Jayden stills.His eyes hold mine, seeking the truth, then he glances over my shoulder.
“What?”
I nod.
“What?”he repeats, and his muscles relax so I let him go.
“Liam.”I feel Jessie’s hand on my back.
“Jessie was raped yesterday.The team and I retrieved her and got home last night.We were going to call you this morning.”
She leans her head against my back.
I need to hold her.
I blink for a second, worried about how Jayden is going to react, but he’s still processing what I just said, stunned.
Fuck it, she needs me.I lift my arm and slightly turn, pulling her against my bare chest.
“Fuck,” Jayden curses, running a hand over his face, staring between us.
“It’s okay,” I say gently, running a hand over her hair.“You okay?”Her heart is beating like crazy, and I’m certain she’s trembling.
“Jay,” Jessie pleads.
“Does Mom know?”
She shakes her head.“I’m going to call them.I just don’t want Dad to know.”
He holds the back of his neck with his palm, looking as hopeless as I felt last night.Then his eyes return to me, full of betrayal.
“But you didn’t sleep in his bed last night because of that, did you?”he asks Jessie.
I fight the urge to punch him in the face a second time only because we have both betrayed him.Jayden has a right to be upset, but I would have expected him to put that aside for the sake of Jessie's wellbeing right now.
“Don’t answer that,” I growl, pressing my fingers into her shoulder.
Jessie shakes her head and slips from my hold.“I’m going to shower.”
I watch her walk back into my room, hating that she has to contend with this on top of her trauma.That her brother couldn’t hold his tongue for a few hours and then sit down like a fucking adult and discuss this.
Then again, when people are hurt, they do crazy things.
Which is why I turn to Jayden and say, “Whatever we need to say to one another needs to wait.Jessie needs me.”
“Tell me one thing.”
I nod.
“Do you love her?”
“More than my next breath.”
“You mean more than your best friend.”
