Less Broken

by Eve R. Hart

  Oh, I was fuming already and I hadn’t even heard how this shit unfolded. Ready to tear some fucker’s throat out for doing this to him.

  I’d been waiting for Theon for hours, sitting outside of his place. But all the lights had been off in his apartment leading me to think that he wasn’t home. Before I’d gone there, I checked the coffee shop just to make sure I wouldn’t miss him there. From what I’d gathered from Reed, Theon didn’t go to too many places. Mostly the campus and the coffee shop with the occasional trip to the little mom-and-pop grocery store a few blocks away from his place. From his bank statements, those were the only places he used his card. Reed hadn’t found any record of him having a job, and since I knew his class schedule, I wasn’t sure why he’d been gone so long.

  But then I saw him walking up the block and I noticed the smile on his face and the little bounce in his step. I hadn’t seen him look like that before and I wondered what had made him seem a little happier.

  The thought that he’d been on a date crossed my mind.

  And I hadn’t liked the uneasiness that churned in my gut.

  I wasn’t ready to admit why I didn’t like the thought.

  Then it was like I just had to know. Had to know if he had someone in his life. If he was happy because of that someone. It would have been for the best because I sure as hell couldn’t have him. Maybe hearing him say he already had someone would get something in my brain to give up the weird thoughts I’d been having.

  That last thought was the one that had me eager to make a move. I shouldn’t have, but I was going to.

  Only I told myself to hold off until I saw the lights in his apartment go on so it didn’t look like I was waiting out here for him. So it didn’t seem like I was stalking him and ready to pounce the second I knew he was home. Which I realized was exactly what I was doing.

  But then his lights never came on.

  A strange feeling washed over me and I knew better than to ignore it.

  I was out of the car, my eyes locked on the front door waiting to see if maybe Theon had left something with whoever he had been with and would head out again in search of it. Someone left out of the front door, but I could tell by the height it wasn’t Theon.

  Enough waiting.

  I made my way across the street and into the building in a flash.

  I took the stairs two at a time thinking I wasn’t going fast enough. And I knew I had been right in that feeling when I reached his door only to find it partially open and the place still dark inside.

  I snapped myself back into the present, still waiting to hear Theon’s answer. He’d been silent and I knew he didn’t want to tell me.

  I figured he was embarrassed about the whole thing and I didn’t have a clue how to comfort him. He was probably also mad at me because I was making him go to the hospital even though he’d told me he didn’t have any money. I knew Reed would pay for it all if Theon just reached out to him. But it wasn’t like I could say that to Theon because he didn’t really know who I was.

  Fuck.

  Not like it mattered because I wasn’t going to let him pay for it. I hadn’t told him that because I didn’t want to waste time arguing about it, and I could tell that was what he would have done.

  “Tell me what happened,” I demanded this time. I wasn’t going to let this go and he needed to know that.

  He let out a long, slow sigh and I could tell it was painful for him.

  God, I felt murderous again.

  “I don’t suppose if I tell you I tripped and fell, you’d let it go?” he asked quietly.

  “No,” I said, my voice dark as it echoed around the car.

  “Fine,” he said sounding sad and resigned. “His name is Perry, and I thought he loved me.”

  He was quiet for a long moment.

  “Pretty stupid, huh?” He sounded broken and it wasn’t hard to tell that he had feelings for this asshole.

  It was all I could do to keep myself in check. Not only was this guy physically abusive, he had hurt Theon emotionally as well. Every single thing about it was unacceptable to me and I was ready to make this guy pay.

  But right now taking care of Theon was more important.

  I guessed it would have helped if I said something comforting right about now. I suppose that was what he was looking for to fill up the silence he’d let linger after his words. However, I was coming up blank at the moment. Maybe at one point in my life I’d been good at that sort of thing, but that part of me died months ago.

  I opened my mouth thinking something great would come out of it, but then he started talking again.

  “I actually thought he might have sent you. Like to check up on me.” He let out a laugh but there was nothing humorous about it.

  My whole body locked up, my hands tightening on the wheel as my heart raced.

  Who?

  Reed?

  Had he figured it out? While part of me felt relieved that I no longer had to hide, the other part of me was struck with fear not knowing how he would react to it.

  “That maybe all those things he’d said weren’t a lie,” he went on. “But that’s dumb because if he really cared about me— really loved me— then he wouldn’t hurt me in the first place.”

  I actually breathed out a long breath, feeling some of the tension in my body loosen. He hadn’t been talking about Reed, so my lie was still hidden.

  Somehow that didn’t make me feel any better, though.

  I felt bad for Theon. Not sorry for him, exactly, but a part of me hurt for him. For what he was going through. I might not have known him all that well, but I could sense the black cloud that hung over him. He seemed like a quiet, gentle soul and I was left feeling like I needed to put my foot in my mouth the more I was around him.

  I’d judged him too quickly.

  But I couldn’t really feel bad about it because I had been protecting my best friend.

  Yet somehow, I did feel bad for all those negative thoughts I had about Theon coming into Reed’s life like he had.

  It was painfully clear that Theon was starved for attention. Maybe it was shitty to think that this all didn’t surprise me. That didn’t make what happened to him right, not by a long shot. But I could easily see Theon falling for the false charms of someone who was hiding a monster inside.

  “So this guy is your boyfriend?” I asked dumbly. I felt the jealousy rising and hated myself for blurting out the question. It wasn’t what he needed from me right now.

  What did he need from me?

  More importantly, could I give it to him?

  God knew I wanted to.

  Theon snorted beside me.

  “Not anymore,” he mumbled. “But then again, I haven’t exactly said the words ‘it’s over’ so who the hell knows? It pretty much became over the moment he showed me his true colors.”

  “And when was that?” I had a good idea tonight wasn’t the first time.

  “Um, a little over two weeks ago.” He paused and let out a long sigh. “But I didn’t know how dangerous he was until about a week ago.”

  I nodded absently, thinking about the bruise I’d seen on his face when I first ran into him. Maybe I hadn’t been too late. Then I quickly dismissed that thought, thinking that it was too late the moment this Perry fucker raised a fist to Theon.

  So it seemed that Theon had an abusive ex. There were so many ideas going through my head on how I could fix this for him, but not one of them stood out as smart. I knew how to kill a man quietly, but would Theon really be okay with that?

  That was when it hit me that I really cared about what Theon thought. Mostly about me. I didn’t want to do something that would make him scared of me because I didn’t want him to go away.

  What was I supposed to do?

  Listen to him, my inner voice whispered over all the noise.

  Listen to him. Be there for him. Sure, it was a simple enough concept but it didn’t solve his problem.

  “We’re here,” I said as I pulled i
nto the closest spot outside of the small emergency section of the hospital. The whole hospital barely looked bigger than Theon’s apartment building. I wondered how great the care could be here if it was that small, but it wasn’t like I had many options right now unless I wanted to drive another two hours to a bigger city. “Do you need help?”

  “Um,” he said as he awkwardly fumbled with the belt release. “If I could just maybe lean on you while I walk. I feel a little tired and, well, you’ve seen how clumsy I can be. The last thing I need is to trip over my shoelaces and chip a tooth or something.”

  He tried to laugh but the grimace that overtook his face showed his pain clear as day.

  “I’ve got you,” I told him softly even though I was chuckling on the inside.

  Theon was awkward most of the time.

  And I found it absolutely adorable.

  I got out and went around to his side. He waited for me and it made me happy.

  The front doors weren’t all that far away but at the pace we were shuffling along, it might have taken us days.

  But I didn’t mind because Theon’s warm body was pressed up against mine. Now was not the best time to be thinking about such things, but it couldn’t be helped. It seemed a lot couldn’t be helped when I was around him.

  After getting him checked in, we went to the small waiting room until they called for him. The place was empty and I hoped that meant it wouldn’t be that long until they saw him.

  “You never told me why you were at my place,” he mumbled, his head slowly tilting to the side until it finally came to rest on my shoulder.

  There was no way to hide the little upturn of my lips. It was a good thing he couldn’t see me because I was sure it would have freaked him out.

  “Oh, uh,” I said as my hand came up to rub the back of my neck. Now I was the awkward one and I could count on zero fingers the times I’d ever gotten like this.

  “I didn’t drop my wallet somewhere again, did I?” he asked and I could hear the humor in his voice.

  “No,” I answered. “Well, not that I’m aware of, anyway. Is that something that happens a lot?” With any luck, I could play the whole thing off.

  “The thing is, that has never happened before,” he said his head tilting back like he was trying to look at me.

  I stayed stoic, looking forward without a hit of anything showing on my face.

  “Funny, right?” he went on when I didn’t say anything. “I mean, you would think that a guy like me would lose his head even though it is attached, right? But I’ve never dropped or lost my wallet before. And what’s so weird,” he paused for a beat, “is that I distinctly remember something brushing against my butt when I was trying to leave the coffee shop.”

  Holy shit!

  Did he just bust me?

  Theon was way too observant. I’d thought that before but now, it was starting to make my skin crawl. How long until he saw right through me and I lost all the trust I might have gained with him?

  “I just can’t think why you would have done it…”

  I cleared my throat thinking now would be a good time to come up with something.

  My lips parted and what came out was a little too close to the truth for me to feel comfortable with.

  12

  Theon

  “I wanted to ask you out,” Cade said and it was all I could do to keep my head from rearing back in shock.

  There was no way I’d heard him right.

  He hadn’t exactly admitted to lifting my wallet, but there was definitely an admission hidden there in his statement. This wasn’t the first time he’d avoided certain things I’d asked or hinted about. Something was up with that but strangely, I didn’t feel fear from it. More like… protected. But I couldn’t say why. It made absolutely no sense to my brain.

  “Well, I’m sure this isn’t what you had in mind for a first date,” I said with a snort. Unfortunately, it ended up being painful and I let out a small whimper as I wrapped my arm around my midsection.

  “No, not what I had in mind at all, but I’m glad I’m here for you.”

  His words brought a smile to my face.

  A nurse appeared and called my name before I could melt even more for this man.

  I stood hesitantly and was surprised when Cade wasted no time getting to his feet. He slung his arm around me and guided me to follow behind the nurse.

  “What brings you in tonight, Mr. Graham?” She looked up to take me in at that moment. I saw the flicker of pity in her eyes before it turned to anger as her gaze went to Cade. It was clear what she was thinking but, Cade only stood right my by side, now holding my hand.

  Holding my hand?!

  How had I missed that?

  And I melted into a puddle of goo again as I focused on the warmth of his touch.

  I hadn’t said anything and honestly had zoned out for a long moment there.

  “Need to make sure his ribs aren’t fractured and his finger is broken,” Cade said for me. “Might have a concussion too.”

  “No,” I said shaking my head. “I didn’t… No, I don’t have a concussion. I know.”

  “You sure?” Cade asked, his brow up like he was demanding me to tell the truth.

  “Yeah,” I told him firmly, my eyes locked on his. “He… he hit me a few times but mostly my stomach and jaw caught those. And when I fell, I didn’t hit my head.”

  Cade’s jaw clenched tight and his look turned more deadly with each word I spoke. His hand closed around mine like he was trying his hardest to hold in his anger.

  I sent him what I hoped was a reassuring smile. Nothing about this situation was okay, not by a mile, but Cade was here with me and I was alive.

  Cade nodded as if he’d understood my silent comfort, then turned his head back to the nurse. He still didn’t look happy, but at least his grip was more relaxed. She didn’t look convinced that Cade hadn’t been the one to attack me.

  She said nothing as she took my vitals and made notes on her tablet.

  “I’ll let the doctor know you’re ready for him,” she said as she walked to the door.

  “If you’re going to call the cops, tell them not to lollygag. He doesn’t need to be here all night,” Cade nearly growled. He must have seen the same thing in her expression that I had.

  She nodded but didn’t turn to face us.

  After the door closed, I let my head flop back on the oddly noisy pillow.

  “I really don’t want to deal with the police,” I told him but knew there was no use in saying it.

  “I’m not telling you what to do, and I won’t force you to do something you’re not comfortable with, but it would be best to have a record of it. Even if you decide not to press charges.”

  He didn’t look happy that I might not make Perry pay for what he’d done to me.

  I wanted to, I really did, but I didn’t know how much this whole thing could spill over into everyone else’s life. If I could just give him enough money to make him go away, then I could move on.

  Right?

  Even in my heart I didn’t fully believe that. Guys like Perry never gave up. They came back for more. If he figured he could beat me into giving in, then he’d only up the ante. If I didn’t, he’d keep coming for me until I broke.

  I had to admit after tonight, I was pretty close.

  Not close like I’d trick Reed into giving me money, but the thought of reaching out for help had been at the forefront of my mind since I had crawled into my apartment.

  “I’ll handle it,” I told Cade but I wasn’t even sure what I’d meant by those words.

  He suddenly turned cold, leaving me to wonder if I’d somehow offended him. I couldn’t understand how. It wasn’t like he really knew me. He couldn’t have liked me that much to feel the need to get so involved in this situation. That would be crazy.

  But would it?

  I was obviously attracted to him. I couldn’t get the man out of my head since the moment I plowed into him. Even when I wanted
to stop thinking about him, I couldn’t.

  But this coldness he’d suddenly flipped on was starting to seep in under my skin. I felt the chill all the way through my bones.

  “You can go. Thanks for getting me here. I’m not sure I…” What? Could have made it by myself? No, I wouldn’t have because I wouldn’t have even tried. If it weren’t for Cade, I’d probably still be flat out on my kitchen floor willing myself to get up and grab some ice.

  “I’m not leaving you, Theon,” he said and the coldness started to slip from his posture.

  “Thank you,” I mumbled, my head down.

  “You already said that. And please, don’t thank me for this, it’s something anyone would have done.”

  “That’s not true,” I told him. “Most people would have passed right by. But you’re not most people, Cade. So accept my thank you because I’m not taking it back.”

  He let out a laugh then and my smile was wide as I took in his slightly more relaxed face.

  “Wait!” I suddenly yelled. Everything was playing catch up in my brain and none of it made sense. “I thought you were into Marci.”

  “Who?” he asked sounding confused.

  “The girl at the coffee shop.”

  “You mean the one that is into you?” He shot back and it was laced with humor.

  “What?” Now I was the one confused. “But you were looking at her that first day I saw you there and she was blushing in your direction.”

  “No, Theon,” he said, his eyes pinning me with intensity. “We were both checking you out.”

  “Oh!” I sucked in a sharp breath with the word. Wow, I had been so wrong. I felt the blush hit my cheeks so hard I knew there was no way it went unnoticed.

  Before the moment could get any more uncomfortable for me, the doctor walked in and introduced himself immediately. Luckily, he was more professional than the nurse had been and he didn’t send nasty looks in Cade’s direction.

  He asked me to remove my shirt and Cade’s grasp tightened on my hand before he released me so I could do so.

  My hands were shaky and I had trouble lifting it off. But then Cade was there, tenderly and sweetly helping me out of my shirt. Tears stung the back of my eyes because I knew he was taking in every bruise and mark on my pale skin.