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“Is that Isaac?!” Caleb yells, and then silence as they continue to watch in horror.
Men’s voices laugh through the sound system, and I fight my head to not replay the images of why they’re laughing as bile rises to my throat.
“As you can see, she is still learning how to swallow, but she’s getting much better at commands.” Isaac says. “And she’s incredibly responsive.”
“Oh my god, that’s Stephen!” Micah shouts and jumps off the sofa to pause the video.
I chance a glance at the screen. It’s paused, showing a younger me on the bed with the floral duvet and a shirtless man, pants at his ankles, climbing on top of me. The other men are not in frame, but I know they’re there. I stand frozen, blazing with hurt and rage, as a single tear falls for the girl in that video.
The Beast was the worst of them, and now I know his name…Stephen.
“Turn that off!” Celeste shrieks, running down the stairs.
I feel her and Taylor run into the room, but I can’t move. I’m stuck in an inferno, raging for the little girl forever frozen on the screen, hating every person in this room, and wishing more than anything the universe would finally just take me.
A few minutes later, I move my head slowly, looking for Elijah. Once he catches my stare, I speak.
“At least now you know I wasn’t lying.” My words are cold and deadly. “I hope you enjoyed the show.”
“Ang—” Micah starts, but I shut him down. I shut all of it down.
“Nope. No one gets to speak to me. No. One.” My words are as calm as I can make them, straining to hold on to reality. “I’m going back tomygoddamn room and living my motherfucking life. I am not a victim, I am not a fucking princess, and I sure as hell don’t need a single dick in this room.”
I push off the wall and walk straight out the front door without so much as a glance back. The faster I walk, the more tears pool in my eyes. Every time I think I’ve healed, the universe knocks me back on my ass. But these are angry, murderous tears, and when I find out who’s behind this—I will kill them.
I owe it to that little girl.
29
“Eves.”
I barely hear the voice behind me as I raise the volume in my ear buds while “Numb” by Carlie Hanson plays in my ear. I push harder on the treadmill. I know who it is, I just don’t care.
His hand touches my shoulder, and I grip my kitty knuckles, raising them while I jump off the machine towards Taylor.
“Jesus! Eves, it’s just me,” Taylor says, his hands raised in submission.
Sweat drips from my brow as I lower my arms and scoff.
“Sneaking up on me is stupid,” I deadpan.
“I wasn’t trying to sneak up on you,” he says. “I need to talk to you. I haven’t seen you in weeks, and you changed the damn locks.”
I walk away from the treadmill and head to the mats for my floor workout.
“Don’t be dramatic. You’ve seen me. And I’ve been busy,” I reply and continue my workout like he’s not in the room.
He grabs both my shoulders and lifts me up to face him.
“You can’t keep doing this. Celeste is a mess.”
I push against his chest with full force. “Fuck off, Bryant.”
“Don’t you care about her at all? You seem to forget she defended you. That she still defends you.”
I tap my index finger against my chin and stare off into the room.
“Hmm… All I seem to remember is that everyone assumed that I was keeping secrets. Even better, you all thought you had the right to invade my privacy without hesitation.” I shake my head, fighting the bile in my throat, remembering that day. “Why are you here?”
