Crash and Burn (1)

that's called desperation, lace, and it's the best weapon

**Fair warning (though I know I should start putting trigger warnings), this one is heavy in a...dialogue based way. I just want to let you guys know going into this chapter that a TRAIN is a gangBANG, not a  gangRAPE, which it is commonly confused with.

♚ ♛

"THIS MIGHT HURT," Soren mumbled before pressing something cold to my shoulder.

A small cry echoed through the room and it took me a moment to realize it was me. A sharp, stinging sensation ripped through my body as Soren firmly pressed a small cloth to my skin.

I bit down on my lip to prevent from crying any more in front of him. I was stronger than this. I always had been and I always would be.

Soren brushed his eyes over my expression and his lips quirked up. "That's it, Lacey."

Despite everything, the tone in his voice made me roll my eyes. He took the moment to focus on my shoulder, his hand rhythmically pressing around the wound to clean it. "What the hell were you? Pre-med?"

Soren snorted. "Not even close."

"Then what?"

He went silent for a moment. Though he was still moving softly to clean my shoulder, I worried that I'd pushed too far. I knew Soren didn't talk much about his past. But when his eyes darted up to meet mine, they were soft. "I've been alone for a long time, Lacey. I've had to bandage myself up enough times."

Beneath my lashes, I watched him look back down. My heart spiraled into my stomach at the thought of Soren, alone and hurt. Cleaning up a knife wound or stitching himself up. All alone in a dark warehouse or hiding in some condemned building.

I didn't even realize I'd reached for his face before I was pressing my lips to his.

His hands never left my shoulder, but he returned it quickly.

"I'm sorry," I said softly when I pulled away.

"It's okay. I have you to do it for me now."

A lopsided grin from him made me smile. Soren Calloway might've been a murderer, but he had his moments.

"I don't know what you did to him, Soren, but you don't deserve this."

Soren only met my eyes for a split second, his smile fading. It looked like he might say more, but instead, he turned to the first aid kit, his hand still pressed against me.

When he finally placed a bandage to the cut, I gave him a thankful look. He didn't say anything about it, but his gaze wandered down to my bloody hands.

"Go into the next room, there should be a small sink."

I didn't even bother asking if he'd been there before.

When I flipped the light in the other room, there was a small sink and a toilet. I washed the dirt and blood from my hands before flipping my hair and rinsing all the way to my roots. When the water pooled in red, I knew I'd been right. I'd been bleeding last night.

As if on cue, my head spun and I had to grip the sink to prevent myself from falling.

Food. Water. Sleep.

Soren.

That's what I needed right now.

Breathe.

When I made my way back into the small office, Soren was facing away from me, pulling off his own tattered sweatshirt. The dark tattoo along his right arm rippled with the movement, half hidden by the dark shirt he was wearing.