Above the Law

Chapter Twenty-One

Eden watched as the bloody water ran into the drain. Her brows were furrowed and a lump was forming in her throat. Her mind was alive with guilt but not much else. Not guilt for Drew's death. No. She felt a crawling guilt tear at her chest for Lily.

How could she have left her sister alone after what he had done? Eden wasn't only supposed to protect Lily, she was also supposed to comfort her. And both, Eden had failed at.

The drain was clogging. The blood lingering. Her skin burning. She rubbed her skin raw, until the stain of scarlet was replaced by angry red blotches of irritated skin. She was ankle deep in Drew's watered down blood. Eden scrubbed harder. She tried to swallow down the lump in her throat that was slowly choking her. She couldn't. She let a sob rip from her throat.

"Eden?"

The concerned voice made her jump. Made her knees buckle. She swallowed her cries and let her burning throat devour words she wasn't willing to say.

"Eden, are you okay?"

She shook her head, knowing he couldn't see her. Her eyes landed on the wet strands of her hair, drops of blood slipping from each strand into the puddle of blood. She reached for the shampoo again, lathering it through her hair.

"Eden?"

She closed her eyes. The image of Lily holding her crumpled and bloody sheets to her chest burned behind her eyelids. Eden let it. She let the image, and the guilt that came along with the image, consume her.

She deserved this.

She deserved to relive that horror because she could have prevented it.

Lily didn't deserve to relive it. She didn't deserve the images constantly flashing before her eyes. But Eden knew her sister undoubtedly already relived the moment her innocence was stolen. Eden knew Lily's mind was on replay. And Lily didn't deserve that. Lily couldn't take that.

"Oh God." Eden shut the water off quickly, wrapped a towel around herself and stepped out of the shower. "Oh God."

"Eden? Eden, hey." He grabbed her by the shoulders and stopped her from walking out of the bathroom. "Hey, slow down. What's wrong?" He looked down at her heaving chest and frowned. "Sit down. Talk to me. Are you okay? Are you having another panic attack?" He forced her to sit on the edge of the tub, then crouched in front of her, his large hands framing her face. "You're okay." His thumb brushed over her trembling lip. "You're okay."

"But Lily isn't."

Sadness welled in his eyes. "Eden... it wasn't your fault."

"I left her all alone," Eden whispered. "What if she hurts herself, Parker? That would be my fault. I have to go. I can't—I can't leave her again. I shouldn't have left her."

Eden made to stand up, but Parker pushed her back down on the edge of the tub. "There's still blood on you," he whispered as he picked up her washcloth and wiped the smear of blood off her chest.

Eden looked down at him, at his large but gentle hands. "It wouldn't come off."

He looked up at her and she looked away.

"What if she hurts herself, Parker? What if I'm too late—"

"Don't say things like that. Please don't say things like that."

Eden could feel his gaze burning into her, but she didn't want to meet his eyes. His eyes always said too much, always saw too much. "I'm clean. Stop." She stood up and Parker sat back on his heels, frowning.

"Eden. Look at me. Please." She did, hesitantly. "Come here. Bring her here. You guys shouldn't have to live somewhere you aren't safe. I won't let you." His compassion was overwhelming. His eyes held more sincerity than she'd ever had directed at her.