Colleen appeared at the kitchen door. “What’s going on?” She gasped when she saw Brandon on the floor covered in blood and Clare shaking in Aidan’s arms. “Aidan, take her upstairs,” Colleen said with a look of disgust for Brandon. “Now.”

Aidan picked Clare up and carried her upstairs to his room.

“God, Clare, I’m so sorry.” He curled around her on his bed.

“I can’t stop shaking.”

“I’m going to kill him.”

“No.” Clare clung to him. “Don’t leave me.”

“Never.”

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“You hit your brother. Because of me.”

“He’s lucky that’s all I did to him. I’d kill him before I’d let him hurt you. You know that, don’t you? I don’t care who he is.”

“Don’t say that.”

Colleen came to the door. “How is she?”

“How do you think she is?” Aidan was clearly trying to contain his rage. “He practically attacked her right there in the kitchen. He’s totally out of control, Mum.”

“I know,” she said, her cheeks wet with tears. “Colin’s coming to get him.”

“He needs help,” Aidan said.

“Yes.” Colleen brushed the hair off Clare’s forehead. “I’m so sorry, love. That’s not our Brandon. We don’t know what’s happened to him lately. Are you all right?”

“I will be,” Clare said as the trembling gave way to chills.

“I want you to stay right there with her tonight, do you hear me, Aidan?”

“You don’t have to tell me that, Mum.”

“I’m sorry, Clare.” Colleen closed the door behind her when she left the room.

Thinking about what might’ve happened if Aidan hadn’t shown up when he did, Clare began to cry. Five minutes of fear had brought back all the horror she thought she’d put behind her forever. But she refused to let it ruin what she had with Aidan. She wouldn’t be afraid of him.

“Please don’t cry, honey. I’m right here with you.” Aidan kissed her hair, her face, her neck. “I’m right here, and I love you. I’m so sorry.”

When she could talk again, she looked up at him. “Aidan?”

“What, honey?”

“How did you know I needed you?”

“I don’t know. Something woke me up, and I was downstairs before I knew it.”

“I was so glad to see you.” She tilted her face up to kiss him. “I love you.”

“I don’t ever want you to be afraid like that again.”

“Kiss me, Aidan. I need you.”

He crushed his lips to hers, and she kissed him back with everything she had.

Aidan awoke at dawn and left Clare sleeping in his bed. Downstairs, he found his mother having a solitary cup of coffee in the kitchen. She seemed to have aged overnight.

“Where are you going?” she asked.