“I think that’s the first sensible thing you’ve said.” His thumb rubbed over my scar. “Tell me what happened here.”

I shook my head, my brain refusing to go back to that cabin, even though I’d promised myself I’d tell him anything. “I can’t talk about it. Please don’t make me.”

“Make you?” He looked at me in confusion. “You keep using that word.”

“You’ve obviously forgotten the power you have over me.”

“Then tell me. I need to know what happened. All of it.”

“I can’t.”

“You can.” He tangled his fingers with mine. “Because we’re going to the police and they’ll need to hear it.”

I shook my head. “My father will have me committed. He’s got everyone thinking I’m crazy, that I tried to kill myself.”

“Did you?” His attention landed on my arms.

I studied our joined hands. “It’s not what you think. I tried to get away from Zach, but he kept me high on ecstasy half the time.” I blinked rapidly. “I convinced myself he was you, and…”

He squeezed my hand. “I’m listening.”

Turning my head, I gazed out the window at the cloudless sky, too ashamed to face him. “He snapped after I cried out your name.” I untangled our hands and slowly lifted my shirt.

Rafe stood, bringing my attention back to him. His jaw twitched and his green eyes went so dark, I was glad his anger wasn’t directed at me. “He did that to you?” Fury drenched his words, flooded the space between us with an oath of retribution.

Closing my eyes, I nodded. “Afterward, I…I lost my mind and locked myself in the bathroom, broke the mirror and…I just wanted him to stop.”

Without warning, he pulled me from the chair and into the shelter of his arms. One hand tangled in my hair as the other held me to his shaking body. “He’ll never hurt you again.”

Standing on tiptoes, I clutched his shirt and burrowed into the crook of his shoulder. “I wasn’t the only one he hurt. He wrecked your life, Rafe. We both did, and I am so, so sorry. I know I need to turn him in but—”

“Stop.” He pulled back and framed my face in his hands. “If it’s forgiveness you’re asking for, you’ve got it. Fuck, Alex, I’ll never forget the sight of you in that hospital bed. If I’d known, there’s no way in hell I would have left you there.” He drew in a deep breath. “But none of it matters as much as you being able to heal from all of this. You were only fifteen, way too fucking young to be held accountable for a decision your rapist coerced you into making.”