The rope is hanging on by a thread and my fingers swipe together until my pads barely touch, like when I'm trying to zoom out from my phone. Instead, I'm foolishly trying to mend the frayed pieces as if I had this magical ability to link the rope back together.
Goosebumps rise on Lee's skin as I continue to attempt the impossible. Something about the broken pieces hurts my heart. Finally giving up, my touch glides down, skimming over the anchor. The colorless tattoo is so well executed that pieces of it shine as if the anchor is real and a light is hitting off it. My disfigured nails curve along with the rope, following its path, hugging the anchor. But it doesn't matter how strong the thickness of it is, the part at the top where it's breaking renders the support helpless.
My fingers dip and climb along his ribs but my heart practically stalls every time I meet a rubbery bump that interrupts the smooth texture of his warm skin and tattoo. Each scar adds depth to the rope, being hidden away by black and grey ink. Each part of the rope hides the horrifying scar left behind from Lee's sperm donor.
Whoever the artist had been, did this tattoo with grace and deep respect. I would never have noticed the scar because the tattoo hides it so well, beautifully incorporating it into the artwork.
As much as my heart breaks at each remnant of Lee's past, I also fall in love with him more. This man has been through the depths of hell here on earth and he refuses to break, holding on no matter what even if it's by a thin thread.
Lee doesn't give himself enough credit.
He has no idea how strong he is.
My cheek lays against his soft black shirt, his warmth seeping through. But black dots in my vision causes me to stop my inspection of his tattoo in favor of closing my eyes and groaning, white dots igniting in the darkness. The muscles around my eyes tense and Lee moves, sitting up as I sit back, his shirt sliding down and concealing his tattoo and scar once again from me.
His hand pushes back some of my hair. I had curled it and wore a cute outfit today for a nice date with him... only for a migraine to attack me fifteen minutes before he got here.
But this amazing man brought the date to me. He picked up food from Joss' diner, ordering tomato soup with chips, along with my favorite chipotle sandwich. And yes, I have become obsessed with dipping potato chips into my soup.
Sue me.
After eating he snuggled with me on my couch and we were in the process of watching The Great British Baking Show when my fingers slid under his shirt, testing, wondering if he'd let me venture to where his scar was.
He did.
And my heart literally exploded from my chest.
"Is it not getting better?" His thick molasses accent makes my skin tingle.
I glance over at Paul Hollywood as he taste tests one of the signature bakes, my hair falling over the side my face like a curtain. "It is, it's just taking a bit for the medication to kick in. It doesn't help that my jaw is killing my and starting to affect my ear."
I've been under so much stress lately that all I do is clench my teeth. It's gotten so bad that my ear has started to have a shooting pain in it.
"Nick said you're going to be starting to see a physical therapist?" Lee's fingers press into the side of my jaw right where it hurts. His touch is gentle though and his fingers start peppering that sore spot, causing my muscles to relax.
My head falls onto his thick shoulder but he doesn't stop massaging and when his fingers continue their path around my ear, I give a blissful sigh as he leans back onto the couch, my head shifting to his chest. "Yeah, I think it's why I get migraines so often so if PT can help I'll do it."
There's a beat of silence between us as the credits end and the new episode is loading. Lee interrupts it. "Adonis called. Him, Georgie, and TreeTrunk are on their way here TreeTrunk is driving your car and Adonis and Georgie are following him."
I smile, excitement bubbling in me. "TreeTrunk is coming?" My voice squeaks a little and Lee grumbles. "I can't wait to see them." My joy falters though, my mouth lowering. "Will Adonis be okay, meeting Addie?"
"It's going to be a shock." He's quiet again as the happy song plays out in the background. "He said Red Light had made a call a couple nights before the vandalism."
My hands fist his shirt. "You think?"
"Most likely."
We say nothing more.
Lee's fingers are sinfully skillful as they find the spots where I'm having the most discomfort. He finds the path that knotting up all my tension from my jaw, ear to my head and he does his best to release said tension.
"I'm sorry for ruining our date," I whisper.
Lee kisses my forehead, his voice thick and rough when he mumbled out, "I prefer staying in anyways."
His fingers make their way to my neck and it's like there's this one clump of muscles that is causing all this pain. Lee has found it and my body begins relaxing.
Lee's touch is so healing.
I wonder if mine is that way for him... or if it makes him uncomfortable. My fingers find one of the veins twining around his forearm and I lightly brush over it.
Soon the next episode of the show is on and I should be overjoyed at the fact Paul Hollywood gave out three handshakes, but all I can think about is Lee.
He's doing so much for me. My shop is almost finished because he's been working so hard at fixing it up. No one has ever gone so far for me, not even my amazing friends and family.
I push myself off his chest a little, my eyes locking onto his. "Does my touch ever bother you?"
His eyes widen and he sits back up, scooting back until he's in a comfortable sitting position. "No, Ellie. I promise I'd tell you if it was. But believe me when I say, you can kiss and touch me whenever you want."
My eyes fall to where his scar is. "I wish my touch could erase your pain."
His hand cups my cheek. "It does more than that, sweetheart."
I lean in, my lips pressing against his and Lee's hand grips my neck, gliding up then tilting my head back to give him better access. He lays there, all relaxed masculine sexiness and languid as he kisses me into oblivion. The only movements coming from him are his mouth and divine hands.
I love his hands.
They're thick, long, and padded with callouses from all the wood he has cut, the shelves he's hung up, the drills he's gripped to station things into place. His thick callouses are for me, they are there because of what he's doing for me, how hard he's working... for me.
His arm wraps around my waist and in one swift movement I'm underneath him, but as soon as my back hits the couch...
There's a loud crash.
Then my alarm system shrieks to life. The sound cutting my ears and making me grip Lee in terror.
We both still. Lee's heavy weight lifts off me a little, his muscles tensing, veins more popping out, more prominent on his forearms. "Stay here."
My heart is in my throat as Lee climbs off me, his warmth leaving me and zapping my skin with a frosty chill. Fear plays out in the throbs of my heartbeat in my ears.
There's another loud crash and my heart explodes, seeping poisonous panic throughout my body and drops into a pit of nausea in my stomach. My arms and legs tingle, fear pricking at my skin as Lee stealthily open my apartment door without a sound and disappears, venturing into the darkness of my flower shop.
With shaky fingers I grab my phone and call Nick. I don't even give him a chance to say a greeting because I'm repeatedly whispering, "Someone's broke in. Someone's broke in please get here. Lee just went down to see what happened." And for the first time in my life I tell my brother, "I'm scared, Nick."
"Stay put, Els, don't go down their please! We're on our way. Have you called nine-one-one?"
Gosh I'm so stupid!
"No," I cry. "I'll call now."
"No!" Nick screams, his voice cracking in panic. "Quinn is calling now you stay in the phone with me, got it!"
My arms is quaking as if my is the size of a Boulder and I can't keep it up anymore. My blaring alarms cause my migraine to take over and my teeth clench, cracking my jaw.
"Els, talk to me!" Nick begs, but I can't. My heart has constricted to the point it's shut my airway off and all I can do is breath through my nose.
Lee.
Finally the muscles in my throat loosen and I breathe out, "Lee."
"Els?" Nick calls, his voice staticky on the phone.
"I have to go." I end the call and, of course, don't listen to either man. My toes quietly touch my old woods floors as I keep my weight even. I reach the door then hug the walls like a spy in a really bad sitcom movie. Except nothing about this situation is funny. My blood is growing cold as my panic increases, not worried about my shop but for Lee's safety.
When I reach the last step, I glance around with sore terrified eyes, trying to make something out of the darkness. I spot Lee's figure slowly creeping up to another person who has a vase in their hands. They're sluggish on their feet and oblivious to Lee's quiet approach. Whoever they are, they're tall, lanky, and something sticks up on their head.
Red Light.
Nausea climbs up my throat as my limbs tingle, numbing over. My ears ring and I hold my breath as Lee pounces, wrapping his arm around the assailants neck and pulling them down.
Their grunts fill the air as their bodies roll, wrestling each other. One trying to get in top of the other.
My mind snaps into action and I flick on the lights. My heart stalls at the sight of blood on Lee's shirt. I kick into action, rushing over as my alarms continue to blare. Glass cuts my feet from my window being broken once again but I don't even notice the pain.
Lee's been sliced on his side... the same side his tattoo hides all his scars.
When I reach them, Lee managed himself to be on top and cocks his arm back, elbow high in the air and he screams, "Why the hell would you do this?!"
Why would he ask Red Light that?
My brows pinch, a moment of curiosity breaking away some of my panic as I look at the assailant...
Golden sling blonde hair, cold eyes veiled over in drunken stupor, Stetson thrown off to the side, and symmetrical features that I had once thought was the most handsome face.
"Tyler?" I ask.
Rage replaces all the fear. The ice cold dread is now being washed away through my veins with burning flames.
His cold, glazed eyes cut over to me but Lee lifts him up and slams him back down. Tyler's head making harsh contact with the floor. "Don't you dare look at her."
Tyler chuckles. "You just wait. She'll dump you so fast just like she did with me. She'll tease you, string you along, and the moment you make a move she'll cut you loose."
Lee is still but not out of shock. His muscles are rippling in an effort to hold himself back. "Did you try to force yourself on her?"
And there it is.
The truth of why Ty and I broke up is out. There were many reasons, like his controlling nature and wandering eye, but the final straw was when he had pinned me down and tried taking something I wouldn't give to him.
I had kneed him in the balls, pushed him off of me, and snatched up my phone, nine-one-one dialed and ready. He left that night and we never spoke to each other again.
We hadn't even dated for two months.
But being pinned down like that, rendered helpless had scared me so much, I avoided him at all costs.
Only Nick and Rach know the truth.
And now so does Lee.
Ty spits out a loogie of blood and sloppily smirks at Lee but his eyes laser in on me. "You took everything from me when you Robinsons moved here. You knew how much that ranch meant to me but you and your idiot brother had to sweep in and buy what belongs to me. Not only that but you've destroyed it by converting it to a cattle ranch." Ty sneers. "I should've just taken what I was owed that day."
Lee's fist smashes into Ty's face and the sound of bone breaking makes the hairs on my arm stick up.
"I told you not to look at her." The hollow chill in Lee's voice has me sucking on a sharp breath. He's eerily calm, as he keeps Ty pinned and I witness Lee transform into someone I don't know.
His face is void, eyes blanketed over in something dark. Then he starts whaling on Tyler, using all of his strength and my stomach rolls in knots.
I can't move.
Can't think.
All I can do is stare as Lee beats a man with bloodied knuckles and cold brutality. The gurgling from Tyler causes a shutter to pierce through me and I'm dazed, lost.
The effects Lee's dad has had over him breathes to life in Lee right before my eyes and I know if I don't stop this, Lee will kill Tyler. Warm tears slide down my cheeks, breaking me out of my stupor.
I ignore the glass, ignore the pain, ignore the sirens coming our way, ignore the sound of my door opening and my brother's and Quinn's heavy footsteps and frantic questions.
My hands meet Lee's bicep, my death grip locking into place. I slide my arm around his, my crook meeting his and I yank him away from Tyler. Lee falls back and before anyone can say or do anything, I scramble up, throwing myself into him, knocking the wind out of him.
I wrap myself around Lee, all of me, my arms, legs, fingers digging into his back. I cling to his torso, our chests pressed together, and heartbeats pulsing in different manic rhythms.
I squeeze him with every ounce of love, compassion, and understanding I can muster. My body tensing with the need to stop and comfort him.
The sirens grow closer and I can't even bring myself to look at Ty's unconscious figure. All I need is verification and Nick gives it to me with a nod.
Lee dips his face into the crook of my neck, my hair hiding him from all the onlookers now surrounding us. One arm wraps around me and he shakily breathes me in, his warm tears hitting my skin.
"It's going to be okay." I look up at Nick and Quinn, knowing I'm going to need their help and that I can't do this on my own. Lee's demons are worse than I thought and the two men before me can help him. "I promise."
Comment with a hug emoji if you want more! 🤗
Due to health issues I was unable to really edit this chapter so if there are mistakes I apologize. I will be going in and fixing it up soon. I just wanted to get it out there for all my wonderful and supportive readers 😘❤️