I didn't know how I felt about this. Yes I feel something for Bass but I've hated him so long it could just be, not hatred. He was looking at me expectantly with a small smile on his face. In the back of my mind I remembered he had his hands on me still. I don't know what he wants to hear, so I did the only thing I could think of.

"Close your eyes," I watched him and kept watching him as I got out of the water. I quickly dressed and looked up, just to see him still standing with closed eyes. "Ok, come out of the water."

I don't know what he's expecting but I know he won't like it. Once he was right in front of me I started to lift my shirt, but Bass stopped me once I grabbed the bottom, "no Charlie, I can't, take adv-"

"It's not what you think," I lightly touched his hand and he eventually moved it away. I watched his face as he stared at my bare skin. I held my shirt up just enough to see the purple and blue bruise that had appeared after last night's situation with Connor. Bass gasped, more like a sharp intake of breath, and then looked at me with a fury I've never seen before.

"Who did this?" He was shaking, hands in fists, muscles tense. It reminded me so much of how Connor looked before he did this to me.

I kept looking at him and tried to put my thoughts together. This has been a crazy couple of days; I slept with Connor, rescued him and Bass, kissed Connor in front of Bass, gotten shot, seen them fight, got threatened by Connor, then Bass told me he loved me. It was all just too much to process; I needed to sit down.

I walked over to a rock and Bass followed right behind. "I don't know how to tell you…" I trailed off. I don't know if I even want to tell him. I've never been this afraid of someone, even Bass before I really knew him. Connor was just so good at masking his true self. What if Bass doesn't believe me, asks Connor if it's true, then kills us both? It was risky and I don't know if it's worth it. "I can't. I'm sorry Bass I can't tell you," I looked at him and he cupped my face with both of his hands.

"Charlotte, I love you and you can tell me anything," he was trying to coax it out of me, to comfort me. But I only became more distraught. This is just too much, I cracked.

"Bass, I can't do this. I slept with Connor, I got shot, I saw you punch your son over a kiss, then he turns into some sort of monster, and now his father says he loves me. I just can't do it!" I had stood up somewhere during my tantrum and turned away from Bass, gasping for air.

A minute had past and he was still quiet, too quiet. I slowly turned to see his face had fallen and his eyes were wet. I didn't know that not knowing how I felt was this bad…

"Connor did this?" He looked up at me and as I went over what I said in my head I realized I had let it slip, and now Bass was a wreck.

"Bass," I couldn't say anything else because he put his head in his hands and started shaking. But not with rage like before, but like he was crying. I had never seen this side of him before and I didn't know what to do- so I just stood there for a minute and watched him cry over the betrayal of his son. Once my senses came to me I remembered all the times Bass comforted and saved me in my darkest hours, so I decided to do the same.

I sat down next to him and started rubbing his back, secretly thinking how strange this whole situation was. After about 10 minutes, Bass abruptly stopped and looked at me, "tell me everything that happened."

As I told him the whole story he looked horrified, then horror turned to sadness, and sadness turned to rage. "I'm going to kill him," Bass stood up and I had to practically jump on him to stop him.

"NO! Look Bass, he is a lot stronger than he let us know. He acted weak and played dumb so we wouldn't expect it. I'm guessing I just pushed him too far and he snapped because I don't think he wanted us to know, which is why he threatened me to keep me quiet," I tried to calm Bass down but he just looked past me and kept trying to leave. He obviously didn't really want to leave me because he could easily push me aside if he tried.

"I can't just sit here after what he did you to," He stopped protesting and looked at me, searching for an answer.

"I know you don't want to kill him, so what if we leave?" He took a step toward me, grabbing my hands in his.

"Charlotte, what are you saying?" He looked hopeful, but doubtful. I think I know what he was thinking and what he wanted but I couldn't give that to him. At least not right now.

"I'm saying you and I go get the men you bought, and leave Connor behind. He can fend for himself while we head back to Willoughby," His face relaxed and he nodded, standing up and straightening himself out.

"Ok," he was obviously upset but tried to mask his face. When did I become so good at reading him?

"Look, we don't have to do this. We can go back and act like nothing happened," I was watching Bass and he started shaking his head the moment I said 'don't'.

"No Charlie, he is my son and I don't want to see him dead, but what he did to you was unforgiveable. We can leave first thing tomorrow," he grabbed my back and took out the folded blanket. I stood and watched him, realizing I mean more to him than his own son; a son he's been looking for for years. A big grin spread on my face, and I finally admitted to myself I liked knowing Bass loved me, even if I don't quite know how I feel.

"What?" When I looked down he was laying on the spread blanket, obviously about to sleep.

"What are you doing?" I asked completely shocked, "I thought we were going to get the men you bought?" I just stood there completely dumbfounded when Bass chuckled.

"Look, it's getting dark, and it'll be cold. We shouldn't leave now, so let's' just sleep tonight, and leave in the morning," he patted the space next to him and I couldn't help but let out a single laugh and lay down next to him. As I started drifting off into sleep, Bass whispered, "Good night Charlotte."

I was about to say it back when I felt his arms wrap around me and he pulled me closer to his body. I fit his curves perfectly, as if he was made for me. I didn't want to spoil the moment with words, so I only snuggled closer to him; and drifted off into the first peaceful sleep I've had since I left my home to get Danny back from this very man. Yet, I didn't want to ever wake up.