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CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO
Stella
My legs and lungs burn by the time I fly through Calli’s bedroom door and crash to the carpet in an exhausted, humiliated heap.
“Stella?” The concern in Calli’s voice as her sheets rustle makes a sob want to rip up my throat. But I refuse to allow myself to go there.
I’m stronger than Seb and his idiot friends.
It’s just my exhaustion, I tell myself.
I always have been a really shitty liar.
Warm hands wrap around my upper arm. I push my initial reaction to fight aside and allow her to help me stand.
I haven’t looked in a mirror since running from the basement, but I don’t need to to know I look like hell.
“What happened?” Calli asks, standing before me as I perch on the edge of her bed.
“Uh…” I hesitate, not wanting to tarnish her purity and innocence with the horrific truth.
“The last time I saw you, you had your tongue down Theo’s throat,” she states matter-of-factly with her hands on her hips.
Thankfully, there’s no judgement there, just curiosity.
“I had too much to drink. And Alex’s blunt was fucking strong,” I mutter, dropping my head into my hands.
“Do you need pills? I’ve got—”
“I’ve had some, but thank you. I should go. Get out of your way and let you get on with your day.”
“I’m not letting you walk out of here like this. Talk to me. I might not understand, but I want to help.”
She drops down beside me and reaches for my hand.
“No offense, but you smell like boy. And from the state of your neck, I can guess why.”
A bitter laugh falls from my lips.
“Can’t say I’m surprised.”
“What happened, Stella?”
I give her a very brief, very vague rundown of my time with Seb in the bathroom before coming out with the intention of teaching him a lesson.
I remember kissing Theo. I remember Alex joining us and there’s a very, very hazy memory of his lips too.
But anything past that is just a blur of nothingness.
From the way Nico looked at me this morning, I know that he was involved somewhere.
The only thing that makes me feel a little bit better about everything I can’t remember is that when Seb pushed his fingers inside me earlier, I wasn’t sore like I’d been fucked seven ways from Sunday.
I hope that means my night maxed out at kissing, and that Theo was lying when he said they’d all seen everything already.
I internally cringe as I think about how I ended up out of my dress and who might have put me into Theo’s shirt.
Looking up at Calli, I smile softly, more than appreciating her support right now.
