AllFreeNovel
Share Us
After the quickest shower in the world, and getting dried in the stall to avoid coming out naked—pointless, maybe, since Brandon likely has plenty of videos of me coming out of the shower from the last four months—I drag my feet to class.
I'm safe. In control. I'm attending one of the best colleges in the country, in the world, with a merit scholarship. Compared to the sort of things I've lived through, my life is downright enchanted right now. I have to repeat that to myself several times through the day, but my anxiety’s stuck on high alert. I jump at the slightest noise, terrified of my own shadow, like I was months ago when I first moved.
I feel, and likely look, like a zombie by the time I flop down on a chair next to Violet for our chemistry class.
“Hey.” She eyes me warily. “You’re okay?”
That’s the rub, isn’t it? I’m okay.
Many women, after last night, would be curled up in a ball crying. I’m not bothered. The rational part of my brain even understands why Marius did what he did to me. I saw the evidence he had against me, and I wasn’t exactly cooperative. If I’d told him what he wanted to know earlier, that would have stopped it. But after I worked out that I could take his torture, I just let it happen because—
I’m not going there.
The reason I’m so stressed out has nothing to do with that asshole. But the fact that Brandon knows where I am? That’s terrifying. All my instincts tell me to run as far and as fast as I can. The only thing keeping me here is the extent of my bank balance. And the fact that I have a scholarship, a potential future I can carve here.
I fake a smile and nod tightly to my friend.
“That’sconvincing,” she grunts. “Tell me after class. We can do coffee.”
“Two coffees in as many days?”
“It’s that kind of a week, I guess,” she says.
Then our teacher walks in and we direct our attention to the front of the room.
* * *
I tell her everything about Marius, every bit of it—except my reaction to it. That’s too embarrassing for words. If the last few days have shown something, it’s that Violet can be discreet. Besides, I haven’t signed that NDA, so Marius can suck it.
The only thing I keep to myself is Brandon. Speaking about him, about what he used to do to me, is traumatic. And it makes me feel weak. Worthless. I don’t want her to see me like that. Violet is so strong, carefree, confident. Imagining her pitying me makes my stomach fall.
“He didwhat?” Vi repeats several times through my tale.
I just chuckle, snort, and keep going.
When I’m done talking, she sucks in a breath, and checks. “We’re really talking about Marius?”
It’s like she’s expecting me to say, “nah, it was the other brother.”
“Yep.”
She shakes her head. “Wow. And here I thought he was…you know. Normal?”
Does normal even exist at this point?
“You seem fine. I mean, all things considered.”
Slowly, I bob my head up and down.
I’m not, but I’m not getting into it.
“Do I need to ask Rhys to have words with Marius?”
I hesitate. Do I want him to step in?
Before I’ve made a conscious decision, I’m shaking my head. “No, no need. He just wanted answers, and he got them.”
My jaw tightens. I mentioned I had a bad ex-boyfriend turned stalker—that’s not quite accurate, but I don’t want to get into it any more than that. And Violet didn’t ask.
