Repairing the Hurt

Chapter 29

"Miss Sorenson."

"Mr. Blackbourne."

His eyes are drilling into me, and I can tell he wants to yell.

But he keeps his voice even.

"May we have the room?"

The guys scatter, leaving out the door and closing it behind them.

I watch Owen take a deep breath.

"I know you're mad," I start, but he cuts me off.

"No, Miss Sorenson. I'm so far beyond mad," he grits out.

I take a few steps towards him, but stop a good distance away.

"How could you be so reckless?" He asks, his hands twitching at his sides.

I open my mouth to speak, but he beats me to it.

"You fought us for this job. And you risk it to search the mountains on a job not nearly as dangerous? Why?"

His voice is hard, and I'm trying not to flinch from it.

"Because it gives me an out," I whisper, my gaze dropping to the floor.

I could hear a pin drop.

He sighs softly, "Explain, please."

I rub a hand over my face, "I want to do this job, but I don't." Knowing I'm not making any sense, I continue, "I'm terrified of him," I mutter quietly.

Owen walks a few steps before meeting me in the middle of the living room, waiting for me to finish.

"This is so much harder than I thought it would be, and I would never choose to give this job up, but I hate it. Every second I spend with him, I get angrier and more anxious, and so scared. It's like I'm waiting for him to hurt me, and in a messed up way, I am." My voice is getting choked by the lump in my throat but I trudge ahead, "The longer I stay on this job, the more I'm losing my mind. I know what has to happen, and I want it to happen already. I don't have it in me to do this for the long haul. It hurts too much. I feel their hands on my skin. I need to hurry this along."

A tear slips out, but I ignore it, hoping he will too.

His eyes soften and I no longer feel like I'm being pierced with steel. "You used the other job as an excuse," he verifies.

I lower my head, my eyes dropping to the floor as I nod.

"I want to move back in with Nathan," I blurt.

He softens further, "What happened?"

I feel my face crumble. "Everything," I whisper.

He runs his hands down my arms, tugging me closer to him and bringing me into an embrace.

More tears fall.

"I thought I needed space, but that's the worst for me. When I'm alone, I feel like I did earlier with Peters, and I hate feeling that way. I want my family with me." My words come out choked, but I know he understands me.

"I think you should stay at the apartment," he whispers.

I pull back and frown at him, confused.

"It gives us a place where we can be with you without worrying about if the wrong person might see. Nathan's is too close to Erica and Jessica, your mom and Marie, even the diner. The apartment provides somewhere we can be safe with you," he explains.

It did make sense.

"But what about you guys staying over?" It was a concern.

Owen gives me a reassuring look, "Someone will be with you always. Just like before," his millimeter smile appears, "Maybe now they'll stop whining about how little they get to see you."