do. When she finished, he heard her groan as she tried to stand.
“Are you all right?”
“No. I need you. I’m sorry.”
He turned to help. “Sweetheart, don’t apologize, ever, for anything like this.” He braced her while she pulled her pants up, then helped her to the sink.
With his arm around her, they slowly returned to the exam room. Tyler steadied her while she undressed. He’d given her a pair of sweat pants to wear, knowing she’d be too sore to manage jeans. She leaned against him and winced as she lifted her arms to pull her shirt off. Unable to do it, she met his eyes, and he helped her remove it. In too much pain to manage it, she’d forgone her bra.
She displayed no modesty around him. Tyler wondered how much of that was due to her emotional trauma and how much was her comfort level with him.
While he’d spent many hours dreaming about holding her naked body, the sight of her bruised and battered flesh nearly drove him to his own tears of pain and fury. He loved her—he knew that with certainty—and wanted to kill Alex with his bare hands.
The damage they saw earlier paled in comparison to the wide swaths of black and blue over her chest and back. God only knew how many times the caveman had kicked her, but she was a mess. It was a wonder she could move at all.
He helped her put on the gown, then picked her up and gently set her on the table, pulling the sheet over her. She looked at him with eyes full of tears, and he held her while she cried.
When the doctor returned a few minutes later, she stopped the nurse and told her she’d call her. Then the doctor sat and waited, meeting Tyler’s gaze while Nevvie cried.
Tyler couldn’t control the emotion in his voice. “Nevvie, please sweetheart, tell us why you won’t file charges.”
She wouldn’t look at them. “A guy raped me when I was eighteen. I told them who did it, knew him from school. They took me to the hospital and did all the exams, never even arrested him after they questioned me for hours. Blamed me for it. My goddamned car broke down on the way home from work and he offered me a ride and fucking raped me. The stupid fucking cops said it was his word against mine because his dad had money and I had nothing.” She started sobbing again, and Tyler held her, not wanting to let go.
The doctor caught his eye and motioned that she’d be right back. He nodded, fighting his own tears. No wonder Nevvie was so scared, afraid to be dragged through that again.
The doctor returned a few minutes later with a bottle of water and a small paper cup. She handed them to Tyler. “Have her take that.” In the cup was a pill.
He raised his eyebrow and she mouthed, “ Sedative .” He gently shuffled Nevvie around.
“Here, sweetheart. Take this to calm your nerves, right?”
She took the pill, downing it without question. Then he sat on the table next to her as she curled up, still sniffling, her head in his lap.
When the doctor and nurse returned twenty minutes later, Nevvie wasn’t unconscious, but she was a lot calmer. She closed her eyes and maintained a death grip on Tyler’s hand during the exam. He turned his back to the doctor, keeping his eyes on Nevvie’s face.
The doctor finished. “I want X-rays of your ribs. Let’s make sure he didn’t fracture them. Have you noticed any blood in your urine?”
Nevvie shook her head.
“You can put your underwear on, but leave your shirt and pants off.”
Nevvie nodded. The doctor took out her prescription pad and wrote two scripts, handed them to Tyler. Valium, a week’s supply, and Darvocet for pain. “Did you want a prescription for birth control pills?”
Nevvie shrugged, but Tyler spoke up. “She gets migraines some months. Let’s have one. If she decides she doesn’t want it, we won’t get it filled.”
Dr. Aston handed him the prescription. “You seem to know a lot about her, Tyler.” She’d known Tyler and Thomas for years and knew their relationship.
He
“Are you all right?”
“No. I need you. I’m sorry.”
He turned to help. “Sweetheart, don’t apologize, ever, for anything like this.” He braced her while she pulled her pants up, then helped her to the sink.
With his arm around her, they slowly returned to the exam room. Tyler steadied her while she undressed. He’d given her a pair of sweat pants to wear, knowing she’d be too sore to manage jeans. She leaned against him and winced as she lifted her arms to pull her shirt off. Unable to do it, she met his eyes, and he helped her remove it. In too much pain to manage it, she’d forgone her bra.
She displayed no modesty around him. Tyler wondered how much of that was due to her emotional trauma and how much was her comfort level with him.
While he’d spent many hours dreaming about holding her naked body, the sight of her bruised and battered flesh nearly drove him to his own tears of pain and fury. He loved her—he knew that with certainty—and wanted to kill Alex with his bare hands.
The damage they saw earlier paled in comparison to the wide swaths of black and blue over her chest and back. God only knew how many times the caveman had kicked her, but she was a mess. It was a wonder she could move at all.
He helped her put on the gown, then picked her up and gently set her on the table, pulling the sheet over her. She looked at him with eyes full of tears, and he held her while she cried.
When the doctor returned a few minutes later, she stopped the nurse and told her she’d call her. Then the doctor sat and waited, meeting Tyler’s gaze while Nevvie cried.
Tyler couldn’t control the emotion in his voice. “Nevvie, please sweetheart, tell us why you won’t file charges.”
She wouldn’t look at them. “A guy raped me when I was eighteen. I told them who did it, knew him from school. They took me to the hospital and did all the exams, never even arrested him after they questioned me for hours. Blamed me for it. My goddamned car broke down on the way home from work and he offered me a ride and fucking raped me. The stupid fucking cops said it was his word against mine because his dad had money and I had nothing.” She started sobbing again, and Tyler held her, not wanting to let go.
The doctor caught his eye and motioned that she’d be right back. He nodded, fighting his own tears. No wonder Nevvie was so scared, afraid to be dragged through that again.
The doctor returned a few minutes later with a bottle of water and a small paper cup. She handed them to Tyler. “Have her take that.” In the cup was a pill.
He raised his eyebrow and she mouthed, “ Sedative .” He gently shuffled Nevvie around.
“Here, sweetheart. Take this to calm your nerves, right?”
She took the pill, downing it without question. Then he sat on the table next to her as she curled up, still sniffling, her head in his lap.
When the doctor and nurse returned twenty minutes later, Nevvie wasn’t unconscious, but she was a lot calmer. She closed her eyes and maintained a death grip on Tyler’s hand during the exam. He turned his back to the doctor, keeping his eyes on Nevvie’s face.
The doctor finished. “I want X-rays of your ribs. Let’s make sure he didn’t fracture them. Have you noticed any blood in your urine?”
Nevvie shook her head.
“You can put your underwear on, but leave your shirt and pants off.”
Nevvie nodded. The doctor took out her prescription pad and wrote two scripts, handed them to Tyler. Valium, a week’s supply, and Darvocet for pain. “Did you want a prescription for birth control pills?”
Nevvie shrugged, but Tyler spoke up. “She gets migraines some months. Let’s have one. If she decides she doesn’t want it, we won’t get it filled.”
Dr. Aston handed him the prescription. “You seem to know a lot about her, Tyler.” She’d known Tyler and Thomas for years and knew their relationship.
He
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