Page 68 of The Big Fix

“That’s not— If they’re watching, I don’t want them to see me broken.”

“Ridiculous,” he muttered, but helped me to my feet. “There are no cameras in this room.”

“That you know of.”

“I know,” he groused at me.

I was dizzy for a moment, and he took hold of my hips and kept me still until I got my balance back. When I went to move, he held tighter.

“Owen?”

“Once we’re out of here,” he said, his fingers slipping under the grungy hem of my T-shirt to touch my bare skin, “and you’re not hurt and I’m not hurt, we’re going to have a very serious talk.”

I nodded.

Owen lifted his chin. “Now kiss me, gently, because your lip is split, and then you can go piss in the bucket.”

I bent, put my hand on his cheek, and brushed his lips with mine. It was featherlight, but I felt it in my chest. My heart stopped for a second.

When the hell did this happen? In such a short time, I was comfortable kissing him.

“Okay.” Owen beamed at me, his green eyes glinting in the low light. “You may hobble over and relieve yourself.”

I did just that, noting the blood in my urine that was not a surprise in the least, before limping back, standing over Owen, who was sitting on the cot with the wafer-thin mattress.

“Sit down so you can eat this,” he said, holding a small bowl, not nearly as big as the ones I ate cereal out of at home, and a spoon.

I took a seat beside him and ate as slowly as I could. It was flavorless, but it was carbs and protein, so I was thankful. He had more water in the tin cup for me to wash it down with.

“Feel better?”

“Only slightly,” I replied truthfully.

“Well, you know, even beat up, you look good,” Owen said with a sigh, tenderly touching my face and chin.

“You look pretty good yourself.”

“Oh? Really?” he teased, rolling his eyes, the left one having blood in it, making the green look strange, like a Halloween costume. Owen’s face was caked in dried blood, and there was a cut across one cheekbone, which had dried into an ugly scab. “I’m thrilled to hear this.”

“Listen, I’ll get you to a plastic surgeon when we get home and—”

“I like scars. I find them incredibly sexy, and imagine the stories I can come up with for people.”

“You can just tell the truth. It’s plenty badass. You’ll have all the guys thinking how hot it is and—”

“There’s only one guy I want to think it’s hot.”

I shook my head.

“No? You’re doubting my honesty?”

“I can’t even protect you,” I blurted, unable to stop the words from tumbling out, as tired and broken as I was, my normal filter completely gone. “Why would you ever—”

“Stop that. If it wasn’t for you coming here to save me, I’d be dead.”

“But I haven’t saved you,” I said, my voice cracking in pain as my vision blurred. There was no stopping the hot tears from welling up in my eyes. I had no control; all my defenses were gone. I hated feeling vulnerable, and it made everything worse that I was breaking down in front of Owen. “I’ve failed you, and I must look weak, and—”

“Enough, Jared.”