Chasing Innocence | ✓

52 | blind panic

I throw my car into park, stepping out alone as I rush towards the house.

"Goddamnit," I croak, gritting my teeth.

He'd promised me. He'd promised. I'm so mad at him and I don't even know what's happened yet.

Xavier is already standing by the door as I approach, watching me apprehensively. "What happened? He's gonna be okay right?"

Xavier sighs, leaning back against the door to let me inside. "He'll be fine. But... he was shot."

"What?" I gasp, nearly tripping over my own feet as I race towards his bedroom. I slam the door open, finding him laying across his bed.

Xavier shuts the door behind me, giving us privacy. I take him in; the bandage around his bicep, the way his hair sits limp against his forehead. Perspiration breaks out across his skin as he watches me with a blank expression.

"Brax," I ball my fists. "You promised me."

He moves slowly, leaning back against the headboard as I step closer. He moves a hand through his hair, never taking his eyes from me.

"Come here," he whispers.

I stand against the door, pressing my back into the handle and focusing on the uncomfortable pain. "No," I croak. I wipe a single tear from my cheek, glaring at him. "What happened? Tell me!"

He grits his teeth as he sits up and I start to move forward but stop myself. My eyes crawl down his bare chest, gulping at the muscles at they ripple.

"Eric Bryor. Dylan's cousin," he says, like that answers anything. "He was the one who killed Case."

"What about him, Brax?" I ask, shaking.

He won't meet my eyes. I already know what he's going to say and my stomach plummets. "He shot me and then I killed him."

I cover my mouth, closing my eyes as I look away. I move across the room, my hands on my hips. "You're upset," he observes.

"No— yes! You were hurt! Shot, for Christ's sake," I snap. "And you've killed someone."

"He—"

"I'm not angry about who you killed," I say, staring at the wall. "I'm just upset that you did it. What if you get caught?"

I turn around to face him and he's staring at me like he's never seen me before. "And you think I haven't corrupted you. What just came out of your mouth, you wouldn't have said when I met you."

"Eric wasn't a good person, though, Brax," I say. "You know that. I know that. This is different. It's not like you framed him for a murder he didn't commit."

He watches me intently and I swear I notice a glassy texture to his eyes. "I didn't— I didn't plan on killing him. He attacked me before I could get Xavier to call the cops. I promise I didn't want to do this to you again. I saw how it broke you with Marco."

I press the palms of my hands into my eyes, biting my lip. "I'm sorry," he whispers.

I look up, surprised my his words. I'd never heard that word uttered by Braxton Patridge.

"For everything," he continues, a huskiness taking over his voice. "Everything I've done to you. Everything my family has done to you. I'll always hate myself for it. I'll hate myself for loving you, because you deserve more, Rhea. Fuck, you deserve so much more than this."

I walk towards him, gently parting his legs so that I'm able to lay against his chest. I wrap an arm around his good shoulder, careful with the bandage around his other arm. I bury my face into his neck, breathing in his spiced cologne.