She tried to imagine someone — her father, her mother — throwing a glass at her. Something worse than being smacked.
She couldn’t. She couldn’t get her mind around the idea of being hurt on purpose by someone she trusted. But then, she cheated.
Summer made a small sound, struggling with words, then just reached up and kissed him. “It’s past,” she managed.
“I was so scared – every day and I just…I needed something to…to protect myself if it ever got too bad, you know?” He whispered then, as if he was desperately pleading for her to understand his reasons.
He jumped and then melted into the kiss, tears filling his eyes as he pressed their foreheads together. “Were you scared? If he had hurt you, I would’ve ripped him apart for you, Summer, and that’s a promise.”
“Shhh,” she whispered. “He frightened me. But it’s okay. It’s okay now.” How was it she was talking him down from — “It’s pack, right? The word. For all of you together. How many of you are there? Can you — there’s so much I want to know, but if you don’t want to … ” She twisted to look at her ankle. “You could help me ice my ankle? Instead?”