He shakes his head. “No, I slipped out the side door before the cops could arrest me. Maxen, Ty, and Jackson weren’t so lucky.”
“But Jackson is here. He’s fine now.”
“Yeah, the boys are fine. They were taken in and let off considering the circumstances. Jesse went and picked them up a few hours ago. They think they’re pretty badass for being thrown in jail for the night.”
I nod my head and let out a sigh as I relax back into Nate. “I bet they do,” I tell him. “Though, they haven’t done as much time as you have.”
His eyes widen as his body goes rigid. “How’d you know about that?”
“Oh, come on. Everyone knew when you got done for picking up that prostitute.”
“I swear,” he defends. “I didn’t fucking know.”
“Uh huh,” I smile. “That’s what they all say. Though I have to admit, I was surprised. If anyone was going to be charged for something stupid like that, I always thought it would have been Jesse.”
Nate smiles and just when I think his mind has been taken off the past twelve hours, he sighs. He runs his fingers up and down my back before shuffling around to look at me face on. “I’m sorry,” he murmurs. “I should never have let him get that close.”
I raise my chin and touch my lips to his. “It’s not your fault, Nate,” I murmur, my lips moving softly against his.
“It is. It’s my job to keep you safe. To protect you from shit like this, and last night, I failed.”
“You did protect me,” I tell him. “I was in danger and you came for me. You got me out of there before something terrible could happen, and I have only you to thank for that. I don’t doubt you beat the shit out of a few people to be able to find me.”
“I wasn’t exactly polite,” he tells me with a soft smirk playing on his lips. He lets out a breath and squeezes my waist. “I promise you, Tora. You will never have to see him again. I won’t stop until he’s put away for this. He deserves to pay for what he did to you. Him and all those bastards who dared touch you.”
“I know,” I tell him. “I trust you.”
“Just… tell me you forgive me.”
“Forgive you?” I question as my brows pull down. “You saved me from them. I should be thanking you with my life. I don’t know how you do it, but somehow you save me over and over again, and it’s that fierce love you have for me that makes me love you so much more.”
He shakes his head. “I let you down.”
“I let you down,” I argue. “I should have been more careful. I should have told you the very first day I saw him.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“You were ridiculous first.”
“I think we have to agree to disagree.”
“Hey,” I hear Jesse says from the doorway, reprimanding us both. My head snaps up to see his face looking in on us. “Stop arguing with my BFF. After everything she’s been through you should let her win your stupid little arguments.”
“Never going to happen,” Nate grumbles, making my lips pull up into the first real smile since waking up.
Jesse walks forward with Brooke coming in behind him. “Jackson went to tell the doctor that you’re up. He’ll probably check you over and then I’d assume you can go home.”
I nod as he walks around the other side of the bed and drops down into the seat beside me. “How are you feeling?”
“I could use a painkiller but apart from that I’m doing ok.” He nods and I hold out my hand, silently asking for his. He doesn’t disappoint as he lays his hand in my palm. I roll it over between my fingers and take in the bruised knuckles. Unlike Nate, Jesse actually took a second to wash away the dried blood. “Did you ice these?” I ask, assuming that the other hand looks exactly the same.
“What?” he gasps, stealing his hand back. “No. These bruises are like a badge of honor. Everywhere I go, everyone will know not to fuck with me.”
“Geez,” I sigh, some things will never change.
With that, the doctor walks in and I cringe, noticing it’s the same doctor who cast my broken arm last year and wonder what he must think of me. I mean, how is it possible for one person to be in this damn hospital so damn often? This is my fourth visit in just over a year’s time.
The doctor talks me through the process of taking a rape kit and has a female nurse come in before sending the boys out. I convince them to let Brooke stay and argue that they’ve already kicked out my support system. They take pity on the poor broken girl and give me what I want.