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“We don’t think they did anything to her, but we don’t know. Kenz said the drug they gave them knocked them out completely.” I turn to look over the love of my life and hope nothing happened to her.

Jennifer smiles and touches my hair. “Thank you for looking out for her. I need to know if any of you had sex with her before the dance.”

Even my ears feel on fire. “No, ma’am.”

She nods. “If the rape kit shows semen, we’ll need to doublecheck all of your DNA against it. To rule you out.”

Fuck. I nod. “Of course.”

“Go, Nico. I’ve got her.”

Kenz

The nurse shows me to a room. I follow Harper with my gaze until she’s out of sight. My heart is beating a thousand miles a minute, like it wants to jump out of my chest. My hands shake, and I’m not sure if I’m just coming down from the stress or if the inhaled steroids are fucking with me.

“I need to call my mom,” I say softly as soon as the nurse shuts the door. My phone is in my hand, but I’m still hesitant to call her. She’s not going to be mad at me, but there’s not a lot she can do. It’s her night off and she needs to stay with my brothers.

“You’re free to call her at any time.” The nurse works on getting me hooked up to the blood pressure monitor and puts the pulse oximeter on my finger. “This is going to take some time. The special victims unit will be in to take your statement. We need to run some tests. Blood work.”

I nod along. Fuck, it feels like I’ve walked onto the set of a TV drama, not real life.

“I’m going to be along with you for this ride, so if you need a break, you just tell me and I’ll clear out anyone who might want to stay.” She meets my eyes. “You can call me Cassie. I’ve worked with your mother.”

I nod. This is all standard.

“Can you tell me what you remember?” She stands with her fingers ready on the keyboard. “We’re aware all of you were given drugs that made you pass out. The police are going to ask you if you want a rape kit done.”

I swallow and the blood pressure cuff tightens again. “I don’t feel sore anywhere.”

Cassie looks at the numbers as the cuff releases. “You’ve been through a lot. But we’ll get through this together. You said you used someone else’s inhaler? Your heart rate is elevated.”

I nod. I can’t stop fucking nodding, and tears suddenly flood my eyes. “He died. I couldn’t stop it from happening.”

Cassie takes my hand but doesn’t say anything.

“I tried to make sure the medicine all went into his lungs, but it’s impossible to not get some of it in mine.”

She squeezes my hand. “You did well. That boy is alive because of your quick thinking.”

I can’t stop the tears and brush them away with my shaking hands.

There’s a knock on the door and when it opens, Brandon is there.

“Kenz,” he says like he’s finally found me. He crosses the room and then I’m in his arms, my face against his chest, my tears soaking his shirt. Fuck.

The nightmare is over, right? That’s the end of it. We won.

I cry harder, gripping Brandon’s shirt, unwilling to let him go.

Eli

I go to the police station to make sure the guys who were taken into custody stay in custody. On the way there, I call my dad because I had to ride with one of the Feds. When I get to the police station, Dad is inside the lobby waiting for me.

“Are you okay? Did you say anything?” My dad looks frazzled, like I don’t know the first thing about shutting up to the authorities.

“No. I’m good.” I look around. “Is there somewhere we can talk privately?”

He nods and leads me into the back of the station house. All sorts of people are being processed on a Saturday night. Including some familiar faces from school.