surprisingly perceptive.

"I'll have to come back this evening, and then twice a day going forward until it's healed," Axel murmurs. I almost whimper against his hold. I thought this would be enough to sate their curiosity. That they might be satisfied enough to leave me alone. Looking back over my shoulder, I stare into Axel's eyes before I concede .

"Okay." Across the room, Garrett watches on from his perch on Kay's bed.

"Well, that was hot." Axel remembers himself, withdrawing his hands. I don't bother with the t-shirt now, settling on my stomach and gathering the pillows beneath my chest. Axel shifts, laying a fluffy blanket over my lower back and ass. He takes the time to tuck in my legs, almost as if he wishes he could cuddle up beneath the blanket with me. Garrett steps in next, lowering to place a tender kiss behind my ear.

"Enjoy your very busy day, Peach." I suppress a shiver and wait for the door to click shut before retrieving my vibrator from the bedside drawer. The tension racking my body mingling with the longing twisting in my core. His softness, his touch. Emotions I've caged for so long start to unravel, the phantom touches skating across my back confusing me. I dip the vibrator between my thighs just as the rain starts to hit the windowpanes harder. The thunderous sound drowns out my moans as I chase that much-needed release. It comes fast and hard, crashing through me on a strangled cry.

In the aftermath of tremors, I reach for my coffee and flick open a dark romance novel on my ereader. Somehow, despite the years of trauma I've been faced with this morning, I manage to smile.

I suppose there are worse ways to spend a day.