Now isn't the time or place to ask what's going on inside her head, or why she thought it was a good idea to sit in the rain with her damn cat. I push her damp hair back, wincing at how icy cold she is, silently cursing myself for being stuck at Mrs Harrison's place.
I don't say another word. Sliding one arm under her legs and hooking one hand under her arm across her back, I pull her close to my chest, careful not to jostle the fur ball. Her small body moulds against mine as I carry her toward the car, the sun struggling to pierce through the grey, rain-heavy clouds above.
“Hold onto me,” I grunt. Without hesitation, she does, squeezing herself closer.
I open the door and help her inside, gently lowering her onto the seat. After rounding the car, I climbed in next to her. When I turn on the heater, the warm air hits us both immediately, providing a small comfort against the chill still lingering on her skin. I take a slow breath to give myself a moment to regroup before finally turning to look at her properly.
I reach over the seat to grab my spare hoodie—it's always a good idea to keep one on hand, just in case.
Holding it out toward her, she casts a wary glance in my direction. “I need to get you warm,” I say with a sigh. Determined not to give her a chance to protest, I slip the hoodie over her head and gently pull it down until it sits comfortably.
Carefully, I free the damp hair from under the fabric, letting it fall over her shoulders, while her cat licks itself lazily.
“What happened?” I ask quietly, thumb brushing over the sleeve covering her arm.
Her green eyes are glossy, brimming with sadness so heavy it nearly knocks the air from my lungs. How the hell has no one seen this? She's screaming for help in plain sight, and watching her carry that kind of pain alone makes me sick.
“Rose kicked me out,” she says softly.
I still, completely. “She did what?”
She sniffles, letting out a short, humourless laugh. “Your precious wife kicked me out.” The words are hostile, but her lips tremble as she says them, betraying her.
I swear to fucking God that woman is infuriating.
My mam always knew. She told me, more than once, that she was wrong for me—said it with that look that always had me and my brothers shutting our mouths real quick. She clipped me around the head a few times, too, back when I made the mistake of hurting Willow's dad, Leon. She always did say I’d find the right one when I wasn't looking.
I dismissed it at the time, believing I had found the right person.
Clearly, I hadn't.
I’m not exactly thrilled at the thought of my mam getting her moment to gloat when this finally unravels. She’ll be insufferable about it, smug as sin. The rest of my family never took to her either, never even tried to hide it. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if they throw a full-blown divorce party.
Knowing them, there would be banners, cake, and someone making a speech about how long they’d waited for this day.
I soothe my hands along her arms, skirting the cuts, forcing my breathing to even out against the anger building under my skin.
“I need more than that.”
“Why?”
I still my movements but don't pull away. “Because I just found you and your cat under a tree, in the pissing-down rain, cold, wearing those cute pyjamas—” my mouth twitches despite myself, “and you're miles away from anywhere familiar, in a place you barely know. So yeah, I need to know what happened.”
She scrunches her nose. “You think my pyjamas are cute?”
Christ. This woman. Out of everything I said, that's what she clings to.
“Were you even listening to me?”
“I was listening.” Her teeth chattered.
That's it, the final straw. I don't care if she doesn't like me. I’m not letting her freeze when I can do something about it.
I grip her sides and pull her over until she’s sitting on my lap, while Sassy jumps into the back. I wrap my arms around her securely this time, pressing her close to keep the warmth in. She lets out a startled sound and squirms, clearly caught off guard by the sudden move.
“What are you doing?” she rushes out, squirming again in my lap.
“Keeping you warm. So sit still and accept the help.”
