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Hey, I’m staying with you tonight if my mom asks.
His response was immediate. No doubt, he was just lounging around in his big, empty house in his boxers with nothing to do. It was his regular routine when we weren’t hanging out.
Sure. No problem.
I texted my mom next, letting her know I was going to Kaleb’s for the night. Then, I drove up the drive to the highway, heading to Elizabeth’s, not even checking to see if my mom responded.
I needed to know for myself if she was okay. Because something in my gut was telling me she wasn’t, and that suspicion was only growing worse the more time I allowed to pass without hearing from her.
The downstairs lights were on when I passed by Elizabeth’s house, and her parents’ car was still in the driveway. Frowning, I drove up the block and parked my truck before getting out and walking up the street. I could see her mom watching something on TV in her pajamas through the huge living room window. Her father was MIA.
Sighing, I slipped around the side of the house, ducking past the windows until I got to the back of the house where Elizabeth’s room was located. I frowned up at the tree nearest her window. The branches were small and thin. This was basically asking for broken bones, but I couldn’t not try.
Here went to hoping it held my weight.
I swung myself up on the first branch and then slowly climbed higher, testing each branch before I put my weight on it. Wouldn’t do me any good to break a fucking arm or leg out here. I sure as fuck couldn’t help her or check on her if I injured myself.
When I was in front of her window, I frowned at the sight of her sitting on the bed, her back against the wall, hugging a pillow to her chest. Her eyes were bloodshot and red-rimmed, and her hair was a fucking mess. She looked like she hadn’t showered since I last saw her.
Swallowing down all of my rage at the sight of her, I lightly rapped on her window. Her eyes snapped up, widening when they landed on me. She looked at her door before quickly getting off her bed and rushing over to the window.
“D-Drake,” she hiccupped when the window was open. She was crying, her cheeks stained with her tears.
I slid inside and immediately wrapped her up in my arms, holding her tight to my chest. She broke down, sobbing against my chest. Hiccups ripped from her chest, and I held her tighter, my heart breaking. Fuck, I hadn’t been here when she needed me, and it was ripping me apart.
“I’m here, baby girl. What’s going on?” I whispered, keeping my voice extremely low. I didn’t want to get her in even more trouble.
She hiccupped again. “Please g-get me out of h-here,” she begged, tripping over her words.
I looked down at her and then stood back, keeping my hands on her shoulders so she didn’t freak out that I was leaving her here. I’d take her anywhere; she knew that. But I needed to know what the fuck was going on and what the hell I was getting myself into first.
My eyes landed on the discolored skin of her upper arms, and I snarled, rage pulsing hotly through my veins. She didn’t flinch at the sight of my anger, but she did tense. Pulling her back to me, I pressed my lips to her forehead. “Pack a bag—quickly,” I commanded.
She nodded and moved to her closet, grabbing a duffel bag from the floor that was already packed. I didn’t ask any questions. There was no time, and something was seriously wrong. She had bruises on her arms in the shape of handprints. She was terrified of her parents, but if she was begging me to get her out of here with them here, then whatever was going on was much worse than it ever had been before.
And I didn’t like that one fucking bit.
“You can’t go out the window,” I said, biting back a curse. I pinched the bridge of my nose. I was going to have to take her out the regular way—through the fucking house. A house that currently contained both of her abusive parents.
Fuck. The shit I did for this girl…
I squeezed her hand in mine, grabbing her duffel in my other hand. “Do you trust me?” I asked her.
Sniffling, she nodded. I pressed a kiss to the inside of her wrist, and she shivered. “Good. Then trust me when I say I won’t let anything happen to you, okay? Grab my belt with your free hand, and no matter what fucking happens, do not let go, you hear me?” She nodded. “I’m getting you out of here.”
Her hand trembled until it latched onto my belt loop. I squeezed her hand in mine, not loosening my grip, and tried opening her door.
