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“I can’t believe this,” I mutter as I quickly pass him by, grabbing a towel and my clothes.
I don’t even dry myself off fully before putting them on and running the hell out of his house.
I’ll fucking walk home if I have to just to get away from here.
Fuck him and that high horse he rode in on.
And fuck him and that hard dick that made me believe he actually wanted me for me.
Fuck him for tricking me into spilling all the secrets to my past just so he could make me an easy victim.
And fuck him for making me believe I could finally let myself fall for him.
Later that morning
I sneak back into my home and close the door as quietly as I possibly can. Without making a sound, I go upstairs, but halfway up, my mom suddenly appears at the top.
Shit.
“Going somewhere?”
I sigh. “Mom, I can explain.”
“Of course,” she says, folding her arms. “And you’re gonna.”
I go up the stairs, and she follows me into my room.
“You weren’t home last night,” she says, and then she points at my bed. “You didn’t sleep in this bed.”
I close my eyes and breathe in and out. This is the last thing I wanted to talk about right now. “Mom …” I sigh. “It’s complicated.”
“Complicated? I had to call Ariane to ask where you were.” She scoffs, putting her hands against her side. “You know you’re not supposed to sneak off like that. We had a deal. You come home safely.”
“I know, but this wasn’t planned. None of this was,” I explain. “I was supposed to come home after the party, but …”
“But what?” She frowns.
I sit down on the bed. “Something happened.”
“What happened?” she asks, and she sits down beside me. “Is there something you wanna tell me?”
“No, well … maybe …” I look up at her. “Promise you won’t be mad.”
“Is this about boys?” she asks.
I nod.
“Did someone do something to you?” She grabs my hands.
Somehow, the feel of her hands on mine makes me break down, and I smash my lips together to stop the tears from flowing. “Almost …”
Still, I fail to keep it together, and I lean in against her shoulder. She grabs me and hugs me tight. “Oh, honey. Tell me what happened.”
“I was trying to get away after a fight, and then these boys chased me down into some woods,” I say. “But Cole was there, and he saved me.”
“Cole?” she asks.
“A boy … It’s complicated,” I add.
She snorts. “Everything is complicated when you’re a teen.”
“Mom.” I rub my eyes.
“Sorry. I just … Do you want me to call the cops?” she asks.
“What?” I gasp, leaning away. “No. Not again. Please. Nothing actually happened. It almost did.”
“Okay, if you’re sure,” she says.
“Positive. They got what they deserved.”
Thanks to Cole … who then went and shattered my heart right after.
I don’t get him. I don’t get his motivations, and I don’t get what drives him to act the way he does.
“Well, as long as that Cole boy is there and you feel safe around him.”
Safe’s a big word.
A very big word.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t home, Mom,” I say, looking up at her.
She grabs my face. “Thank you for being honest with me.” She pulls me in for another hug. “But no more parties. You’re grounded for a week.”
My jaw drops. “But I … we just …”
She cocks her head and gets up. “I thanked you for being honest. I didn’t say you weren’t going to get a punishment.” She smiles. “But I love you, and I hope you know I’m only looking out for your best interests.”
I roll my eyes. “Thanks, Mom.”
“You’re welcome!” she muses. Leaving my room, she closes the door behind her while I drop down onto the bed and groan out loud.
I really thought I’d escaped the worst there, but I guess not.
Though, if I know myself well enough, I probably won’t listen to her punishment either.
Suddenly, my phone buzzes. I fish it from my pocket and read the text I got. It’s from an anonymous sender, and I don’t recognize the number.
ANONYMOUS: You’re a slut, and you’ll pay for what you did.
There’s a link attached. When I click it, it leads to a folder with a picture in it … the picture Cole took of me in the cabin.
Fuck.
Chapter 30
Cole
Cleaning up the mess from the party is not something I was looking forward to, but it’s a cathartic experience, that’s for sure. At least now I get to take out all my rage on the trash because there’s plenty lying around. Stray cups, bags of chips, and food are scattered all around the house. I even found several bottles of hard liquor in the kitchen.
I don’t know who brought them, but people sure came prepared.
Maybe it was Michael’s idea.
Fuck that rat for ruining literally everything good in my life.
