FINDING 12 | BOYS OF TOMMEN

tired

I watched Blair, her face pale and eyes unfocused, as she lay there in the hospital bed. The bandage around her forehead stood out starkly against her skin, a silent reminder of what he'd done. She looked exhausted, her expression muddled with confusion and something else—something that looked dangerously close to acceptance.

He had pushed her. I knew it. Every fiber in me screamed it, even if no one else wanted to say it out loud. He'd looked all wounded and sorry in front of us, but I'd seen his eyes, that brief flash of anger when he thought no one was watching. There was no way in hell he hadn't done it.

He didn't even look guilty. Not really.

And Blair... she was so tired, so dazed. It felt like she couldn't see it, like maybe she didn't even want to.

When the others finally stepped out, I took a deep breath, the words bubbling up in my throat, thick and urgent. I leaned close to her, lowering my voice. "Blair, you need to leave him. He's dangerous. I can't stand here and watch him hurt you."

She looked up at me, her eyes wide but still glazed over. She shook her head weakly, her voice barely a whisper. "Eloise, you don't understand... he didn't mean it. He didn't do anything."

I felt my chest tighten, the frustration clawing at me. "Blair, he pushed you. You don't just 'fall' down a flight of stairs. Not like that. He was angry, and you know it."

But she just looked away, biting her lip, her hand twisting nervously in the blanket. "It was an accident. He didn't mean for this to happen. I was upset, and I wasn't thinking straight. I... I lost my balance."

I stared at her, struggling to keep my voice steady. "That's exactly what he wants you to think, Blair. He's trying to make you doubt yourself, to make you believe it was your fault."

She shook her head again, almost stubbornly. "No, Eloise, you weren't there. You didn't see him after—he looked devastated. He was just as scared as I was."

My heart sank, her words hitting me like stones. He'd gotten to her already. I could see it, hear it in her voice. Connor had twisted things around, pulled her into his version of the story until she couldn't see anything else.

I took her hand, squeezing it tightly. "Blair, please. Just listen to me. This is going to keep happening. It's just going to get worse. He's already hurt you, and he's lying about it. Can't you see that?"

But she shook her head, pulling her hand away, her expression hardening. "Eloise, I love him. I know he'd never hurt me on purpose. He just... he made a mistake."

I opened my mouth to argue, but the words wouldn't come. It was like staring into a wall. No matter what I said, she'd already convinced herself. Connor's hold on her was too strong.

My heart ached as I looked at her, wanting to shake her free of whatever spell he'd woven around her. "Blair... he doesn't love you if he can do this. This isn't love. This is control."

She glanced at me with something like sadness, her voice barely above a whisper. "You just don't understand. He's... he's everything to me."

I felt the fight leave me, replaced by a helpless, gnawing frustration. I wanted to scream, to make her see what was right in front of her. But she was already slipping away, too deep under his control to realize the danger she was in.

I stood there, the weight of my own helplessness pressing down on me, and all I could do was hope that one day she'd see the truth before it was too late.

I took a deep breath, steadying myself as I tried one last time to break through the fog that had settled over Blair. Her face was set, determined, but I could see the vulnerability underneath, the part of her that wanted to believe him, no matter what.

"Blair," I said softly, gripping her hand. "Please, at least... at least think about it. About how you felt in that moment. You know in your gut that something wasn't right. I can see it in your eyes."

She bit her lip, her gaze shifting away as if she were trying to block out what I was saying. "I know, Eloise, but it's more complicated than that. Connor... he'd never hurt me on purpose. And... I'll talk to him, okay? I'll ask him about everything again."

I felt a flicker of hope but quickly tamped it down. "And if he gaslights you again? If he spins this the same way he already has? Will you still believe him?"

She blinked, and for a moment, I saw a crack in her resolve. But then she nodded, her face setting into that familiar stubbornness. "I have to talk to him first. He deserves a chance to explain... maybe it's just a misunderstanding."

I closed my eyes, swallowing back the frustration clawing at my throat. "Blair, you're giving him every chance in the world to hurt you again." My voice shook, but I steadied it, leaning in closer. "What if next time, it's worse? What if he doesn't stop?"

She gave me a weary look, her voice a tired whisper. "I'll talk to him, Eloise. I have to try and understand."

She said it like it was final, her decision made.