Chapter 22 — Territory and Command

The Heat Beneath the Hurt
The harsh fluorescent light washed across her face, exposing the crimson streaks smeared along her palms. Her chest heaved violently, each breath a shard of pain, her pulse hammering through her temples.

She leaned over the sink, knuckles pressed hard to the porcelain, fighting to steady herself. The chill of the tiles beneath her hands offered no anchor. For a fleeting moment, she thought her legs would give out.

She kept glaring at her face as the mirror betrayed her, wide eyes flickering with shock and pain, fear and disbelief warring in their depths.

How had a simple visit to my family’s house turned into punishment? I didn’t deserve to be treated like that just for coming home late.

She cupped cold water to her nose, trying to rinse the blood away, but her shoulders caved inward as though something had hollowed her out. The tears coursed down her face, soaking his shirt as she clung to him, refusing to stop.

Meanwhile, Evan entered the room after changing into his nightclothes. His eyes swept the space, once again finding it empty. A shadow crossed his face as he shut the door, his gaze catching on the thin strip of light spilling from the bathroom.

His steps slowed, measured yet deliberate. The faint drip of water and the uneven rasp of her breathing sharpened his focus. He tilted his head slightly, listening, body coiled with restrained tension.

When he reached the door, he didn’t knock. He simply braced a hand against the frame, then pushed it open, stopping cold as he spotted her lean figure trembling in front of the mirror. She bent over the sink, hands slick with blood, body shuddering as though each breath might shatter her.

The sight hollowed the air in his lungs. He froze, breath held, as though time itself had thickened around him, watching her reflection to convince himself it was real.

“Jenna.” The name escaped him, laced with disbelief, raw, uneven.

She jerked her head up, eyes finding him through the mirror, fear widening them before pain narrowed her gaze.

“Don’t,” she rasped, her tone splintering. “Don’t come closer.”

Her warning came broken, but he ignored it. In two strides, he reached her and slid his arm around her wrist, pulling her hands away from her face. The warmth of blood against his skin made his heartbeat falter.

It wasn’t that the blood mattered; he was used to seeing this every day. But it was her blood, and that was all that mattered.

“What the hell is this…” His voice cracked into a whisper as his eyes roamed her pale face. “You’re bleeding like this…”

Shock glinted in his eyes, widening them, the deep darkness still carrying something unspoken. She exhaled through her nose, the closeness haunting her.

“D–don’t… pretend, Evan,” she choked, crimson staining her lips. “Go on… be happy. This is what… you wanted. You’re… the reason I’m like this. You love… crushing me… with your anger… until I can’t… breathe.”

The words struck like iron. His jaw set, but his hand lingered a fraction too long on her wrist before she jerked it away.

“You storm in, roar at me like I’m your enemy,” she whispered, her breath thin as paper. “And now you act like you care when I’m bleeding? My head’s splitting, my chest,” her words crumbled into silence. “It’s you, Evan. You did this, you did this and I won’t forgive you ever for that.”

“Stop talking nonsense.” His reply came harsh, tearing a towel from the rack and pressing it to her face, wiping away the blood in swift, unrelenting strokes.

Without pause, he caught her by the arm, his grip firm. He pulled her from the bathroom, her steps faltering against the tiles, but his posture stayed rigid, propelling her forward, ignoring the way she swayed against his hold.

He guided her to the bed, firm and unyielding, seating her carefully despite her faltering steps. She tried to push his hands away, but his grasp was unyielding.

“Stay still,” he ordered, sitting beside her. One hand pinned her wrist to her side while the other pressed the towel firmly to her nose.

The bleeding had already slowed, but he wasn’t taking chances. Only when he was sure did he ease the cloth away, inspecting her drained features.

She glared at him, venom simmering in her eyes. “Let me go,” she writhed weakly, voice hoarse.

“Not a damn chance.” His jaw locked as he held her down when she tried to rise. “You’ll choke yourself if you move.”

“Why do you care! Stop playing tricks with me!” she rasped.

His fingers shifted to the pressure points of her wrists, pinning her arm to her thigh with calculated precision until her body loosened and leaned back limply, as if surrendering to gravity.

Her gaze lifted, clouded and distant, and it made his chest twist. He held her by the upper arm, shaking her lightly to keep her conscious as her head drifted aside like a feather on the wind. “Don’t drift. Look at me.”

She swallowed weakly, lips parting as if to argue, but only a broken sigh slipped out.

Muttering a curse under his breath, he adjusted her position on the bed, one arm bracing along her back, steadying her trembling frame until she eased, closing her eyes.

He then yanked the blanket from the foot of the bed and covered her in one swift motion, tucking the edges tight before pressing his large, firm palm against her forehead. The cold metal of his ring brushed her lukewarm skin, freshly washed with cold water.

“Breathe steady,” he ordered, voice low but firm. “You’re fine now. You hear me?”

He ran his gaze over her face as her lids closed, the flicker beneath them betraying the storm inside.

Her petite figure shuddered harder at his words. Tears streaked down her cheeks, wetting his shirt as she clung to him.

“Nothing’s gonna be wrong when I’m with you. Just calm yourself down.” He whispered near her before pulling back slightly, still holding her fragile frame against his chest.

She buried her face in his chest, seeking refuge in the steadiness of his body while his hand stayed at her back, anchoring her trembling frame with slow, absent circles.

“You’re… you’re so cruel… I… I won’t forgive you, Evan,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “I can’t… I can’t stop feeling this… this pain… even when you hold me.”

Her words cut through him like steel, sharper than any wound he’d ever known.

Suddenly, his arms stalled mid-motion, frozen between anger and something deeper, as she clung to him tightly, sending a jolt through him.