“Who did this to you?” he growls. “Did Chris do this shit?”
“Yeah,” I whimper.
“These are burns, Magnolia,” he says, looking up at me. He softens immediately when he sees tears rolling down my face. He squeezes my hands before going to the door and flipping off the sign. “Come on.”
“Where?” I ask, wiping my face.
“To my place,” he says. “Get what you need out of your car.”
“Beau, I…”
“Please don’t argue with me. Please don’t make me have to be the bad guy,” he says gently. “Just let me take care of you. Okay?”
“Why?” I ask. “I abandoned you, Beau. You told me that you loved me, and I fucking ran away. I don’t deserve your kindness. I just want to scrap the fucking car so I can disappear.”
“You’ve lost your damn mind if you think that I’m letting you get away from me again,” he says, lifting my chin. “I was a stupid kid who didn’t fight for what he wanted. I should’ve fought for you, but I let you walk away. Despite what you might think,everyone let you down when we sat here and watched you walk away from us. Even before your parents died, they knew that you left in search of better things, but you had no intention of cutting everyone off.”
“And all I got was abuse,” I snap. “For six fucking years, all I got was beaten. I left to go to college, but I never even made it there. I got swept off my fucking feet and promised the world only to be given cigarette burns and scars from being whipped with a belt. I’ve got broken bones and far too many bruises to count. So, whatever this bullshit sympathy is that you’re dishing out, you can fucking save it. I hurt youandmy parents when I left. Chris was my punishment, and now I have to rebuild. I don’t need pity. I need to scrap the fucking car so I can survive.”
“When was the last time you ate?” he asks.
“Will you just-” I start to yell, but he grabs my face and kisses me. Peace instantly sweeps over me, and I relax. When he pulls away, he keeps my face between his hands.
“Here’s how this is going to go, sweet Magnolia,” he says softly. “I am going to take you to the same diner that we went to every day after school. You are going to eat your favorite meal, and then we are going to go to my house. We are going to take a shower and get a nap. After that, you are going to explain why you came back. We are going to come up with a plan, and I’m going to help you.”
“Why?” I ask almost inaudibly.
“Because you’re my girl, Miss Magnolia,” he smiles. “The day I told you that I was in love with you, I also told you that no matter how far you went or how long you were gone, you would always be my girl. I would be a damn liar if I said that I didn’t hope that we could be something more, but I will happily be just your friend. I will always be in love with you, but I’m not going to force you into something that you don’t want. I want you to be happy, and you don’t look happy right now.”
“I’m happy like this,” I admit. “It scares me because he left some of his demons behind in my mind, and I don’t know how to get rid of them. They haunt my nightmares, and I can’t sleep at night. I avoid trying because his face is the only thing I see. I don’t know how to be happy anymore, but I want to remember.”
“Then let me remind you, Maggie. I know it’s overwhelming. Your mind is trying to convince you that you have to be cautious, but you know me. Right?”
“Yeah,” I say.
“Then you know that I would never hurt you. I would never put my hands on you unless you asked me to,” he says. “Just let me take care of you. Please.”
“Okay,” I whisper.
“Good,” he smiles playfully. “Now I don’t have to tie you up in the trunk.
“You’ve always been a weirdo, Beau.” I laugh and wipe my face. “You are also very demanding.”
“And possessive,” he says with a silky grin. “Come on, pretty girl. Let’s go.”
Chapter Two
Magnolia
Hands are tight around my throat, and I can’t make it stop. I can’t breathe. I throw myself out of bed, but I am brought back to reality when strong arms wrap around me. “I’m sorry,” I say tearfully.
After leaving the shop, we stopped by the diner to get food to take back to Beau’s house. I hardly got through the meal before exhaustion took over. We tried to watch a movie on the couch,but I fell asleep with my head in his lap. I am in his room now, so he must have carried me in here. “You’re okay, Maggie. I’ve got you,” he says softly before sitting on the edge of the bed.
“How long was I asleep?”
“Uh. A while,” he chuckles. “It’s ten at night.”
“Ten?!” I ask, sitting up. “I slept for a day?!”
