Cameron "Kara," I said, gently putting her seat belt on. "We need to get you into dry clothes." Her eyes snapped to mine, wide with anxiety. "Not at my house. I can't..." Her voice broke. "I can't go back there." "All right." I stroked her wet hair away from her face, trying to soothe her with my touch. "I'll take you home with me." She nodded gratefully then slumped in her seat, her shoulders sagging. She turned to face the window, hiding her face from me. Her hair was so long it curled and dripped water on the middle console. The wet honey gold strands mixed with her dark brown hair had turned almost black. When she shivered, I turned the heater on full blast, turning all the vents toward her. I'd give her my sweater, but I was soaked from the rain too. Fuck. She was going to get sick at this rate. Stepping on the gas, I drove as fast as I could to my place in the city. It was closer and she could change her clothes there first. She was quiet as I parked the truck in my garage. "You should take a hot shower first. You're shivering," I said. She didn't move, didn't show an indication that she heard me. I slid out of the truck, opening her side of the door. Her eyes were closed, but I knew she wasn't sleeping. Carefully, I unbuckled her seatbelt, scooped her up in my arms and carried her inside my place. Going straight to the bathroom off my bedroom, I sat her at the edge of the tub. "Kara." I knelt in front of her, rubbing warmth into her cold hands. She looked drained, heartbroken. "How about I set up a bath for you?" Her head was bowed low so I couldn't even look at her eyes. When she didn't reply, I filled the tub with warm water. "I'll be right back," I said. I walked out to the bedroom and quickly changed my clothes, so I didn't drip wet on the floor. She could slip and get hurt. I was just about to grab clothes for her when I spotted the bathrobe that was gifted to me at work. I'd never worn it before. It was thick and fluffy. She'd be comfortable in it. Women liked bathrobes, didn't they? I pulled it out, then grabbed one of my boxers for her. She was still in the same sitting position when I came back to the bathroom. It pained me to see her that way. There must be something I could do to make her feel better. I opened the cupboard to grab her a towel when I spotted one of those colorful ball bath things. I knew right away it was from Caleb or Levi. They knew it irritated me when they leave things at my place, but right now I would build a damn house for them for this. Kara would like this, wouldn't she? Do I just throw it in the water or do I need to break it in pieces first, help it work faster? I threw it. It looked like exploding rainbows spreading in the water, bubbles everywhere. I turned the faucet off. "Baby, the bath's ready," I said, kneeling in front of her again. "Let's get you out of these wet clothes, shall we?" Mechanically she took off her top, and I looked away for a moment, cursing myself for wanting her in this vulnerable state at the sight of her in a lacy white bra. "Pants," I croaked. With slow, tired movements, she rose and took them off. "Get in the tub, Kara." She nodded. In her underwear, she stepped into the bubbling water. There was something painful that gripped my chest as I watched her. She would have protested before, gave me hell for telling her what to do, but she didn't now. She hugged her knees to her chest, resting the side of her face on them and closing her eyes. Her thick, long hair slid down to cover her body, the rest of it disappearing in the water. "Can I make you something to eat?" She finally lifted her eyes to mine. "I'm so tired. I just want to sleep." Her voice sounded uncharacteristically small and quiet. "I'm sorry, Cam. Can I sleep?" I swallowed the lump in my throat. She looked so fragile, as though one wrong word or move could break her apart. "Yeah." But she just stayed exactly where she was, closing her eyes. If I leave her here, she'd just wallow in her thoughts. Or worse. An image of a woman with long hair as dark as mine in the tub came barrelling in my head. Spilled red wine, a broken wineglass, an upended ash tray with old cigarette butts on a marble floor. A child's voice. My breath came out ragged. Where the hell did that come from? I shook my thoughts away, willing myself to concentrate on Kara. She needed me. "I need you, Cameron." I snapped my eyes to Kara, but she wasn't the one who spoke. Disturbed by it all, I bit into my knuckle. Get your shit together, motherfucker. I rose, grabbed the handheld shower and shampoo. "Let me wash your hair," I said gently. "Can you turn around?" The sound of the water lapping against the sides of the tub as she moved, the soft splash as I worked shampoo in her hair and washed it off. The smooth lines of her neck, curve of her shoulders, water dripping down her creamy skin. "Feel good?" I asked. She hummed. She sounded sleepy and fatigued. I reached for the towel and dried her hair as much as I could. Silently cursed when I realized I didn't have a brush or comb. Some parts of her hair had tangled. "I'm going to step out so you can finish," I said. "Robe on the counter. Towels in the cupboard if you need more." She seemed to wake up a little, then nodded. Not saying anything again. I dragged a floor rug to mop up the wet, picked up her wet clothes, stepped out of the bathroom and closed the door. I leaned against it, taking a deep breath. I wished I knew the damned words to say to bring the joy back in her eyes, back in her movements. I don't know what the fuck to do. She looked so broken. Frustrated, I lowered my head and massaged the back of my neck. Shower, I thought as I headed to the mudroom, placed her clothes in the wash, and pressed the settings, that's what I need. I headed to the second bathroom in the den. My thoughts were filled with her. When I was done, I grabbed a couple of aspirin and a glass of water for her. I went back to the bedroom, placed the glass of water and pills on the bedside table, wondered if I had food in the fridge so she could eat later when I heard my phone pinged several texts. They were all from Dylan. I gripped my phone hard as I read them. When the bathroom door opened, I tucked my phone away in my pocket. Kara drowned in the bathrobe. She looked so young, like a little girl too wiped out after playing outside, hurt in her eyes after falling too many times. The sight of her dejected shoulders, her long hair. The absence of fire in her eyes, the unhappiness that seemed to have settled there. Feeling helpless, I swipe my palm across my mouth. "Do you want to stay here with me tonight?" I asked. She needed rest right away and traveling right now in the pouring rain would take too long. She shook her head. "I better go—" I made a frustrated growl at the back of my throat. "Stop it. Come on." I grabbed her hips and lifted her to me. Like always, she wrapped her arms and legs around me. Her head fell limply on my shoulder, then her whole body. I heard her little sigh as if she had given herself permission to relax now. I sat on the bed, clasping her to me. I wanted to stay like this for a moment, selfishly unwilling to let her go. The weight of her body against me felt so fucking good. I closed my eyes and stroked her hair. She was silent. But even this side of her I wanted. "You need to sleep," I whispered. I rose, pulled back the covers on the bed and laid her on it. "Take this. It's aspirin." Every movement of her body seemed to suck the energy out of her. When she was done, I covered her with the blanket, pushing the hair away from her cheek. "I'll be right outside if you need anything."