Reverence

killing me. She took my face in her small, cold hands and looked into me. "I'm. So. Sorry."
    "Baby," I pleaded. "This wasn't your fault."
    "You're only saying that because of the imprint. It won't let you be mad."
    "I'm saying it because it's true," I said, hard and unrelenting. "Beck isn't your fault. Rodney…isn't your fault." I fought the clog in my throat. "Maggie, things happen. Some things just happen sometimes and no one is to blame and no one could have stopped it."
    She didn't look completely convinced, but I felt her fingers move a little on my face. She let them slide away and then looked at Jen. "Is Bish packing?"
    "Yeah," she answered. "He's got Maria helping him." She smiled. "Those two get along pretty well so far."
    "He adores her," Maggie confirmed. "And vice versa." She looked at me and cleared her throat. "We should probably pack, too."
    "All my stuff is here," I said. "I moved it all from upstairs. I'll start putting stuff in the suitcases."
    She nodded and I turned to do just that. Jen and her spoke for a second before Maggie closed the door. She stayed there a bit and waited. I'd known that she was putting on a front the past few days. She was trying to be happy and strong for everyone, but with Haddock and Rodney and now Beck, it was just too much for her. But she was acting like she didn't want my comfort at all.
    Was it her idea of self punishment because she blamed herself, or did she honestly think I was upset with her and just couldn't face my anger because of the imprint?
    I glanced over at her to find her watching me as I threw a wad of t-shirts into the duffle bag. "You all right?"
    She nodded. "I'm fine, Caleb. Just…" She shook her head. "I'm just ready to get there. See Mr. and Mrs. T."
    I nodded at that. "I'll get you there as soon as possible. We'll go there straight from the airport."
    "Thank you."
    I decided to let the awkward behavior between us go and not mention it further. She needed to process what was going on. I could wait.
    So we packed up everything in silence and I tamped down on the protective vibe racing through my veins. I dragged our bags and let her carry her purse and my hoodie for the plane as she walked in front of me.

    We were almost down the hall when Jonathon turned the corner, running into Maggie. He gripped her arms to keep her upright and even though he was just being a gentleman, I saw red at the sight of his hands on her skin.
    Maggie quickly pulled back and I wondered if it was because she felt my annoyance or she felt the angry buzz her skin makes when someone touched her that wasn't me. I frowned. And she didn't even want me to touch her right now.
    She jerked her gaze to me. "That's not true."
    Crap. I forgot to block her. "Yes, it is," I argued softly. "This is stupid, Maggie. You don't need to punish yourself."
    "I'm…not."
    "You're not?" I asked and she paused before shaking her head and refusing to look at me. I let our bags fall from my fingers to the floor and went to stand in front of her. "It wasn't your fault. None of this was."
    Jonathon just stood there, his eyes back and forth like he was watching volleyball. I ignored him.
    "Maggie."
    "You can't say that Beck and Ralph aren't my fault," she said and finally looked up at me.
    "Yes, I can. Because it's mine." If my beautiful little Maggie wanted to play martyr, two could play that game.
    "No," she said, confused. "How could it be your fault?"
"Because I touched you and made you mine." I felt my jaw clench at the truth of those words. Maggie's life hadn't been exactly rosey since I'd dragged her into my world.
    "Don't say that," she pleaded. "Don't start this again."
    "Don't start what? Don't start saying that if it weren't for me that you and your family would be safe and normal like they used to be?"
    "Caleb…" Her lips quivered again and I knew I'd won. I stopped everything and pulled her elbows so she'd come to my arms. Her skin was soft and sweet smelling and gulp inducing. I took her chin in my fingers and made her look up at me. I wrapped my other arm around the small of her back to keep her there.
    "Maggie Camille," I breathed and felt her breath catch. "Stop this right now. It's no more your fault than it is mine. Stuff happens. It sucks, it sucks so bad and, baby…I'm dying for you. I wish I could stop this, but I can't." I let my thumb sweep across her bottom lip.
    She sniffed once before wrapping her arms around my neck. I exhaled as her skin touched mine and gripped her