“No.  No.  I’m in a cab.  I’m safe for now,” she whispered.

“Good.  I’m glad you’re away from him.  Are you on your way here?  I can go downstairs and wait for you,” he said.

She heard shuffling on the other end, like he was pulling on shoes or something.

“Garrett, no.  I’m not coming back there tonight.  That’s where he expects me to go.  I’m not safe there,” she told him.

“Devon, you’re safe here.  Where else are you going to go?” he asked.

The words hung out between them.  She didn’t want Garrett to know where she was going.  She didn’t want anyone to know where she was.  She couldn’t risk Reid finding out.

“It doesn’t matter.  I don’t feel safe.  I need to hole up somewhere,” she said.

“So…you’re going to go see Brennan?” Garrett asked cautiously.

Devon closed her eyes and tilted back her head.  Brennan.  No, Garrett couldn’t know that was where she was going.

“No, I’m not going to see Brennan.  He’s not happy with me right now.  Don’t blame him.  I’ll find somewhere else.”

“Devon, I don’t like this,” Garrett said.

“Well, I don’t like the possibility of getting hit again,” she said with a finality to the statement.

“I…don’t blame you.  I’m so sorry, Devon.  I didn’t know.  I would have never let you leave if I knew,” he rambled on with his apology.

Devon shook her head, trying to understand his words.  The adrenaline from her confrontation with Reid was wearing off, and she felt herself slipping toward unconsciousness.  The stars were coming back, and her head was pounding.  Her cheek had gone numb, and the blood had stopped, but she didn’t think feeling numb was a good thing.  Numbness meant severe pain later.  Her eye was swelling, and she wondered if it would seal shut.

“What are you talking about, Garrett?  I’m not feeling that well,” she whispered.  Her voice was slipping.  This wasn’t good.

“Devon, I’m so sorry.  I know you have no right to forgive me.  I don’t expect you to.  I wouldn’t forgive me,” he said.

“Garrett, I’m over the kiss.  It doesn’t even matter anymore,” Devon said softly.

“Not the kiss, Dev,” he said.  “More than that—”

“Whatever you’re talking about, it doesn’t matter.  I’m alive.  That’s what matters.”

Garrett sighed on the other line.  “It’s not all that matters.  It’s the most important thing, but it’s my fault that it’s even a consideration.”

Devon sat up slowly and tried to piece together what he was trying to tell her.  Something more than the kiss.  Something that mattered besides her being alive.  Something that was his fault.  Her heart sank.

“What are you trying to say, Garrett?” she asked, the fear of his answer creeping into her voice.

“I’m so sorry, Devon.  I was the one who answered your phone when Reid called.”

Devon felt all the air whoosh out of her lungs at once.  Garrett had been the one who had talked to Reid.  That was how Reid had gotten to her so fast.  She hadn’t gotten a chance to ask him, and likely, he would have lied anyway.  It just didn’t make sense.  Why would Garrett do that?

“I know.  I’m sorry, Dev.”

He sounded miserable, but he knew nothing of misery compared to her.

“I was trying to protect you.  I was trying to get him to leave you alone.  I never expected him to show up.”

Maybe Garrett had been trying to protect her.  Maybe he had answered to tell Reid to fuck off.  Maybe he hadn’t expected Reid to show up, and if that were the case, he certainly wouldn’t have expected Reid to hit her.  Maybe those things were true, but it was still inexcusable.  Garrett was the only one who had known the whole story.  He was the only one who knew what it meant to keep it all a secret.

“Devon?  Are you still there?” Garrett asked into the phone.

“Yes.  Just keep Hadley safe.  Don’t let Reid inside.  No matter what he says, don’t let him in,” Devon said, sticking to business.  She didn’t know what Reid would do, and right now, that was more important than dealing with Garrett.

“Devon—”

“Do you not understand that he’s dangerous?” she asked gruffly into the phone.  “Stop with the self-pity for one second, and tell me that you will do what I told you.  I don’t want anyone else to get hurt.”

“I understand,” he said, her harsh words clearly sobering him up.

Devon hung up.  That was all the confirmation she needed.  As long as Hadley was alright, then Devon just needed to worry about herself.  She couldn’t think about Garrett right now.  That anger would make her boil over.  The only benefit from his words was that it shocked her system, keeping her awake long enough to reach her destination.

THE CAB PULLED over, and she paid the bill.  She didn’t feel too bad as long as she didn’t touch her face.  She knew this was nothing compared to how she would feel tomorrow.  Her head was pounding, and that was the worst part.  She just wanted her headache to go away.  She hoped it didn’t last that long.

Devon stood before the door with a sigh.  She reached her hand up to knock, but then she dropped it back down again.  There wasn’t anywhere else for her to go or anywhere else she wanted to be.  Still, she felt terrible.  Her injuries went far beyond the physical.  She hoped, with time, she could rectify everything in her life.  Time was all she had to offer.  She didn’t know if it would be enough.

Reaching out for the source of courage that had pushed her to this point, Devon knocked on the door.  A short while later, the door swung inward, and Brennan stood before her, shirtless.  She sucked in a deep breath.  He looked gorgeous.  He was a bit of a wreck with tangled hair and rumpled shorts, but it worked for him.  Everything seemed to work for him.

“Devon,” he said softly, his mouth falling open at the sight of her.  His eyes grew wider and wider as he took in her swollen eye and the blood that had fallen on her dress.  “What happened to you?”

He looked shocked, and she didn’t blame him.

“Can I come in?”  She looked over her shoulder. She was worried that Reid had somehow been able to find out where she was.

She waited for Brennan to say something, but he didn’t.  He just stared at her.  Then, when she opened her mouth to say something else, he moved forward and pulled her into him.  She wrapped her arms around his neck, and his arms encircled her waist, holding her tightly.  He breathed her in as she tried to hold back the tears.  Just being held had never felt this good.

He pulled back and found her lips.  He kissed her with a desperation that bordered on delirium.  She returned his eager kisses and backed him into the apartment.  She wanted this.  She wanted him.  He was the only thing that had kept her going through the entire ordeal with Reid.  Thinking about Brennan had given her a reason to push forward and get away from Reid.  She didn’t have to be under Reid’s hold any longer.  She was better than that, and Brennan had been the one to show her that.

Devon broke away long enough to shut and lock the door.  She wasn’t going to take any chances.

Brennan had his hands back on her immediately, pulling her in and holding her close.  “You came back,” he said.  “You left, and you came back.”

He walked backward with her down the short hallway and turned into his bedroom.  The whole place smelled so much like him that it made her dizzy.  Or was she already dizzy?  She didn’t know.  All she knew was that Brennan felt right.

“I came back,” she repeated.

He bent down and brought their lips together again.  She felt like everything that had happened since Reid had returned to her was just a fleeting moment in time.  Each kiss from Brennan was healing the wounds, pushing all the hate out of her life.  Being there with him was like starting fresh all over again.

“You can’t leave again,” he said when they finally broke apart.