Cold State Line

"You don't have to, Haylee. You don't have to," Matt said as he stroked my hair. This man was too good. I had to tell him even if it was eating me up inside to tell him. What would he say? How was he going to react?

There was only one way I would know, and that meant that I had to tell a man I cared deeply for that I was irreparably damaged. "Matt, Clay... the weeks after we broke up, he did something really, really bad. He broke into my house and he... god... he shoved a piece of glass inside my vagina. He damaged me really badly."

Matt released me and stood up. I could see anger welling in his eyes as he started to pace my living room floor. One hand was on his head, the other on his hip as he walked up and down my living room. Every now and then, he would look at me. I didn't see the pity I thought I was going to see. No, all I saw was intense fury. Was it directed at me? I was on crutches. If a man was mad at me again, I had no way of escaping.

"I... I AM GOING TO KILL THAT FUCKER!" Matt screamed it. He was so angry. I had never heard someone sound like that. His entire body was shaking. "I swear to God, I will kill him. Haylee, I will kill him."

I walked over to Matt and grabbed his arms, pulling him to me. "You can't, okay? He got away with it. His dad is a judge. You cannot even make that threat real. People know him here. They know him. He has eyes everywhere. You just can't say that. No one believes me anyway."

Matt pulled me to him, holding me close to his chest. Through his chest, I could feel him hiccup. Was he crying? Was this big, wonderful man crying for me? His chest vibrated as he held me close to him, just stroking me hair and whispering into my hair.

"I'm so sorry, babe. I wish there was something I could do."

"Just hold me close, Matt. It's been years."

Matt walked me back a bit and tilted my chin so I could see his eyes. When our eyes met, he smiled at me. There was no pity in his. All I saw was love. This man, this man who I had met because of a fluke at a rodeo, loved me. He loved me for me, that was very clear to me now. Maybe I could be with a man again, if it was Matthew Charles Sanders. He didn't scare me; he made me feel safe.

"Thank you, Matt. For everything."

He reeled me into his hard chest again. "You don't have to thank me, Haylee. I don't need that. Just know, I'll keep you safe."

Notes

Okay, I know it's another short update, but my other story, Gunslingers, is taking it out on me. But don't worry. I'll give you longer chapters very, very soon. And maybe even some smut.