Page 66 of Warrior Unraveled

“That’s my girl,” he murmured.

A gasp behind him made him spin around. Enya stood in the room, holding his backpack. Her chin had dropped, and her eyes were wide as saucers.

“You left your backpack in the command center,” she said almost robotically, but she wasn’t looking at him. She was staring at Virginia, and slowly her expression changed from one of shock to one of glee.

“Uh, thanks, Enya,” Wes said. “Virginia was just making sure I had everything I needed for the night.”

“Yeah, I can see that,” Enya said.

Virginia rubbed her palms over her thighs as if straightening out her clothes. “Yes, uh, well, seeing that you’re settled in, I’ll, uh, leave you to get some rest.”

Virginia’s attempt at looking professional was a major fail on all fronts. Her cheeks were as red as a tomato, her voice lacked strength and conviction, and her body language screamed of embarrassment.

“Virginia,” Enya said slowly and deliberately.

Virginia hesitated.

“I don’t think Wesley has everything he needs yet.” Enya tossed a deliberate glance at the towel around Wesley’s waist. “Why don’t you take care of that first, otherwise I doubt he’ll get much rest tonight.”

Enya had clearly noticed the bulge beneath the towel, and was enjoying watching Virginia squirm. They’d been avoiding each other since Virginia had attacked Enya in the kitchen. Apparently Enya was still a little bit miffed about that incident.

With a triumphant grin, Enya turned on her heel, tossed the backpack on a nearby chair and marched out through the door without opening it.

“Guess the cat’s out of the bag,” Wes said, shrugging and turning back to Virginia.

“Oh God, I should have never come to your room.”

She looked absolutely terrified and ready to bolt. But he wasn’t having any of it. Before she could flee, he grabbed her by the shoulders.

“Listen to me. This isn’t exactly how I wanted the others to find out about it, but what happened, happened. At least now we don’t have to hide it. So let’s not blow this thing out of proportion.”

“Blow this thing out of proportion?” She yanked herself free of his grip. “Wesley, you don’t understand. I’ve broken the rules. People die when I break the rules.”

“Don’t you think that’s a little over-dramatic?”

She looked into his eyes, and he suddenly noticed the wet sheen on her irises. “People have died, because I broke the rules and trusted the wrong person.”

At her admission, his heart stopped for a moment. He now recognized the pain and anguish that was in plain sight. He understood now that Virginia not trusting him had nothing to do with him, but everything to do with something that had happened in her past. For the first time since meeting her, he saw the vulnerable creature that hid behind a façade of rules and regulations, behind a wall of steel and determination. And he wanted nothing more than to protect her.

Without a word, he pulled Virginia back into his arms and gently rubbed his hands over her back.

~ ~ ~

Wesley’s gentle touch was soothing. Virginia rested her head against his chest and allowed herself to soak up his strength. But she knew she didn’t deserve it. Taking a shaky breath, she lifted her head and inched backward, but Wesley’s gaze held her back.

“Don’t,” he murmured. “Don’t shut me out. I can see you’re hurting. And that hurts me too.” He put his fingers under her chin and lifted it. “Help me understand why you can’t trust me. Tell me what happened.”

“Nobody knows. Nobody but my father. All the others are dead.” Dead, because of her mistake. She should be dead, too. She should have paid the highest price for her mistake.

“Come, talk to me,” he said and led her to the seating area in front of the fake fireplace.

She sank into the corner of the sofa, and Wes sat down next to her, his body half turned, one hand clutching hers. He lifted her hand to his mouth and pressed a kiss on the back of it.

Virginia forced a smile. Why did Wesley have to be so sweet, so nice to her? Why did he have to be so understanding? Or was it all an act? Like Jonathan’s affection toward her had been an act in the end.

“In the 1960s I was assigned to a compound in San Francisco. We were one big happy family, wiping out demons left and right, protecting humans. Then the Summer of Love happened. Flower Power and all that.” She let out a mirthless laugh. “I don’t know why, but I caught the bug, too. It was infectious, all that free love in the city. I couldn’t stay away, because suddenly the future looked so much brighter. There was hope everywhere.”

“I wasn’t even born yet,” Wes said with a gentle smile and combed his hand through her hair, a gesture she increasingly craved. “You’ve seen so much of history.”